The Voice - Fall 2020 by Dordt University

THE

OF DORDT UNIVERSITY

Hope Fund recipients share their stories.

Faculty and staff get creative during the Covid-19 pandemic.

FALL

2020

FROM THE PRESIDENT

BLOOM WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED Every vocation and activity is of importance to the building of God’s kingdom. On October 19, my father, Dennis Hoekstra, celebrated his 90th birthday by visiting us here at Dordt University. Over the weekend, we played nine holes of golf, hunted pheasants near his boyhood home in South Dakota, and cheered the Defender football team to a win. My father held many leadership roles in Christian nonprofit organizations, including serving as Trinity Christian College president from 1972–1978. He’s been a mentor to me throughout my life, and I’m grateful for his wise counsel, especially today as I serve as president of Dordt. When I was younger, my father would often provide pulpit supply to local churches, and I’d tag along. My favorite sermon of his was called “Bloom Where You Are Planted,” taken from Colossians 3:23-24: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” In that sermon, he encouraged the listeners to never say, “I’m just a janitor,” or “I’m just a homemaker.” Every vocation and activity is urgently needed and of equal importance to the building of God’s kingdom. Therefore, we should all give our utmost in all our endeavors, as an offering of thankful service to Christ. The weekend my father was here, Dordt had the privilege of hosting U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos on campus. While visiting Dordt, she spoke to current students. During one conversation about a summer internship, a Pro-Tech student mentioned he’d begun the summer doing “menial” work and finished the summer leading a crew. While Secretary DeVos congratulated this student on developing leadership capabilities during

the internship, she also reminded him that there really aren’t “menial” jobs of any kind. Given what I know of Secretary DeVos’s background as a Reformed Christian, I wasn’t surprised to hear her rejoinder to this student echoing a bit of my father’s sermon from many years ago. These stories are consistent with Dordt’s Educational Task, in which we read: “In principle, no legitimate profession, occupation, vocation, or station in life can be precluded from Dordt’s educational concern. One goal of the college is to identify those occupational areas where serviceable insight is increasingly needed. Dordt must therefore continually examine the nature and scope of its curriculum and other activities in order to provide high quality learning experiences that are central to its mission and that address crucial needs in society. In this way Dordt, by remaining aware of the demands of the times, can carry out its educational task of providing leadership that is not only uniquely Christian, but also dynamic and relevant.” As you read about the activities of Dordt in these pages, I hope you’re again heartened and inspired in the ways we’re equipping students for service in God’s kingdom—in every area of life. I hope that no matter what your calling is, you’ll “bloom where you are planted” as well. To be clear, our salvation does not hinge upon the quality or quantity of our earthly work; it rests only upon Christ’s atoning work. Yet, we can also find joy and meaning by serving Christ with excellence in everything we do here and now, until he comes again. Soli Deo Gloria!

DR. ERIK HOEKSTRA, PRESIDENT

THE

OF DORDT UNIVERSITY

FALL 2020 VOLUME 66 | ISSUE 1 The Voice, an outreach of Dordt University, is sent to you as alumni and friends of Christian higher education. The Voice is published three times each year to share information about the programs, activities, and people at Dordt. www.dordt.edu (712) 722-6000 Send address corrections and correspondence to voice@dordt.edu or VOICE, Dordt University, 700 7th Street NE, Sioux Center, Iowa 51250-1606

Contributors Sarah Moss ('10), editor sarah.moss@dordt.edu Jamin Ver Velde ('99), designer Sally Jongsma, contributing editor Lydia Marcus ('17), contributing writer James Calvin Schaap ('70), contributing writer Bethany Van Voorst, contributing writer Brandon Huisman ('10), vice president for enrollment and marketing brandon.huisman@dordt.edu

Our Mission As an institution of higher education committed to a Reformed Christian perspective, Dordt University equips students, alumni, and the broader community to work effectively toward Christ-centered renewal in all aspects of contemporary life.

On the Cover This year’s Week of Welcome (WOW) festivities looked a bit different than usual. Instead of holding the Welcoming Celebration in the B.J. Haan Auditorium, WOW staff set up a stage on the Campus Green and invited incoming students, their parents, and Dordt employees to participate in a time of worship together. Photo by Jordan Harmelink.

On October 16, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos visited Dordt’s campus to meet with students, faculty, and area leaders as well as to observe how Dordt’s Pro-Tech program and partnerships are breaking down barriers between education and industry. “I think Dordt has demonstrated a creative streak by thinking about opportunities to prepare students for important and meaningful work, to do that in a new way, and to forge new partnerships,” says Secretary DeVos.

IN THIS ISSUE 4

A computer science professor uses Minecraft to help her students practice building information systems.

Three seniors gain new learning opportunities in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.

At least five Dordt graduates have received the prestigious Elijah Watt Sells Award.

The strategic plan gives Dordt a direction to aim for and a way to live out our mission and vision.

It's all in the data if you know where to look.

Paul TenHaken (’00), mayor of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is the 2020 recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award.

40 11

A mini documentary examines how Dordt’s football team is dealing with race and social justice issues from a Christ-centered perspective.

Dr. Chris Boomsma (’00) went from Chicago suburbanite to ag expert.

he fall semester has been unlike any semester we’ve ever experienced at Dordt University. There are distancing stickers in the hallways, “masks are required” signs around campus, and hand sanitizer dispensers at every entranceway. Faculty have been asked to prepare for both in-person and virtual learning experiences. Chapel, athletic events, concerts, and almost every event have had limited attendance. Heartland Break and Defender Days were canceled. Some students and employees have contracted Covid-19, some have been in quarantine or isolation, and some have been contact-traced.

FROM THE EDITOR

JAMIN VER VELDE ('99)

RUBBIN' ELBOWS

JOY IN CHALLENGE

As Director of Student Health and Counseling Beth Baas says in the article Creativity and Covid-19, “this semester has required hard things from all of us.” Even so, Dordt faculty, students, staff, and alumni have shown amazing care and commitment. In this issue, you’ll read about students who made the most of their virtual internships or received muchneeded financial support through the Hope Fund, faculty who shifted the ways they teach and learned to use new technology, staff who worked overtime to make campus a safe place this fall, and alumni who are living out God’s calling for their lives in an unknown world. Students have been happy to be on campus. We've been able to navigate the hard challenges of the virus in a way that enabled students to learn —even if it wasn't always ideal. And as we approach Thanksgiving break and look toward the spring semester, we'll continue to make safety a priority and find joy in the challenges. SARAH MOSS ('10), EDITOR

NEWS

GAMING AN EDUCATION “Over the past few years, I have noticed a strong interest in Minecraft; it is something that my students often play and talk about,” says Sandouka. “I wanted an analysis and design project that would capture the creativity and interest of my students but also be flexible to challenge the diverse skills of the students in the course.” As she researched project options, Minecraft kept popping up. After reviewing the options for Minecraft Education, she decided it would be a good project for her analysis and design course.

JAMIN VER VELDE ('99)

Professor of Computer Science Dr. Kari Sandouka is challenging her Information System Design students to view the computer game Minecraft in a new way: as an educational tool that can allow them to practice building information systems, or systems that collect, process, store, and distribute information.

Sandouka received a grant to support the development of this Minecraft project from the Kielstra Center for Research and Scholarship at Dordt. The project has three parts that span the fall 2020 semester. Students spent the first weeks of the semester acclimating to “Minecraft: Education Edition,” a version of Minecraft designed to be used in a classroom setting. In mid-September, students created their own short Minecraft challenge, which involved a short set of creative tasks to complete in Minecraft. In the remainder of the semester, students worked with NOYCE Scholars—education majors who plan to teach science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and who will serve at least one year in a high-need

Previously, Dr. Kari Sandouka worked as a programmer at the John F. Kennedy Space Center.

I wanted an analysis and design project that would capture the creativity and interest of my students, but also be flexible to challenge the diverse skills of the students in the course. — Dr. Kari Sandouka, computer science professor

elementary or secondary school—to create a full lesson plan in Minecraft for a STEM topic of their choice.

Minecraft is a sandbox video game that was created in the Java programming language.

“I was very familiar with Minecraft before starting this project; I have been playing the Java version of Minecraft since I was 14,” says Computer Science Major Peter Shippy. “I have appreciated how the Minecraft project allows us to put our classroom learning to work. Unlike a class project that will be forgotten or deleted a year from now, our Minecraft project has the potential to impact the learning of younger students through the NOYCE partnership. This is especially

important during Covid-19, as Minecraft is a good medium for teachers to engage students who might be in quarantine or self-isolating.” Data Science major Karen Reynolds, who was new to Minecraft, agrees: “I really appreciate that this project will be used by others,” she says. “The purpose of this assignment is not simply to give us a project with which to learn the process of software engineering, but to give someone else a gift in what we make.” LYDIA MARCUS (’17)

As it turned out, Westra had nothing to worry about. Not only did he pass all of the exams, he qualified for and ultimately received the prestigious Elijah Watt Sells Award, given to high-performing individuals who obtain a cumulative average score above 95.5 across all four sections of the CPA exam—and pass on the first attempt. “Many colleges and universities that teach accounting have never had a Sells Award recipient,” says Dr. John Visser, professor emeritus of accounting at Dordt. For Dordt to have multiple alumni who received the prestigious award is impressive, he adds. Lyle Gorter remembers being shocked and surprised when he found out he received the award. “I had taken a CPA exam review course to help prepare for the exam as it had been six years since I had been in an accounting class,” he says. “After I walked out of the exam, I felt I had done OK, but to receive a Sells Award? Never crossed my mind that I had done that well.” Looking back, he is proud of the accomplishment.

NEWS

Before he started studying for the CPA exam, Jacob Westra (’19) set a goal to pass all of the exams on the first try. Approximately 50 percent of those who take the CPA exam pass on the first try.

JAMIN VER VELDE ('99)

ELIJAH WATT SELLS AWARD Jacob Westra (’19) earned a degree in business administration and accounting at Dordt.

RARE AIR How many CPAs receive this award? Not many. Jacob Westra is one of only 133 out of 75,000 individuals to receive the award this year. But Westra isn’t the only Dordt graduate to have received the award; in the past 10 years, Kristen (Brands, ’10) Sandhurst and Michael Gorter (’12) also earned the prestigious award. Other Dordt alumni who received the Sells Award include Randall Faber (’91) and Lyle Gorter (’81).

Kristen Sandhurst, who works as Director of Accounting at MetaBank in Sioux Falls, says that receiving the award had a positive impact on her career. “I’ve been able to include the award on my resumé, which has led to opportunities in my career,” she says. “That said, in my day-to-day, the bigger impact is the accounting knowledge and skills I learned at Dordt and in studying for the CPA exam. I utilize that knowledge every day in my work, whether looking at accounting guidance for a new product my company is offering, teaching my team about accounting areas they are struggling with, or discussing new accounting guidance that is relevant to my company.”

