Central RED Plans Kickoff Celebration Event
Pella, IA (08/06/2020) — Central College's Central RED Society will hold a virtual 2020-21 kickoff celebration at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, with guest Milly Vande Kieft who will present "100 Years in America." The event is free and can be accessed via Zoom here: centralcollege.zoom.us/j/97506240712.
Vande Kieft will discuss the life experiences of her mother, Grace Van Roekel (Dutch name Grietje Engeltjes), during immigration to America with her family in 1920. Hear stories of leaving loved ones in the Netherlands, arriving at Ellis Island and being quarantined just after their arrival in Iowa. Vande Kieft will share the joys and struggles of her mother's immigration, made very real again when visiting Ellis Island with her mother and in her hometown of Elburg, Netherlands.
Vande Kieft is a retired instructor of children's literature at Central. She has been an elementary teacher and a children's librarian. She serves on the Convention and Visitors Bureau board, is a Pella tour guide and is a part of the Dutch Demos at Tulip Time. Vande Kieft is active in her church, leading children's activities and musicals and finds great therapy in working on charity quilts and weighted blankets.
Central RED (Ready to Engage and Discover) is a volunteer-driven, lifelong learning and social organization with an abiding partnership with Central College alumni and friends who wish to share knowledge, talents and experiences. Members pay $20 annually to join Central RED.
No affiliation with Central College is required to join Central RED. For more information, visit www.central.edu/red or contact Mary Benedict at benedictm@central.edu or 641-628-7641.
Central College of Pella, Iowa, is a private, four-year liberal arts college. Central is known for its academic rigor, leadership and character development, global experiential learning, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and sustainability education, athletics and service. For more information about Central College: www.central.edu.
Media Attachments
Central College
Jeff Bersch (641) 628-5282, berschj@central.eduShare this Story
Recent News
- Central RED Launches Fall Semester Program Schedule
- Central College Realigns Advancement Staff to Support "A World of Good" Campaign
- Central Chemistry Professors Publish Laboratory Curriculum
- Central College Soars to Unprecedented Heights with Record-Shattering $17.7 Million Fundraising Year!
- Central's Top Scholars for 2025-26 Awarded
- Central Announces Consolidated Operations Plan and Promotions
- Central College Earns Silver in CASE Circle of Excellence Awards
- Central College Board of Trustees Welcomes New Leaders
- Central College Professor Abby Rocha Publishes Research on How Teachers Learn Math
- Lois Kuyper-Rushing '77 Receives Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award