For triplets Jacob, Zachary, and Victoria Rinvelt ’15 the immediate connection they formed with Grand Valley faculty and staff had a significant impact on their education.

When Jacob, who double-majored in finance and international business, started to struggle with his accounting class, it was the mentorship he formed with Professor Gregg Dimkoff that helped him regain his confidence.

“He was open to meeting with me after class to explain different topics I found to be difficult,” says Jacob. “It bolstered my confidence, and it helped me get through different courses that I was struggling with.”

“We think it’s important to give back to the Grand Valley community to ensure that students past, present, and future get the same experience that we did.”

When Zachary was unsure what direction to go in after graduation, the services through the GVSU Career Center helped him find his first job.

“I was one of those people who graduated not knowing what they wanted to do,” says Zachary. “It’s nice to know you can come back to the university that you spent so much time at, and they still help you even though you’re not a student anymore. You really are a Laker for a Lifetime.”

Victoria always knew she wanted a career in hospitality and tourism management. However, it was the support she received from the faculty, along with the programs available outside of classroom that provided her with the opportunities to make her dream a reality.

“Being part of the Professional Convention Meeting Association helped set a path for my future career. I got to interact with professionals who were already in the field and learn from their experiences. It was a great advantage to have before graduation,” says Victoria.

Through conversations with their parents, Rob ’80 and Beth Rinvelt, the family decided to establish the Rinvelt Family Endowment for Student Success to support student success programs at Grand Valley and enable students to thrive as they prepare for their careers.

“We think it’s important to give back to the Grand Valley community to ensure that students past, present, and future get the same experience that we did,” says Victoria.

Since student success programs and faculty aided so much in the triplets’ success, the Rinvelt family wanted their Laker Effect to continue programs like these, as well as create new ones.

“We hope that our gift will not only help build upon existing resources that are available for students, but that it will spark ideas in creating new resources and new ideas that can help students even further succeed here at Grand Valley,” says Jacob.