“Your reputation is one of the most valuable assets in your career, and receiving the award was a great way for me to start building my reputation,” says Michael Gorter, who works as an audit manager at Deloitte in Minneapolis. Randall Faber, who owns an accounting firm, is grateful for his Dordt education. “I’ve been in public accounting and private industry, and having seen a number of students come through other institutions, I feel blessed that what I learned at Dordt prepared me, honestly, quite better than many other people,” he says. “It was a solid foundation for me to go out into my chosen field.” “The professors at Dordt did a great job helping me develop the knowledge and skill I needed to begin my career after college, and they also helped me learn much of the material I needed to know for the CPA exam,” says Westra, who works as a staff accountant at Kroese & Kroese Certified Public Accountants in Sioux Center. “Earning the Sells Award shows just how dedicated and prepared a student like Jacob must be,” says Dr. Randy Smit, professor of business administration at Dordt. “It is an incredible honor, and it takes hard work and dedication to rise to such a challenge.” SARAH MOSS (’10)

NEWS

STRATEGIZING THE PLAN

Where is Dordt University going, and how are we living out our mission and vision? That’s what a strategic plan represents, says Dr. Leah Zuidema, vice president for academic affairs. JAMIN VER VELDE ('99)

“Our strategic plan gives us a direction to aim for,” says Zuidema. “It is meant to be aspirational—to stretch us beyond where we are now.” “With the strategic plan, we are planning for a variety of scenarios that may come to pass in the future, to continue to make Dordt vibrant and relevant into the future,” says President Erik Hoekstra. Strategic plans must be revisited regularly, and in developing the latest version, Zuidema and Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing Brandon Huisman ('10) invited all Dordt employees—more than 500 people— to fill out surveys and take part in discussion groups that focused on what should be included in the strategic plan. “We had great participation. Some of the discussion groups had upwards of 90 people in the room. I hope that through this process, faculty and staff have developed a sense of ownership in the plan,” says Huisman. What stood out to Zuidema was how much the first strategic theme, “develop effective kingdom citizens,” meant to the Dordt community.

“Our work is more meaningful if we understand who it’s for and why it matters. The strategic plan can help us in that endeavor,” says Dr. Leah Zuidema.

The alumni council, student government, and board of trustees gave their input into the direction of the strategic plan as well.

“The work of the board of trustees “People have taken it as something of and its strategic planning committee a rallying cry. It helps to further explain is to formulate and approve strategic what it is from our plans and initiatives mission that we that guide the do when we’re direction of Dordt equipping. University to fulfill its When you mission,” says Michael talk about TenHaken, a board of To learn more about Dordt ‘kingdom,’ you trustee member. The University’s strategic plan, visit recognize that committee reviewed dordt.edu/strategic. you have a king, the effectiveness of but you’re also in the previous strategic a kingdom—you’re plan, evaluated the in relationship input from several with other people. We use the idea of institutional surveys and feedback ‘citizens,’ but there’s a responsibility sessions that were conducted by the that comes with citizenship,” she says. administration, and provided direction “Not every group of Christians talks on the strategic themes they believed about the notion of ‘kingdom,’ and it’s were necessary and could be reasonably unique language that resonates with our achieved over the next five years. community.”

MORE ABOUT THE PLAN

Grounded in Dordt’s mission and The Task and Framework of Dordt University, the new strategic plan is comprised of six themes, including the verbs that begin each theme. “We chose those verbs very carefully,” recalls Zuidema. “They had to be right.” Dordt has had a strategic plan for years, but it has always been kept internal. This iteration of the strategic plan, which was approved by the board of trustees in April 2020, is going public. “The strategic plan is our guide to Dordt’s best future, and it’s important for Dordt to share this with our alumni, current students, Brandon Huisman

2020-2025

Strategic Plan As an institution of higher education committed to the Reformed Christian perspective, Dordt equips students, alumni, and the broader community to work effectively toward Christ-centered renewal in all aspects of contemporary life.

Mission Statement

Develop Effective Kingdom Citizens Dordt University students belong to a robust Reformed learning community that provides them with a Christ-centered worldview to lead culture in lives of service to God and neighbor.

Elevate Teaching, Learning, & Scholarship Dordt University faculty and staff challenge, inspire, and equip students for service through first-rate learning both in-person and online. We invest in creativity, expertise, and collaboration.

Fuel Innovation through Networks and Partnerships Dordt University has an entrepreneurial spirit, inspiring paths for faculty, staff, and students to create and pursue new opportunities. We deliberately connect with networks and partners to deepen our shared kingdom impact.

Ensure Financial Sustainability and Strength Dordt University protects current and future viability and value by serving as a top-rated learning organization with transparent planning, appropriate resourcing, and new revenue generation. We further our financial strength by stewarding the talents of our staff, faculty, and students.

Deepen and Broaden Dordt’s Engagement Dordt University cultivates a committed constituency. We seek relationships with students, alumni, families, schools, churches, and communities who are eager to serve Christ and faithfully obey his Word.

Promote Joy-Filled Work Dordt University views work as purposeful and meaningful service to the kingdom of God. We commit to shared accountability for healthy institutional pace and personal rhythms.

Learn more at dordt.edu/strategic

Dordt's strategic plan is grounded in the institution's mission and the Task and Framework of Dordt University. It also anticipates the needs of Dordt today and into the future.

donors, and friends of the university,” says Huisman. “It gives us common language for understanding where Dordt is headed.” “When we hire new employees, I want them to know what Dordt is trying to accomplish in the future. I want new

students to know where we are headed as an institution, so they can choose to join us and participate in that,” says Hoekstra. “The strategic plan helps us to do that.”

Dr. Kristin Van De Griend, assistant professor of social work, will lead as director of the Kielstra Center for Research and Grants. She will provide oversight for the Kielstra Center, which will continue to serve as the portal for faculty who apply for internal grants, facilitate peer review processes, publish the annual report of faculty research and scholarship, and more.

NEWS

FACULTY NOTES

Dr. Manuela A.A. Ayee ('06), assistant professor of engineering, has been awarded a $249,254 grant from the National Science Foundation for “Acquisition of a HighPerformance Computing Cluster for Interdisciplinary Research and Teaching.” Ayee will serve as the principal investigator for the project. Dr. Justin Bailey, professor of theology, published a book titled Reimagining Apologetics: The Beauty of Faith in a Secular Age. The book, which is published through InterVarsity Press Academic, seeks to answer the question: how should one proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ in a secular age? Reimagining Apologetics was the #1 release in the "Religious Philosophy" category on Amazon and, at one point, peaked at 25,787 out of 8 million. The book is available on Amazon or through the InterVarsity Press website. Dr. Jason Wyenberg ('07), assistant professor of engineering, successfully defended his dissertation titled “Beyond Standard Model Interaction Portals of Neutrinos and Dark Matter Particle Candidates” at the University of South Dakota.

SARAH MOSS (’10)

NEWS

Dr. Channon Visscher ('00), associate professor of chemistry and planetary science, has been appointed director for the Andreas Center for Scholarship and Service. In this role, Visscher will lead efforts to support and develop a vibrant teaching faculty that excel in scholarship and vividly embody Dordt’s Reformed, Christ-centered worldview. Dr. Mike Janssen, associate professor of mathematics, will serve as the new board executive secretary for the Association of Christians in the Mathematical Sciences. He will serve a four-year term. Dr. Tony Jelsma, professor of biology, and Dr. Carl Fictorie ('90), professor of chemistry, were elected as fellows in the American Scientific Affiliation (ASA), an organization of Christians in the sciences. Dr. Jan van Vliet, professor of economics, wrote the closing chapter of a book titled Historical and Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Hope. His chapter is entitled “An Ontology of Human Flourishing: Economic Development and Epistemologies of Faith, Hope, and Love.” Jeff Kelly now serves as the director of the K and K Dooyema Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. With a background in the restaurant and food service industry, Kelly brings leadership experience in fiscal planning and analysis, commodity management, vendor contract negotiations, annual marketing plans, and more.

JAMIN VER VELDE ('99)

FACULTY NOTES

Although Dordt's admissions team has resumed traveling to visit with high school students, they continue to utilize virtual visits as a way to reach students during Covid-19.

DORDT RECORDS FALL ENROLLMENT HIGH DESPITE UNCERTAIN TIMES D

ordt University’s overall enrollment for the fall 2020 semester is 1,666— the largest in the institution’s history. In August, the campus community welcomed 397 freshmen, the secondlargest incoming freshmen class in 10 years, and Dordt’s master’s programs saw record enrollment for the fall semester. Who could have predicted that Dordt would have such stellar fall semester enrollment, given the G. Van Dyke Covid-19 pandemic? Despite the uncertainty of this past spring and summer, Director of Admissions Greg Van Dyke ('02) and his team worked hard to meet high school students through virtual visits. “In our virtual visits, we provided high school students and their parents with a chance to interact with faculty members, tour campus, meet with current students, and hear from President Erik Hoekstra,” says Van Dyke. Thanks to the virtual visits, Dordt hosted more than 1,200 virtual visitors since the beginning of March—three times the approximately 400 high school students that would come for an in-person campus visit during a typical spring semester. The admissions team worked closely with all high school students as they navigated the college decision process during this challenging time.

“Since they didn’t have other activities like athletic events or curricular activities to keep them busy, high school students were more available to talk with admissions counselors and ask really important questions as they determined what school would be the best fit for them,” says Van Dyke. “It was very exciting to see students respond in a resounding ‘yes’ by committing to Dordt.” New graduate programs were also a factor in this year’s record enrollment.

S. Holtrop

“Our Master of Education program has more than doubled in three years, and we have excellent enrollment in our new Master of Social Work and Master of Public Administration programs,” says Steve Holtrop, director of graduate studies. To Holtrop, the confluence of enhanced technologies and the resurgence of a desire for quality instead of convenience in online education have been a boon for Dordt’s graduate programs. “Dordt has academic excellence, student engagement, that strong and unique Reformed perspective, and now online excellence and experience. We’re feeling empowered by all these blessings!” he says. SARAH MOSS (’10)

ings with Inquiry, written by Dordt University Associate Professor of Mathematics Dr. Mike Janssen and Dr. Melissa Lindsey, is an open source textbook that teaches students concepts through inquiry-based learning. As an open source textbook, Rings with Inquiry is free in both an HTML and PDF version and the source code used to create these two versions is also freely available. “The book is licensed under a Creative Commons license, so anyone is free to modify the source code to better suit their needs, while still crediting the original authors,” explains Janssen.

of 2020. Janssen is currently using the textbook in his Abstract Algebra 1 class. “As you might imagine, a course called ‘Abstract Algebra’ can sound pretty intimidating,” says Janssen. “But my hope is that the inquiryoriented approach we take, starting from mathematical objects familiar to students and slowly building layers of abstraction on that firm foundation, combined with the open approach of the text and its source code, will make

The book is written in a carefully sequenced way, so that each new idea builds on previously introduced ideas.

He hopes this format will make the textbook more — Dr. Mike Janssen, mathematics professor accessible and engaging to college students, many of whom will eventually teach high school this beautiful, abstract corner of creation algebra. accessible to all.” Open source textbooks allow instructors to modify a book based on their insight into teaching abstract algebra and, as they do so, benefit the community of algebra learners and teachers. “They can synergize their teaching and scholarship,” says Janssen. This interactive format fosters the development of online communities in a way that commercial textbooks do not.

“I have a deep appreciation for the inquiry-based structure of the textbook, although it took some time for me to adjust to this approach,” says Caden Zonnefeld, a mathematics, statistics, and data science major who is taking the class. After acclimating to the inquirybased approach, Zonnefeld says he feels it has helped him develop a deeper understanding of abstract algebra.

Rings with Inquiry engages students through inquiry-based learning. “The idea is that the students ask questions and solve problems and make sense of the ideas for themselves,” says Janssen. “This means the book is written in a carefully sequenced way, so that each new idea builds on previously introduced ideas, and really challenging problems are broken up and scaffolded so that their solutions are attainable by the students.”

Computer Science and Mathematics major Elizabeth Wilterdink appreciates the portability and availability of opensource textbooks. About the inquirybased approach, she says, “I feel like I understand a theorem much better after I have gone through the work to prove it myself.”

In 2018 and 2019, previous versions of the textbook were piloted at Dordt and at Morningside College in Sioux City. After incorporating feedback from students and instructors, the authors posted an edited version in the spring

LYDIA MARCUS (’17) Dr. Mike Janssen

Dordt is holding a one-year pilot program where first-year and transfer applicants will not need to submit standardized test scores when applying to Dordt. “By going test optional this year, students have more flexibility, and we can alleviate some of the stress students might experience during the application process,” says Greg Van Dyke, director of admissions. For more information, see dordt. edu/news/58112.

NEWS

JANSSEN CONTRIBUTES TO OPEN SOURCE BOOK

CAMPUS KUDOS

More than 118 people participated in the Defender Dash 5K in October, which raised $5,400 for the David Temte Memorial Scholarship. Runners and walkers participated from all over Defender Nation, including Michigan, California, Minnesota, Washington, Illinois, and Iowa. Nathan Endemano, an assistant football coach earning a master’s degree at Dordt with a focus on sport leadership, partnered with the City of Sioux Center to update the design of the disc golf course, located in Children’s Park. An avid disc golfer, he completed the design as part of his practicum requirement focused on a facility improvement. Dordt’s engineering department was recognized nationally for its outstanding student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Dordt received honorable mention for being in the top third of student chapters.

NEWS

COVID-19 FORCES CHANGES TO EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING PLANS The Covid-19 pandemic has paused many people’s plans. But for three Dordt seniors, the pandemic simply changed their plans and, in the process, gave them new learning opportunities. SARAH MOSS ('10)

Julia Yoder, a business major, had planned to head to Fresno, California, for an internship with Amazon. She’d subleased an apartment and started researching which national parks she’d visit when she got the call that the internship was going virtual. Instead of a 10-week in-person internship focusing on loss prevention—related to people, products, and information—she began an eight-week virtual program that focused on Amazon as a company as well as specifics of loss prevention. “We also designed a project to improve the company, and we presented that to senior leaders at the end of the summer,” she says. “That was intimidating at first because we hadn’t set foot in a fulfillment center. Through this, I was able to build my network, connect with my manager and mentor to develop this project, and gain an understanding of processes and procedures.” Yoder participated in virtual networking socials with other Amazon interns both in North America and around the world, all from the comfort of her home in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. “I loved my internship with Amazon and would highly recommend it to others. Despite having to do my internship virtually, it was for the best, and I learned a lot through it.” At the end of the summer, Amazon offered Yoder a full-time job as a loss prevention specialist. The catch? She won’t know at which fulfillment center she’ll work until sometime closer to graduation. “It’s a little nerve-wracking, but I am glad to have a job when many others don’t know what they’ll do for work when they graduate,” she says. Business Major Caleb Pollema applied for an internship with Wells Fargo last

“I can only speak about my personal experience with Amazon, but I learned so much through my virtual internship,” says Julia Yoder.

“Yes, Covid-19 canceled and changed my plans, which stinks. But having the opportunity to pour myself into the Hispanic community here in Sioux Center is great.” — Brady Mackey, student

November. He went through two rounds of phone interviews and three interviews with the Central Valley offices in California before he learned that he had landed an internship in his hometown

of Bakersfield, California. He was to work as a financial analyst intern in the middle market banking segment within the food, beverage, and agribusiness industries. In mid-April, Pollema found out the internship would be moving online and, instead of being 10 weeks in length, shortened to five weeks.

“Wells Fargo was extremely professional throughout the whole process,” he says. “We ended up getting our own company laptops, which made working from home a little easier. They also honored their original financial commitment of

NEWS

JAMIN VER VELDE ('99)

10 weeks’ worth of pay, which was fantastic.” As part of more than 100 interns in the financial analyst program, Pollema says he learned a great deal and gained valuable hands-on experience. “Despite the remote environment, my mentor and my boss did a great job of keeping me busy,” he says. “Banking was uncharted territory as far as the finance world is concerned, so it was great learning something new.” Like Yoder and Pollema, Brady Mackey, an agriculture missions major, spent his semester differently than expected because of the Covid-19 pandemic. He had planned to participate in an agriculture department-approved mission trip to Nicaragua that would also meet the intercultural credit requirement for his Spanish minor. Unfortunately, that trip was canceled. So Spanish Professor Rikki (Mueller, '04) Brons helped Mackey create his own intercultural project. Now, partnering with Young Life Sioux Center, Mackey is spending his fall semester finding ways to engage with the Hispanic community in Sioux Center. At the end of the semester, he’ll present what he’s learned to the Young Life leadership team and to his Spanish conversation class.

"We talk about engaging in the hard topics rather than going around them, because the cultural mandate and great commission require us to,” says Joel Penner.

ALL "INTO THE FIRE" A

s protests for racial justice mounted across the nation and the world this summer, the Dordt football team considered what it means to tackle the topic of race not only as a team but as Christians.

Dordt’s marketing and communication office. Marketing Videographer Jake Brouwer (’19) put together a mini documentary that examines how Dordt’s football team is dealing with race and social justice issues from a Christcentered perspective. Gathering nearly seven hours’ worth of footage, Brouwer spoke with coaches, players, and Athletic Director Ross Douma when putting together the documentary.

“In order to do effective kingdom work, you have to run into fires—into places that are uncomfortable, in order to be a voice and a change in places that we need to see change,” says Levi Jungling, a senior.

WATCH THE VIDEO

They wrestled with this in a number of ways, including by forming a racial oneness group where players foster empathy and understanding by sharing their experiences with racial injustice. “We’re all together, we’re all one, and we all believe in the same thing. The world might not see it that way—they may see it as a race thing, but when you’re a Christian, we’re all one,” says Ethan Thomas, a sophomore. The athletic department’s work with racial justice caught the attention of

SARAH MOSS (’10)

"My hope with this video is that it accurately represents people's stories, joys, and sorrows," says Jake Brouwer.

JAMIN VER VELDE ('99)

“I want to provide them with examples of how I have been able to reach out to the Hispanic community, whether through tutoring at the high school or helping students with their college applications,” he says. “Yes, Covid-19 canceled and changed my plans, which stinks. But having the opportunity to pour myself into the Hispanic community here in Sioux Center is great.”

“I was proud of how every student, View "Into the Fire" coach, and online at staff member bit.ly/3odhVUp was able to ground their perspective in the fact that everyone is made in the image of God and that Dordt is committed to supporting a Christian perspective,” says Brouwer. The project reminded Brouwer of how God doesn’t call Christians to have the same opinion, but he does call us to love. “It's important to have these discussions as Christians because they re-center us under the banner of Christ rather than separating us into ‘us’ and ‘them.’” SARAH MOSS (’10)

NEWS

KUYPER HONORS PROGRAM O

n Fridays at 3 p.m., 33 students briefly gather in the Kuyper Honors Room before breaking into smaller, socially distanced group discussions both in the Hulst Library and the Eckardt Lounge. This is the seminar portion of the Kuyper Honors Program 110 course. The students have their fair share of readings this semester: Wisdom and Wonder by Abraham Kuyper, Liturgy of the Ordinary by Tish Harrison Warren, essays from On Kuyper: A Collection of Readings on the Life, Work, D. Roth and Legacy of Abraham Kuyper, and Knowing God by J.I. Packer. The purpose behind the readings? To help students ask questions and gain an understanding of Christian scholarship, worldview, and the impact of a Christian perspective in scholarly calling. Criminal Justice Professor Donald Roth ('07) and Social Work Professor Dr. Abby (Jansen, '02) Foreman, co-directors of the Kuyper Honors Program, mill about between discussion groups, but they mostly just listen. After all, the Kuyper Honors students are highly motivated and academically gifted—they want to actively engage in the readings and challenge one another, says Roth.

“We talk about what it means to be a Christian university and what Christian scholarship really is. And I have been really impressed with the type of questions these students naturally ask,” he says. In addition to seminar work, students have the chance to engage in shared learning through the Kuyper Honors Program. “Students create and organize their own experiences, including reading groups,” says Foreman. A. Foreman “We had a number of students interested in reformed theology, particularly Bavinck, who is foundational to the tradition at Dordt,” says Roth. A new translation of Herman Bavinck’s Wonderful Works of God came out, and Roth is leading a group through it.

shared learning contract, Katie Ribbens is working with fellow psychology major Abi Schescke to create giant watercolor paintings on canvas for the new KHP room. Caleb Kroeze, an engineering major, is working with his hometown high school to consider how to apply Dordt’s perspectival approach to engineering to a high school-level engineering curriculum. “It’s true that Kuyper Honors Program is hard work and, as such, you need to dedicate time to it,” says Ribbens. “However, the contracts especially give you the freedom to explore your interests. If you’re already spending hours a week developing a skill or hobby, do a contract on it. You can use the opportunity to push yourself to learn more about a concept and put yourself outside of your comfort zone.”

Two other groups are learning from C.S. Lewis—one is reading Chronicles of Narnia and looking at the allegorical principles at play in Narnia, and the other the science trilogy. After meeting to discuss the books, students will write a paper or present on what they have learned.

“I love seeing what the students come up with when they’re developing their contracts, but I also enjoy listening to their discussions. They connect what they’re learning in other classes or experiences to the readings in a way that’s really exciting for me as a professor,” says Foreman. “Our students are wonderful, and it’s fun to be around them and learn from them.”

Kuyper Scholars have other shared learning opportunities, too. As part of a

SARAH MOSS (’10) JAMIN VER VELDE ('99)

CONSIDERING CITIZENSHIP: DARE TO BE A DANIEL T

he prophet Daniel figures prominently in children’s Bible story books and Sunday school lessons. With a den of lions, a fiery furnace, and a vain and dream-disturbed royal villain, it’s like this book was written for the mainstage. Daring Daniel who stands up for his faith in the face of royal pressure certainly deserves the reference he receives in Hebrews 11 as a one of the heroes of the faith. Daniel and his three friends, even as a part of the captive contingent, were talented young people. As far as we can tell, Daniel and his pals served their king well and were highly regarded. In the stories of Daniel, I am struck by how Daniel remained loyal not only to who he was, but to whose he was. God clearly owned Daniel’s heart. Although he lived in a place of tension, Daniel intentionally demonstrated devout Israelite beliefs while also serving capably—in most instances—his Babylonian captors. When Daniel and his friends refused to follow the king’s edicts because they contradicted God’s law, they engaged in civil disobedience. This stands as an important reminder that civil law, or man’s law, is not the same as God’s law. Not many people consider Daniel’s role as a respected bureaucrat, one who could successfully negotiate and advocate. In Chapter 1, Daniel negotiated with an official regarding the royal food and drink. When the official first denied his request to avoid defiling himself with royal food and wine, he negotiated. He made a sensible time-bound, outcomebased proposal: "let’s give it a 10-day trial period and see” (vs. 12). The royal official agreed; after 10 days, the vegetable and water diet produced better results.

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON:

These results led to a change in royal policy. Because Daniel was confident in whose he was, he chose not to operate from a place of fear or defensiveness. He continued to pursue a reasonable solution and granted the official the benefit of the doubt, assuming that the official was well-intentioned and open to engaging in logical problemsolving. Daniel’s approach is notable; it comes from a place of confidence, trust, and generosity toward the other. Here are some lessons we can draw from Daniel’s example. First, we can be confident of whose we are and that we serve a risen, sovereign Lord who holds it all in his hands. You may be called in big or little ways to work for change and confront the powers of the day, but, thank the Lord, you do not hold it all in your hands. Daniel lived faithfully through a tense time of serving kings while being confident that his ultimate loyalty was not to a king, not to a nation, not to his family or friends, but to his sovereign God. Second, Daniel extended grace to others through his interactions with royal officials, even when they disagreed. Theologian Dr. Richard Mouw calls this “convicted civility.” Third, Daniel used his less-than-ideal position in society to work for good. Moses, Joseph, and Esther likewise advocate for their people based on their placement within the current power structure. It is a useful exercise to take a moment to consider that we live in a different political and social setting than Daniel. Living as a citizen in a democratic country provides opportunities for direct involvement in the actions of the government. We tend to focus on either our own personal freedom or our interactions with the government when

NEWS

I N A L L T H I N G S E X P L O R E S T H E C O N C R E T E I M P L I C AT I O N S O F C H R I S T ’ S P R E S E N C E I N A L L F A C E T S O F L I F E

we think of democratic citizenship. We have the constitutional right to free speech, we can protest, we have the right and privilege to vote, and we can contact our elected representatives to urge their action on matters important to us. Although these are important elements, reducing citizenship to just these is too narrow a definition. Alexis de Tocqueville summarized it years ago when observing early American life: the presence of a vibrant, active associational life that was not governmental and not market-driven. This means the freedom to associate, to work in the diverse public square or civil society to promote the common good and to create a hospitable public space that is not just for our own individual interests. In recent years, we have seen greater division and decline in social trust and connection, now exacerbated by a pandemic that has increased isolation. To be good and attentive citizens, we should consider using our freedom to devote time and resources to the health of our local churches, civic organizations, and communities. When our families, churches, nonprofits, and communities are filled with a healthy social infrastructure, people can flourish more fully as social and relational beings. Following Daniel’s lead, we can extend a grace-filled trust to our neighbors as we work together in our organizational and community life to respect and honor our fellow image-bearers. And we can do so completely confident of whose we are.

DR. ABBY FOREMAN, PROFESSOR OF SOCIAL WORK

In All Things is a journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation. We want to expand our imagination for what the Christian life—and life of the mind—can accomplish. In pursuit of this end, we will engage in conversation with diverse voices across a wide range of traditions, places, and times.

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THE HOPE FUND

The Hope Fund began with a vision: how might Dordt University help current students who had financial hardships due to the Covid-19 pandemic? “Our goal is to make it possible for every student to complete their degree at Dordt,” says Harlan Harmelink ('85), director of financial aid. “We want to send a message of hope to our students.” Defender Nation responded in a huge way, donating more than $625,000 to help students return to campus this fall. Thanks to the Hope Fund, Dordt was able to provide significant financial assistance to approximately 190 students, with most awards between $500 to $4,000. Some larger awards were given in instances where the student and their family were especially impacted. For all recipients, the Financial Aid Office reviewed students’ academic and financial history, the nature of their request,

JAMIN VER VELDE ('99)

“Across the board, the Hope Fund made a huge difference in the lives of these students and their ability to be back on campus this fall,” says Harmelink.

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parental layoffs, and additional pertinent information.

“I’m overwhelmed with the generosity of Defender Nation,” says President Erik Hoekstra. “There are many stories of students who have been able to return to campus thanks to the Hope Fund—to continue their education so that they can ultimately go out into the world as effective kingdom citizens working for the glory of God.” Here are some of those stories.

RUSSELL DYK It was a no-brainer for Russell Dyk to attend Dordt. Both of his parents and all four of his grandparents went to Dordt, so he knew it well. Plus, his girlfriend was already studying accounting at Dordt. “I was looking for a good Christian education, and Dordt had a strong engineering program, so it had everything I needed,” he says.

"The way God used the Hope Fund to provide for us was a blessing,” says Russell Dyk.

The Denver, Colorado, native chose to study mechanical engineering and minor in physics. As a child, he enjoyed creating things and problem-solving, so engineering was a great fit.

“We had rent set aside for the rest of 2020, but for the school year, we were relying on our internships to pay for Dordt,” recalls Russell.

Eventually, Russell and his girlfriend, Cassandra Lenderink (’20), married and moved off-campus. They were diligent about planning ahead. “The summer is our time to save up enough money for the school year, food, and rent,” says Russell.

learned that their summer internships had been canceled.

Cassandra graduated at the end of the spring semester, and the couple tried to find jobs in the area.

“Across the board, the Hope Fund made a huge difference in the lives of these students and their ability to be back on campus this fall.”

The couple planned to spend the summer at Raven Industries in Sioux Falls, where they had secured — Harlan Harmelink, director of financial aid internships—Cassandra in accounting, and Russell in “I was out of work for a couple weeks engineering. But the Covid-19 pandemic after the semester ended, and she was put an end to those plans. out of work for a month,” he says. “We both found lower-paying jobs—I worked “We spent spring break on a camping as an electrician, and Cassandra worked trip in Arkansas, and we got all these at Maurice’s in Sioux Center.” emails—’Dordt’s moving online for the semester, the world is shutting down.’ It Their budget was tight. Russell tried to was crazy,” Russell says. figure out other ways to pay for college, looking into grants, scholarships, and When they returned to campus, they

loans. And that’s when he heard about the Hope Fund—in a campus-wide email that described how other students were donating part of their room and board billing adjustment to the Hope Fund. At first, he wasn’t sure whether he should apply for funding from the Hope Fund. “Things would have been tight, but we probably could have made it. I didn’t know how many students were in a worse situation than we were,” he says. But he filled out the application form anyway, trusting that God would provide. “A few weeks into the fall semester, I got an email that said I’d received funding,” he said. “It was a huge relief and comfort that we could set enough aside to pay for the spring semester and start saving up for rent for the next semester.” Thanks to the Hope Fund, Russell can focus his energy on finishing his senior year—working hard to complete his mechanical engineering degree at a college where he feels supported. “That’s something I appreciate about being in a Christian community—that we provide for each other. In the future, my wife and I hope to be as generous as the donors are.”

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JAMIN VER VELDE ('99)

they shut everything down, including my dad’s business. My dad had been hospitalized for the early part of 2020 because of a blood clot in his lungs, so he was already struggling.” Wanting to help in any way he could, Barker reached out to the Financial Aid Office, and that’s when he learned about the Hope Fund. “When I found out I received funding, it felt like a load of bricks got lifted off my shoulders. It made me feel better, sleep better. I was relieved and excited.” As the summer progressed and the chaos of the pandemic continued, Barker felt a sense of calm knowing he could go back to Dordt in the fall.

break with the volleyball team at a match in Iowa.

“I’m grateful for how Dordt kept us updated on Instagram and through emails this summer—just letting us know what was going on and what we should expect when we came back to school. That, in my opinion, spoke volumes,” he says. “It felt as if students were at the center of every decision Dordt was making.”

“We were shut off from the world for a couple hours, and then we got back to our locker rooms and saw our phones,” he recalls. “Dordt administration had emailed saying spring break was extended. We were all a bit shellshocked.”

When he graduates in the spring, Barker hopes to put his construction management major to use at a small or medium-sized company in the United States. If that doesn’t pan out, he might head to Barbados to work alongside his father.

At first, he contemplated sticking around campus in case Covid-19 blew over, but as flights to New York City started to get

“I’d help to expand his business, because construction management and electrician work go hand in hand,” he says.

“I majored in construction management because I like being in control of the whole project, from conception to finish. I also like to work with my hands,” says Shavon Barker.

SHAVON BARKER Shavon Barker spent most of the spring semester and all summer in New York City, where he lives with his mom, aunt, cousin, and his cousin’s two children in a multi-family home. At the time, New York City was the epicenter of the pandemic, so he mostly stayed in his room, watched Netflix, and did his homework. He also watched his cousin’s two and seven-year-olds. “My cousin is a frontline worker—a nurse,” he says. “Her boys couldn’t go to school either, so I watched them. Every morning, they’d wake up and come over to watch TV or play on my PlayStation. Sometimes it was challenging to work on my projects and to study.”

“When I found out I received funding, it felt like a load of bricks got lifted off my shoulders. It made me feel better, sleep better.”

The city was shut down, and Barker says he — Shavon Barker, student rarely left the house. His cousin told harrowing canceled, his mother asked him to head stories of working at a hospital during back to the city. the pandemic. It made him even more cautious about stepping outside. Barker was also in regular communication with his father, an Life was a far cry from what it had been electrician who lives in Barbados. like before the pandemic. A middle blocker on the Dordt men’s volleyball “My dad pays the rest of my tuition. team, Barker spent part of his spring Barbados was stricter than the U.S. was–

Barker chose to attend Dordt because he wanted to play volleyball and to major in construction management. Although he loves the hustle and bustle of New York City life, he’s grateful for his time in a small town. “I’m super thankful to be here, and I feel that I made the best decision three-anda-half years ago to come here.”

ERIN BREDEMUS Back in March, sophomore psychology major Erin Bredemus was in Tucson, Arizona, for softball training camp when she found out that Dordt’s spring break would be extended to two weeks. By the time she and her teammates returned to campus, they learned that they’d have to finish out the spring semester with online learning instead of in-person

Despite the difficult news, Bredemus maintained a positive attitude.

Back on campus, Bredemus is happy to spend time with her roommate, take psychology classes with engaging professors, and once again play infield on the softball team. “All the spring sports team members are so excited to be back because that was

taken away from us last season. It’s been amazing to be able to meet with the team and do what we love,” she says. Bredemus says that, if she could say anything to the donors who gave to the Hope Fund, she would say a simple “thank you.” “My family has experienced an incredible sense of relief because of the Hope JAMIN VER VELDE ('99)

“It was a blessing to be able to be with the team and coaching staff through that time of unknown. Although we did get shut down for the spring, having those last few days knowing it could be the end for our seniors and others on the team made it all the more special,” she says. “It did not turn out the way we wanted, but it was a huge bonding and growing experience for all of us on the softball team—and a huge blessing that we were able to work through our fears, anger, and anxiety about the next steps together.”

that time we still had no idea how we were going to pay for tuition.”

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classes. Softball Coach Jeff Zomer had also let them know that the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) had canceled their softball games and all other athletic events for the rest of the semester.

Bredemus had lined up a psychology field placement at Sioux Center Health for the spring semester; it was one of many steps she had planned to achieve her dream of becoming an occupational therapist. But when Covid-19 cases spiked in Sioux County, the internship came to an end. Bredemus eventually went home to Andover, Minnesota, where her mother had been laid off from her job in human resources due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Her family relied on her mother’s income. Bredemus’s little sister is a senior at a private Christian high school, so tuition payments became a worry. “It was a hectic time trying to figure out how we were going to pay for it all,” she says. Then, Coach Zomer texted the softball team to let them know about a fundraiser that Dordt athletics was holding for the Hope Fund. The athletic teams were selling “D.U. United” T-shirts to raise money for the Hope Fund, and he wanted to see if any of the softball players were interested in buying a shirt. That caught the attention of Bredemus and her mother. They looked more into the Hope Fund and decided to apply. A few weeks before the fall semester began, Bredemus found out that she’d received funding. “I think my mom started crying when she found out,” recalls Bredemus. “It was an incredible relief and joy, because at

“I am so grateful that I’m able to still study at Dordt. I don’t know if I would have been able to without the Hope Fund,” says Erin Bredemus.

JAMIN VER VELDE ('99)

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Fund—that we don’t have to struggle to take out extra loans or find other ways to meet that requirement for me to be able to be here.”

DAKOTA KLEIN It’s safe to say Dakota Klein loves theatre. “I love getting into the mind of the character, being directed, and working with actors,” he says. “Theatre is absolutely my passion and lights me on fire.” Last year, as a sophomore, he transferred to Dordt from a college in his home state of Kansas to major in theatre. “I looked into Dordt, and I liked it. And then I met Dr. Teresa Ter Haar, a theatre professor, and I loved it.” He quickly got involved in Dordt’s theatre scene. By late February, he was starring in “Everything is Wonderful,” a play directed by Theatre Professor Laurel (Alons, '06) Koerner. “It was the most impactful and meaningful show I’ve ever done. My family came up to Dordt to see the play, and that’s when I first noticed something was off,” he recalls. When he drove home for spring break a week later, he began to hear more about the Covid-19 pandemic. Listening to YouTube videos on his sixhour drive to Stillwell, Kansas, he heard a lawyer talk about the implications of a global pandemic.

Dakota Klein says he is glad to be back on campus this fall and is also careful to practice social distancing and mask-wearing because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ter Haar to give her an update about what was going on in his life. “She was the first person I told that my father had lost his job, actually. I said, ‘I think I’m going to need more

“My parents obviously wanted me to come back to Dordt, but we didn’t have the money for it. This was God moving in my life through other people.”

“All of a sudden, it got so real so fast,” he says. “I remember the first night I got home, my parents sat me down, and I knew that — Dakota Klein, student something was wrong, because they never sit me down to talk to me. And then my mom scholarships, Teresa,’ and that I was said, ‘Your dad lost his job.’” worried I wouldn’t be able to come back.’ Klein’s father had been laid off from his job as a quality manager for an oil company, which had started downsizing because of Covid-19. This loss was a huge hit to the family’s income.

And that’s when she told me about the Hope Fund.”

“They said, ‘We don’t know if you’ll be able to go back to Dordt next year.’ But for some reason, in the back of my mind, I kept thinking, ‘God’s got this.’”

“My parents and I looked at my financial aid package, and there was just this huge joy and sigh of relief,” he says. “We had been worried the entire summer. My parents obviously wanted me to

A short time later, Klein reached out to

When Klein found out he’d be able to return to Dordt in the fall because of the Hope Fund, he was elated.

come back to Dordt, but we didn’t have the money for it. This was God moving in my life through other people. This was the first time in my life that I really needed God to provide in a financial way, and he did.” Klein says the Hope Fund made a huge difference in his life. “Without the Hope Fund, I would not be here right now. I would probably not be getting an education this year. I’m sure I would have gone back to college at some point, but when? So, I want to thank the donors, because their gift was the reason I could come back this semester.” Even though the fall semester looks a bit different because of Covid-19, Klein is grateful to be back on campus. “I’m grateful to be around people and to know that God is working through them in ways that I can’t even imagine. And I get to do theatre again, which is really important to me. I missed the process and being with the actors, so being able to do what I love again is so wonderful.”

JANAYA HIRSCH Growing up in Surrey, British Columbia, Janaya Hirsch heard about Dordt from

After a long trip to Sioux Center, she arrived just in time to go to Praise and Worship on Thursday night. “It felt as if the Lord was saying, ‘Janaya, this is where you need to be,” she says.

Ashmore, campus pastor and staff adviser for PLIA, about the unfolding pandemic.

ONGOING NEED

“I care very deeply about PLIA and what it stands for, and when I realized that this was inducing a lot of stress and anxiety for others, that’s what hurt my heart.” DORDT UNIVERSITY

Covid-19 is still causing financial challenges for students. We invite you to join the effort to ensure that students have the financial resources available to return for the spring semester. Visit dordt.edu/hope to learn more.

Paying for a private education was not going to be easy, but God provided. She applied for and received scholarships from Dordt and her high school. Once she came to campus, she made the most of her college experience. Hirsch was part of the Putting Love into Action (PLIA) short-term mission trip, became a student government representative, joined the Future Active Christian Teachers (FACT) club, and more.

“They care about furthering kingdom citizens and their education," she says. "I remember how, at the banquet, they played the song ‘He Will Hold Me Fast.’ I still think about that song, because even in the midst of this pandemic, he’s holding Dordt—he’s holding every student and employee on campus. And one way he’s doing that is through the Hope Fund; it literally gives people hope.”

She was impressed by the generosity of Dordt alumni, too. Last year when she attended the Scholarship Banquet, she found it remarkable to see alumni and donors who cared so much for the institution.

During spring break, Hirsch and a group of students went on a PLIA trip to Austin, Texas, where they served a homeless population. She was also the junior cochair of PLIA at the time, which meant that she was in regular contact with Sam

HOPE HOPE She checked in with all the otherFUND PLIA FUND

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teachers at her school. She was interested in becoming a teacher herself, and she’d heard that Dordt had an excellent education program. So, she decided to visit campus.

DORDT UNIVERSITY

teams to see how they were doing. On the 14-hour drive back to Sioux Center, she felt an immense amount of peace.

“I knew that God is in control and that regardless of the situation, he is going to be faithful,” she says.

HOPE FUND

She spent the rest of the spring semester DORDT UNIVERSITY DORDT UNIVERSITY in Surrey and eventually found a job for the summer, but there were still unexpected costs. Plus, the Canadian dollar was not doing well. Hirsch heard about the Hope Fund through a post on Instagram and felt torn about applying for it.

HOPE FUND

“I didn’t want to take money away from DORDTwho UNIVERSITY students wouldn’t be able DORDT to come UNIVERSITY back to Dordt without it,” she says. “My parents said, ‘Well, Janaya, with the dollar and with our family right now, maybe you should apply for it.’” JAMIN VER VELDE ('99)

So she did. “Now, looking back, with the value of the Canadian dollar, I couldn’t have done it without the Hope Fund. Being financially stable is something that’s valued in our society, and so to admit that you need help or that a Dordt education is a sacrifice—it can make you feel like you don’t have it all together.” Hirsch says she had to remember that it’s okay to ask for help. “This is how the Lord is providing. This is part of my story and how the Lord is revealing his faithfulness and goodness,” she says. This fall Hirsch is student teaching sixth graders at Sioux Center Christian School. She’d love to get a job teaching fourth or fifth grade. Right now, she is grateful to be able to spend her senior year on campus with her friends. Yes, the semester is different than previous ones—she can’t visit her friends’ rooms as much, and everyone has to wear masks when inside.

“My dad is a teacher, my grandma is a teacher, and my mum worked in the school I went to,” says Janaya Hirsch. “I couldn’t picture myself doing anything else."

“But there’s still so much joy to be found here, like Psalms 27 says, ‘the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living’—it’s still played out and evident here.”

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JAMIN VER VELDE ('99)

Hirsch is grateful for the chance to finish her senior year at Dordt, thanks to the Hope Fund. “The worry, stress, and anxiety it took off students’ shoulders—finances are one less thing to worry about, because that’s something many of us students worry about. I am grateful that the donors listened to what the Lord had placed on their hearts. This education is worth my money, and I want to be here at Dordt. I am so thankful that the donors gave.”

ERIC SANCHEZ Sophomore Eric Sanchez spent most of the summer walking. He didn’t have a car in Sioux Center, so if he wanted anything in town, he had to walk. He walked to Fareway for groceries and Walmart for other supplies. He walked across town to a job interview, which he landed. He walked around Dordt’s quiet campus when he talked on the phone with his parents, who were home in Fresno, California. Staying on campus wasn’t how he’d planned to spend his summer months. But back when Covid-19 swept the world in March, Sanchez knew it would be best. “I asked Dordt, ‘Can I stay?’ and they said, ‘Yes, this is your home,’” he says. He moved from North Hall to Kuyper Apartments, where he roomed with a few other Dordt students. He took an online class to try to stay on top of his engineering studies. During downtime, he logged on to Instagram, which is where he first heard about the Hope Fund. “President Hoekstra also shared a video, where he said, ‘If you need support, please ask us.’ I remember thinking, ‘Am I worth getting the Hope Fund?’ I wondered if there were other students who were struggling more than I was.”

job in Sioux Center, either. It was a lot to think about and process—a scary moment.” So, Sanchez decided to apply for the Hope Fund to help with his tuition.

Sanchez knows that some Dordt students donated part of their room and board billing adjustment back to the Hope Fund—to help students like him be able to complete their Dordt degrees. “To know that they gave to Dordt and that they’re helping students like me just feels good. I reached out to one of my friends and told him thank you. It’s hard to put the feelings into words besides just saying thank you.”

“When I was in high school, people told me that you don’t get as much support in college, but I haven’t found that to be the case. Dordt has shown full support for me and held my hand along the way.” — Eric Sanchez, student

Because much of the state of California was under lockdown, Sanchez’s father, who works in a body shop, didn’t have as much business as normal. Sanchez’s mother works at Walmart and saw her hours get cut significantly. “I had to be careful with how much I spent, and for a time I couldn’t find a

“Having all my friends come back to campus was so great. They’re like family to me, and we are here to support each other," says Eric Sanchez.

“As soon as I saw I’d received the funds, I cried. I called my mom and dad, and they were just so grateful,” he says. “When I was in high school, people told me that you don’t get as much support in college, but I haven’t found that to be the case. Dordt has shown full support for me and held my hand along the way. I am so thankful.”

Now, Sanchez can continue pursuing his dream of becoming an aerospace engineer. He hopes he can land a SpaceX internship and perhaps go to graduate school someday; a Dordt education will help him to reach those goals. “Dordt is great, and I’m so glad to be here,” he says. SARAH MOSS (’10)

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IT'S ALL IN THE DATA

IF YOU KNOW WHERE TO LOOK

When deciding where to attend college, high school students and their parents consider a variety of factors: a great campus visit experience, out-of-pocket costs, conversations with faculty members, opinions of friends and family. They also rely on a variety of other data, whether through third-party college rankings like U.S. News and World Report or self-reported statistics like the student-to-faculty ratio.

Data matters to colleges and universities, too; it helps them know whether they’re accomplishing what their mission and vision statements say they aim to do. “We measure things that matter to us so we can make sure we are doing a good job in providing an effective, efficient education for students,” says Jim Bos ('85), registrar and director of institutional research at Dordt. There’s certainly more to the university search process than analyzing data, but as the Covid-19 pandemic leads fewer people to visit campus and prompts

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more of them to get their information online, high school students and their parents will need to rely more on data to determine which college or university to choose.

COLLEGE RANKINGS AND WHAT TO LOOK FOR College rankings are one of the easiest ways to find certain data. Sources like U.S. News and World Report, The Wall Street Journal, and Princeton Review compile data, either by conducting surveys or using college and universityreported data, to make comparisons. They then publish their findings online, making it easy for curious students and parents to unearth the information they’re looking for. Not all rankings are created equal, though. When it comes to analyzing rankings, Bos suggests that high school students and their parents pay attention to what’s driving the rankings. “In the Reformed world, we don’t believe anything is neutral, and the same is true of rankings—there are assumptions built into them,” says Bos. “In our courses, we talk about how everyone has a worldview—everyone is looking at life through a particular lens. Data and rankings need to be interpreted that way

“Given what The Wall Street Journal has defined as ‘engagement,’ our students report that, yes, Dordt does provide an engaging educational experience,” says Bos.

too, and it’s important to think about what is driving the thinking behind how data is presented.” Take, for example, the fact that Dordt University has been ranked number one in student engagement for five years in a row by The Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education. The student engagement category measures

Faith is not a factor in The Wall Street Journal’s rankings, but Dordt employees see faith as a key part of what makes Dordt an engaging place for students, as

“In our courses, we talk about how everyone has a worldview—everyone is looking at life through a particular lens. Data and rankings need to be interpreted that way too, and it’s important to think about what is driving the thinking behind how data is presented.” — Jim Bos, registrar and director of institutional research

faith directly influences the educational process and experience.

“views on things such as interactions with faculty and other students, the effectiveness of teaching and whether students would recommend their school,” according to The Wall Street Journal article “Top Colleges in the Midwest for Student Engagement.” JAMIN VER VELDE ('99)

“This ranking does not define Dordt— no ranking ever will, but it is indicative of what a family will find at Dordt and what they can expect,” says Brandon Huisman, vice president for enrollment and marketing. “Dordt is a campus community that challenges, encourages, and inspires students inside and outside of the classroom. We want students to understand that God loves them, that he has created them with certain gifts to be shared with the world, and that faith can and should inform every part of their lives.” Some rankings are seen as more reliable than others—and with good reason. U.S. News and World Report, one of the oldest college rankings and viewed as one of the most reputable, adjusts the parameters they measure every year so that it can give a reasonably balanced view of the data they present. This, among other reasons, can cause a shift in rankings from one year to the next. For example, after having placed sixth in the “Best Regional Colleges in the Midwest” category in 2019, Dordt tied for third in 2020 and then tied for fourth in 2021 in the same category.

Faculty find a variety of ways to engage their students. Here, an environmental science class wades into the west branch of the Floyd River to collect samples as part of a lab.

To understand how the data is interpreted, students must pay attention to themes and data emphasized in the rankings and make sure they align with

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Bos believes there are areas where the U.S. News and World Report rankings could improve—for example, their reputation survey, which is sent to presidents and others in college administration, makes up 20% of the overall score and can be seen more as a “presidential popularity contest” than a true measure of student success—but, overall, says Bos, U.S. News and World Report does its best to present the data in a fair manner.

ACCEPTANCE AND RETENTION RATES: WHAT DO THEY MEAN? In addition to rankings, high schoolers and their parents should examine other data in their college search process. “Again, it’s important to ask, ‘Does the data fit who the institution is trying to be?’” says Bos. Many high school students are also taking advantage of Dordt’s dual credit program, earning college credit in order to graduate in less than four years.

the mission and vision of the university they wish to attend. “You want to ask the question, ‘Does the data fit who the institution is trying to be?’” says Bos. For example, Dordt placed second for U.S. News and World Report’s 2021 ranking “Best Undergraduate Teaching: Regional Colleges Midwest,” which focuses “on schools where faculty and administrators are committed to teaching undergraduate students in a high-quality manner.” That ranking, similar to The Wall Street Journal’s student engagement category, affirms how dedicated Dordt faculty are to providing students with a quality, engaging educational experience. Another interesting example is Dordt’s ranking from U.S. News and World Report in “Top Performers on Social Mobility: Regional Colleges Midwest,” where Dordt placed sixth in the 2021 rankings. This category assumes that economically disadvantaged students are less likely to finish college, but that “some colleges are more successful than others at advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of disadvantaged students awarded with Pell Grants.” The “Top Performers on Social Mobility” ranking aligns well with Dordt’s mission for education and affirms that it is meeting this goal.

“For years, we have given students the opportunity to try out a Dordt education, if they want it—that’s been part of our mission since B.J. Haan helped found Dordt in 1955,” says Bos. That commitment means helping students who might be economically disadvantaged get the financial aid they need and, in a growing number of cases, complete their degree in less than four years.

RECENT DORDT RANKINGS U.S. News and World Report:

4 # 3 # 2 # 2 # 2 #

in Regional Colleges Midwest (tie – 2021) i n Regional Colleges Midwest (tie – 2020) in Best Undergraduate Teaching (tie – 2020 and 2021) in Most Innovative Schools (tie – 2020) in Social Mobility (2020)

Wall Street Journal / Times Higher Education:

in Student Engagement (2017-2021)

For example, in fall 2019, Dordt had a 75% acceptance rate; for the fall 2020 semester, Dordt’s acceptance rate was approximately 72%. This is much higher than, say, Harvard University, which only accepts approximately 5% of applicants each year. But Dordt’s 72% acceptance rate aligns well with the welcoming and service-minded vision that Dordt’s first president, B.J. Haan, dreamed of—if you want a deeply Christian education and you’re willing to work hard, Dordt might be a good place for you. “Looking at the big picture, students and their parents might ask, ‘What kind of student do they admit, and does that fit what I as a parent or a student want? And then, once that student enrolls, how well do they do—can the university help the student succeed?’” adds Bos. Dordt has been committed to developing programs that help any student who wants to be here succeed. One such program is the Aspire Program, which provides an opportunity for motivated students who have the potential to be successful at Dordt but who do not meet the regular admissions standards. The Aspire Program helps students adopt strategies and skills for learning by providing them with classes like “Essential Strategies for Academic Success,” weekly conferences with an academic coach, tutoring assistance, and more. These efforts pay off, says Sharon (Lourens, '96) Rosenboom, academic enrichment director. Of the 31 students

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in the fall 2019 Aspire cohort, 90% earned GPAs above 2.0 in their first semester, which put them in good standing academically. Approximately 45% earned GPAs above 3.0. Access to programs like the Aspire Program can provide students with a chance to achieve a Christcentered college education at Dordt.

tendency is to bury your head in the sand. When you live on campus, we can knock on your door—and if we can help you in the first week of receiving an academic alert, you’re more likely to get back on track,” Taylor says.

Bos also recommends paying close attention to the retention rate, which is defined by Federal Student Aid as “the percentage of a school’s first-time, first-year undergraduate students who continue at that school the next year.”

“If I could tell parents to ask one question of universities, it would be, ‘What percentage of your students who come in as new freshmen actually are finished with their program in four years?’”

For 2020, Bos says the retention rate is 83.8%.

— Jim Bos, registrar and director of institutional research

“Given our lack of selectivity, 83.8% is a good number,” says Bos. Harvard, he points out, has a 97% retention rate. They’d be out of business with an 83.8% retention rate because they set such a high bar for student admission. Dordt’s commitment to giving students the opportunity to see whether Dordt is a good place for them means it will not have 100% retention. “A Dordt education is not going to be for everybody, and that’s okay, but we work hard to retain as many students as we can.”

ARE STUDENTS REALLY LEARNING? Another thing to explore, says Bos, is whether institutions are “moving the needle” when it comes to students’ learning. “Dordt aims to advance students’ Reformed perspective as they develop academic skills,” says Bos. One tool Dordt relies on for monitoring students’ academic success is the ETS proficiency profile. The ETS profile

semester of their junior year, after having taken most of Dordt’s core classes, the students take the test again. Bos and the Institutional Research team compare the data to see how juniors have grown since their freshmen year. In the latest ETS proficiency profile, which came out in June 2019, Dordt juniors on average had an eight-point gain in growth on the total score, which combines the reading, writing, mathematics, and critical thinking scores. This put Dordt juniors in the 94th

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HOW DOES RESIDENTIAL LIVING SUPPORT ACADEMICS? Campus housing plays a big role in retention efforts; more than 90% of students live on campus, from underclassmen residence halls to upperclassmen apartments.

assesses four core skill areas—reading, writing, mathematics, and critical thinking—to help gauge whether students are improving in these four areas during college. Dordt students take the test as incoming freshmen to get a baseline score. Then, during the second

“We try to create a safe space where we’re supporting students’ success in the classroom,” says Robert Taylor ('99), vice president of student success. College can be a challenging time for students, socially, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. Living in the residence halls and apartments provides students with a place to grow, learn how to handle difficulties, and build community. Students who live on campus have easy access to the Student Health and Counseling Center, as well as a wide range of other resources provided by Student Services. And when students live on campus, the Student Services team can easily respond to those who are having a tough time, helping them get back on track so they can be successful in the classroom. “When you’re struggling, your natural

Although students have to wear masks while indoors on Dordt’s campus this fall, they are not required to wear masks in their own apartments or dorm rooms.

“The ETS data shows that Dordt students do indeed learn,” says Bos. “Our curriculum has helped students to grow their communication, writing, quantitative, critical thinking, and reading abilities. All this while shaping a worldview that helps them develop as effective kingdom citizens.”

GRADUATION RATES TELL A STORY Bos also urges high school students and their parents to examine a schools’ graduation rate. According to the U.S. Department of Education, “graduation rates are the calculated percentages of students who graduate or complete their program within a specified time frame.” In spring 2020, Dordt had its best graduation rate ever, with 74.5% graduating within six years. Institutions must report a six-year rate, but Bos encourages those looking at college to push further. “If I could tell parents to ask one question of universities, it would be, ‘What percentage of your students who come in as new freshmen actually are finished with their program in four years?” he says. There are many institutions where students graduate in 5 or 5.5 years. As of 2020, Dordt’s four-year graduation rate is 95.7%. “At Dordt, we work very hard to get as many students through in four years as we can. We understand that college is expensive and that it’s an investment. We want to help our students get out in the world and fulfill their calling,” says Bos.

CAREER OUTCOME RATES Another data point to pay attention to is the career outcomes rate—the percentage of students who are in graduate school or have found employment within six months of graduation. “Most students choose to attend college to better their employment prospects,” says Amy Westra ('88), associate director of the Career Development Center. “Understanding the cost of college, it is important for students and their parents

RATES AND RELATED QUESTIONS TO ASK Acceptance rate – what kind of student do they admit? Retention rate – can the school help them succeed? Graduation rate – can the school help them succeed?

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percentile as compared to other colleges and universities who conduct the ETS proficiency profile.

Career outcomes rate — can the school help them succeed? Overall, does this data fit who the institution is trying to be?

to have some idea of what they can expect for a return on investment.” A key to understanding a school’s career outcomes rate is to pay attention to the knowledge rate that’s reported—how many students responded to the survey? “An institution can base their career outcome report on a knowledge rate of 45-65%. This means that some colleges and universities may only know where 45% of their students landed after graduation. It’s great that 95% of that 45% were employed or in graduate school, but what about the other 65%?” says Westra. She encourages high school students and their parents to ask institutions where their knowledge rates fall for recent graduating classes. Dordt’s knowledge rate far exceeds the national averages, with 95.1% of 2019 graduates responding to the career outcomes survey. “We are tenacious in tracking students down in order to find out where they have landed after graduation,” she says. “We want students and parents to know that their investment in a Dordt education is paying off." Dordt’s career outcomes rate is impressive, too; 99% of the class of 2019 reported that they were employed or in graduate school within six months of graduation. “When I look at the success of Dordt graduates, I think one of the largest contributing factors is the community that wraps around each student to help ensure their future success,” adds Westra. “So, yes, students do leave Dordt prepared for the vocation of their choice, but they also have the co-curricular experiences designed to reinforce the academics— everything from a biblical understanding of self and God’s kingdom to the ability to solve problems on the job, communicate

effectively with teammates, or lead community growth initiatives wherever they are planted next.”

ARE ALUMNI SATISFIED? At Dordt, Alicia (Groen, '05) Bowar, associate director of alumni and parent relations, sends a survey out to one-third of alumni each year, to better understand how well Dordt is serving alumni and families. When examining the results from this year’s survey, what stood out most to Bowar was the percentage of alumni who said they would recommend Dordt to others and that they felt cared for by a professor. “It made me so grateful to hear that 95.6% of respondents would recommend Dordt to a prospective student and that 87% felt cared for by a professor during their time here,” she says. “Dordt has been ranked number one in student engagement for the past five years by current students, but I think the community that engages and cares for students has been at our core since the beginning. I’m grateful for the staff and faculty over the decades who have carried on our mission and commitment to students.” Data, rankings, statistics—“it’s important, but it should never be the only thing you look at,” says Bos. “The data only gets you so far. You don’t want to go to an institution that doesn’t retain or graduate students; class size is important, as is student-to-faculty ratio. But what really matters is, how does the institution fulfill its mission? How does the data show me that you’re living up to your mission? Because, at the end of the day, that’s what matters,” says Bos. “At Dordt, our data is good, but I think that, as far as our mission goes, we knock it out of the park.” SARAH MOSS (’10)

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CREATIVITY AND COVID-19

In late April, as the Covid-19 pandemic wore on, Dordt University announced plans to reopen for the fall semester. “Our goal is to provide face-to-face instruction, with residential hall life, community dining, and the full spectrum of co-curricular activities, including athletics, fine arts, clubs, and cultural events,” wrote President Erik Hoekstra in his letter “Planning for the Fall Semester.” To accomplish this goal, faculty and staff have had to get creative to try to provide a safe, on-campus educational experience for Dordt students during a pandemic. From rethinking classroom spaces to getting a Covid-19 testing site on campus to participating in Covid-19 vaccine trials, faculty and staff have been willing to do what it takes to help Dordt students learn and live well in community.

RETHINKING REOPENING CAMPUS How are we providing students with a safe, on-campus learning environment during a pandemic? Staff and faculty spent hours this summer and fall researching, discussing, and thinking about how to reopen Dordt's campus well. One of these people is Dr. Teresa Ter Haar, who serves as dean of curriculum and instruction and as a theatre professor. “As dean of curriculum and instruction, I get to help all Dordt students by helping all Dordt faculty,” she says. She helps faculty members develop their teaching

T. Ter Haar

skills, think about curriculum strategies along with program development and growth, and find ways to be even more effective in their classrooms. Ter Haar was one month into her work as dean of curriculum and instruction when the pandemic hit. She, Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Leah Zuidema, and Director of Online Education Joe Bakker (’07) came up with ways to equip faculty to transition from in-person coursework to an online learning format for the rest of the spring semester. As soon as summer hit, Ter Haar began thinking about how to help faculty prepare for the fall semester. Faculty were asked to prepare for both inperson and virtual learning, given the

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Previously used as a study spot for students, the Eckardt Lounge has been transformed into a classroom for the 2020-21 academic year.

likelihood that students might need to quarantine or isolate due to Covid-19. The big question was, how do you teach well when some of your students are working remotely and others are sitting in the classroom with you?

dedicated the faculty were to making on-campus instruction work.

and uncomfortable for students and for faculty.

“By and large, I think the faculty said, ‘I want my students back with me in

“We want to see students’ eyes gleam and to have those conversations after class, in our offices, or on Zoom. Dordt faculty are here because they have a passion for undergraduate education, and they’re willing to do what it takes to have it in-person," says Ter Haar.

“There is a deep desire to be in communion with our students. I think that’s grounded in the deep relationships we have with God. That’s our model, and when we couldn’t have that in the same way in the spring, it lit a fire under us.”

To help answer this and other questions, Ter Haar coordinated a series of pedagogy workshops every Wednesday during the summer, which faculty attended through Zoom. — Dr. Teresa Ter Haar, dean of curriculum and instruction They learned how to use technology tools, talked about how to help students the classroom. I will do what it takes. who might struggle with learning online, If that means I have three students in practiced how to create videos for quarantine and on Zoom for two weeks, coursework, and crafted assessments that is fine.’ There is a deep desire to be for students in face-to-face and virtual in communion with our students. I think settings. that’s grounded in the deep relationships we have with God. That’s our model, and “We were trying to help faculty develop when we couldn’t have that in the same confidence in whatever approach they’d way in the spring, it lit a fire under us.” need to use, because there was a lot of uncertainty of what the fall semester Teaching in a mask or having to might look like,” she says. restructure classrooms to accommodate social distancing is not easy, and some Ter Haar also witnessed just how of these shifts have been difficult, taxing,

Having faculty ready to do what it took to teach classes both in-person and virtually this fall solved only one part of the logistical puzzle. What would it take to find enough classroom space and offer classes in a safe learning environment? “I started thinking about this in April, to be honest,” says Registrar Jim Bos (’85). “How are we going to match how many people can fit in a room with the Jim Bos rooms we have? How do we provide the best pedagogical experience given the circumstances?” Bos loves doing puzzles, and he approached the space issue with an eye for putting pieces in the right place. He turned two classrooms in the Campus Center into one and did the same with a large dividable classroom in the Ribbens Academic Complex. He and his staff looked into unconventional spots for

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classrooms, too—they converted the Eckardt Lounge, a gathering space in the Campus Center, into a classroom by adding 56 chairs and a portable whiteboard. They arranged with the City of Sioux Center to use a big meeting room across the street in the All Seasons Center as a classroom. They even used the B.J. Haan Auditorium for some of the larger classes. All these efforts are allowing students and faculty to maintain social distancing within each class offered.

had to face the issue of tables, chairs, and desks. Dordt's classroom furniture wasn't purchased with a pandemic in mind. Some chairs were too bulky; some tables were not long enough for social distancing. Bos ordered portable desks at the beginning of the summer, but he received a weekly notification that they were backordered. By late August, he made a decision: students would have to use padded chairs and dining trays in classrooms until the portable desks

the learning environment is working between students and professors?” he says. “Faculty and student interaction is so important to us here at Dordt. Online can be great, but there are some activities where being together and wrestling through problems together in a physical space does a better job. If I didn’t believe that, I wouldn’t work at a residential campus.” And then there were broader public health concerns connected to bringing students back to a residential campus for the fall semester. In May, President Hoekstra partnered with Northwestern College President Greg Christy to ask Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds to provide testing on their college campuses. In August, both presidents got word that they would be able to host Test Iowa sites for Covid-19 testing.

“Life is meant to be lived, and we’re not meant to be islands unto ourselves. We can do inperson education responsibly.”

Bos found the magic number for classes to be 20. Keeping classes under 20 students meant that they could use more of the current classrooms. He and Ter Haar then — Beth Baas, director of student health worked with faculty to, in some instances, decrease class sizes, which sometimes showed up. Fortunately, the portable meant increasing course loads. desks showed up in mid-September. “For example, the theology department said, ‘We’re used to having classes of almost 40, but we can do smaller sections and pick up an extra section each,’” says Bos. Once that problem was solved, Bos

“We have a great partnership with Sioux Center Health, the Iowa Governor’s office, and Test Iowa,” says Robert Taylor (’99), vice president for student success. R. Taylor “Having the site on campus makes testing more accessible to our students.”

Even now, Bos will occasionally walk Dordt’s hallways in the middle of a class period, glance into classrooms, and consider a series of questions. “Do students look as comfortable as they can be with a mask on? Does it look like

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The Student Health and Counseling Center staff have been working overtime this fall to ensure that students can experience on-campus living in a safe environment.

The on-campus Test Iowa site allows Dordt to test only their students and employees, leading to a faster turnaround in test results and direct reports on Covid-19 tests. This has also enabled Dordt to maintain a Covid-19 dashboard with data about active positive Covid-19 cases in the student body. “Most students who have been tested have done so at our on-campus Test Iowa site, and Dordt’s Student Health and Counseling Center staff are notified when students’ Covid-19 test results come back. This allows us to report accurate, timely student data on our Covid-19 dashboard twice a week,” says Beth Baas, director of student health and counseling. Originally, Baas and Taylor had planned to work with the Iowa Department of Public Health for contact tracing students who might have been exposed to Covid-19. But then Covid-19 numbers began to rise locally and, in some cases, there was a five-day delay between a Covid-19 positive test and someone following up with contact tracing.

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“The first two weeks of classes were difficult, with so many of our students in isolation and quarantine. We realized we had to start doing contact tracing ourselves," says Baas. When students get a Covid-19 test at Dordt’s Test Iowa site, they are asked to fill out a contact tracing form to identify what other individuals they might have been within six feet of for 15 minutes while not wearing a mask. Doing Covid-19 tests and contact tracing in-house has helped Dordt to keep up with active Covid-19 cases as well as quarantine and isolation efforts. “This semester has required hard things from all of us,” says Baas. “It is hard for a student to have to quarantine for 14 days and never have any symptoms, for example. Our ability to look out for the best interest of another person isn’t something that is everyone’s default; we tend to look at our own needs first. This pandemic calls us to think about the other person and to do things that are hard.” Although doing contact tracing inhouse and having a Test Iowa site on campus has significantly added to Baas’s workload this semester, she sees it as worth it. “Life is meant to be lived, and we’re not meant to be islands unto ourselves. We can do in-person education responsibly,” she says.

GETTING CREATIVE IN THE CLASSROOM AND BEYOND

As part of a plant science course, Dr. Jeremy Hummel took his students out to the Agriculture Stewardship Center to look for insect pests and crop diseases.

took all 56 students outside to a grassy spot between the theatre building and the Science and Technology Center. He brought along an Owl, a 360-degree video camera, so he could accommodate five students who were already in isolation or quarantine. “With the Owl, the students can see me, the rest of the class, and the activity

“Students are resilient and flexible,” says Hummel. “It’s a good reminder that we don’t need to be so entrenched in what we think a typical classroom experience should be like. Students have the ability to adjust.” The nursing department has also found a way to take advantage of the current learning environment. They are helping their students prepare for pandemic-like conditions by requiring them to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) in labs.

“It’s a good reminder that we don’t need to be so entrenched in what we think a typical classroom experience should be like. Students have the ability to adjust.”

In spite of and probably because of having thought about all of these issues, faculty have made good learning happen during Covid-19. In August when Dordt announced that classes would begin at a yellow alert level, Professor of — Dr. Jeremy Hummel, agriculture professor Agriculture Dr. Jeremy Hummel (’03) realized he would need to limit attendance in his Introduction to going on around them,” he says. “That Plant Science and Agronomy course to piece of technology has really helped 24 students, down from 56. with moving the classroom outside.” “The course is mostly freshmen. In a Over the past five years, Hummel has course like that, I believe it’s important moved more labs and other classroom to spend the first week getting to know experiences outside, so this wasn't a the students and learning their names,” big stretch for him. He is accustomed to he says. being constrained by the weather and what changing seasons bring. For the first week of classes, Hummel

“The lab is a simulated hospital environment, and the patients are mannequins, but that’s the only real difference between the nursing care in a lab and nursing care in a hospital,” says Dr. Debbie Bomgaars, professor of nursing. “The nursing profession has always had to deal with contagious illnesses, and we have to protect our patients and ourselves from illnesses by wearing PPE.” Simulating pandemic conditions has sparked conversation in nursing classes around what it means to be called to nursing. “We have talked about how the pandemic and the fear of catching

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what could be a serious illness makes a difference in students’ calling to become a nurse,” adds Bomgaars.

that is as close to a normal experience as we can have right now,” says Rose.

Dordt’s theatre department decided to Criminal Justice Professor Donald Roth hold all their fall shows in the 4th Avenue (’07) is teaching a course on domestic Theatre, rather than at the larger but preparedness, which focuses on publicly used TePaske Theatre. emergency management of the Covid-19 pandemic. Students majoring in criminal justice, social work, biology, history, English, political science, and exercise science take the course—each of them considering how to learn from past crises like Hurricane Katrina and 9/11 and how to assess current major incidents — Dr. Onsby Rose, music professor like Covid-19.

Theatre Instructor Laurel (Alons, ’06) Koerner chose to direct the comedy “Arms and the Man” as the fall mainstage production. “The smaller cast size reduced potential for exposure and allowed us to stay nimble as cast members could have been absent at any point of the process,” says Koerner.

“I have friends who teach instrumental music all over the nation, and none of their administration or universities have been willing to go to the extent that ours have.” “We can completely control all the circumstances under which our plays happen so we can be as safe as possible,” says Ter Haar. “We’re looking at a much smaller audience seating area, with appropriate social distancing and wearing masks.” Being as safe as possible is also why

“We’re trying to be very conscious of how we do what we do,” says Ter Haar. “It’s true that many colleges and

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Almost everyone has had to make adjustments adjustments because of Covid-19. Traditionally at Dordt, the first music concert of the year is the Pops Concert. With more than 100 band members and 35 orchestra members participating, crowding onto the B.J. Haan Auditorium stage wasn’t an option. So, Dr. Onsby Rose opted for using the football stadium so that his students could practice proper social distancing. The week of the concert, Onsby Rose temperatures dropped, and the wind picked up. Unwilling to risk damaging expensive instruments in the rain, Rose looked for an alternative.

It is also a public domain script, which made it easy for Demetrius Rowser, a digital media major, to record the production using a multi-camera and microphone system. The footage was then professionally edited and arranged by Jack Maatman (’05), an editor and motion graphic artist at NBC Universal Media.

“The athletic department jumped through hoops for us to have our two last practices in the Rec Center and then to set it up so we could hold our concert in the De Wit Gymnasium,” he says. Rose has also gone out of his way to make it possible for his musicians to practice and perform well during Covid-19. At one point, Rose drove two hours to drop off an instrument at the house of one of his students who was in quarantine. He also purchased puppy pads on which his brass players empty their water keys—a solution he read about from the University of ColoradoBoulder. “I have friends who teach instrumental music all over the nation, and none of their administration or universities have been willing to go to the extent that ours have in order to make it possible for our students to perform music in a manner

Laurel Koerner and her cast of students were careful to wear their masks and engage in social distancing when participating in play practices.

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Typically, the vaccine development process takes about three to seven years to complete. These and many other vaccine trials are hoping to develop a Covid-19 vaccine in one to two years.

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participant, he received either a larger dose of the vaccine or a placebo during his two visits.

“When it comes to developing a vaccine, people often wonder, ‘Why is it taking so long?’ We need to know that the vaccine is safe, that it raises the right antibodies so it can provide protection, and that it actually makes a difference,” Jelsma says. “This process takes many people and much time. 30,000 people is a lot to recruit.”

Dubbed “The Bubble,” a large tent is being used this fall as overflow seating for dining, a meeting space for athletic teams, a gathering spot for co-curricular groups, and more.

universities aren’t doing any theatre productions in person. Because of Dordt’s smaller size and our ability to carefully control our environment, we think we’re making responsible choices and are striving to be very careful.”

HAVING HOPE FOR THE FUTURE And then there are the faculty members who have engaged Covid-19 outside of campus. In May, Associate Professor of Psychology Dr. Bruce Vermeer and Professor of Biology Dr. Tony Jelsma signed up to take part in a promising Covid-19 vaccine trial. Vermeer is in phase two, alongside 600 other participants nationwide. Jelsma and 30,000 others are in phase three. Vermeer was excited to find a medical research opportunity like this because, as chair of the Research and Scholarship Council, he saw the trial as an opportunity to put his words into action. “I believe it’s important for faculty members to encourage students to look at opportunities that are out there and put some skin in the game. I knew this trial would be potentially controversial but also potentially very beneficial. As

Christians, we’re called to step outside our comfort zone and get involved when these types of opportunities arise.” For Jelsma, participating in the trial was a matter of expediency. “The sooner we get a vaccine, the better,” he says. All of the assignments are double-blind and randomized, and each phase is a little different. As part of phase two, Vermeer has either received a smaller dose of the vaccine twice, a larger dose twice, or the placebo. He’s gone in for a

“There’s a hunger for learning, and we’re just going to figure out the ways that we’re going to still facilitate that.”

“There is a fair amount of misinformation about these vaccines,” adds Vermeer. “Several of these trials do not expose you to any of the Covid-19 material itself. People ask, ‘Is it dangerous?’ The primary danger lies more in not knowing what the potential side effects are.” Participating in a clinical trial has been a fascinating process for Vermeer and Jelsma—especially as they apply what they learn to their work as professors. Jelsma plans to talk more about the clinical trial when he and his students talk about the immune system. Vermeer covers medical research and research methodology in some of his psychology courses, where he’ll discuss his experience. “One reason I’m trying to weave it in is to give students a sense of hope. Our students—well, all of us, really—need a sense of hope right now, and according to what we’re seeing with the early results of this and other studies, it looks like we might get this nailed down through vaccines.” Regardless of what the future holds for a Covid-19 vaccine, the work of the university continues on.

“You feel like a veritable pin cushion when you come out of it,” he chuckles.

“There’s a hunger for learning, and we’re going to figure out ways to facilitate that,” says Ter Haar. “We’re not scared. We might be worried or concerned at times, but we’re moving forward together in faith and trying to use the wisdom that God has granted us. And even if we make mistakes—we can try again.”

Jelsma has only had to go in once a month since early July. As a phase three

SARAH MOSS (’10)

— Dr. Teresa Ter Haar

face-to-face visit eight times and has had his blood drawn frequently.

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2020 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD

JAMIN VER VELDE ('99)

THE RELUCTAN POLITIC 32

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NT CIAN

There are career politicians. And then there are those who somehow end up finding themselves as a civil servant— no matter how questionable they thought it might be. Paul TenHaken ('00) is not the former. The mayor’s office, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is not at all palatial. It's in the southwest corner of an ordinary yellow-brick building, downtown. True, you don’t just walk in; there’s an official-looking character at the door to admit you The Distinguished Alumni Award after you state your purpose; recognizes alumni who have but once inside, if you were distinguished themselves in expecting “swanky” or an extraordinary fashion, who “splurgy,” don’t. give evidence of living out of a

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD

Reformational worldview, and who demonstrate exemplary service to the community and the world.

However, the place has the makings of a tourist stop, its four walls hung with memorabilia, lots of it noteworthy—big, colorful, signed jerseys from stars on the gridiron and court. The city could charge a fee and turn a dollar or two if they’d call the TenHaken office a museum. To be sure, a museum is not what you might expect of Mayor Paul TenHaken because he’s still, in many ways, someone who just happens to be mayor of South Dakota’s only real metropolis, Sioux Falls, a 200,000 person city

“God calls us to go into this world and use our talents to reflect him in our work through the different mission fields in which we have been placed,” says Paul TenHaken.

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MAYOR'S OFFICE - CITY OF SIOUX FALLS

sprawling into the vast prairies in every direction, a city that continues 40 years of significant growth. “If you have a passion or an issue or a cause that’s near and dear to your heart,” he says, “you’re going to find it in Sioux Falls—arts, faith, all kinds of housing options, a 30-mile bike trail, hunting options within driving distance, vibrant downtown, amazing culinary scene, and more.” TenHaken is smart and savvy, an awardwinning businessman, entrepreneur par excellence. He has been named one of Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Top Ten Emerging Entrepreneurs” as well as South Dakota’s “Young Entrepreneur of the Year” for the amazing success of Click Rain, a company he created. Thin and wiry as a triathlete, which he is, he’s easily mistaken for a kid. The museum all around him makes clear that he hasn’t stood still for a day since he graduated from Dordt with a degree in graphic design—quite an accomplishment for a guy who’s color blind. “I would have never guessed that I’d be here,” he says, from behind the mayor’s desk. Politics was an unlikely turn, but then little of what he’s done could have been foreseen. The Paul TenHaken story will take your breath away, so hold on. After graduating in 2000, Paul and Jill (Driesen) TenHaken moved to Sioux Falls to hunt for whatever challenging work a color blind graphic designer could locate. He started in a “dot.com,” one of a million early-risers in the huge and complex world then being created by something people called “the Internet.” This particular dot.com created something brand new on the tech screens—technical devises called apps (you may have heard of them?) for a medieval gizmo called a Palm Pilot. Often as not, dot.coms made money hand-over-fist, if those fledgling businesses didn’t go up in smoke from poor management, sour corporate culture, too much dreaming, and not enough elbow grease. It was a wild-andcrazy life in a wild-and-crazy time. Paul TenHaken knew inside of a year that this particular dot.com wasn’t necessarily a habitat he could learn to love. He was only a year out of Dordt, fascinated, as he’d not been before, in

Leading with a focus on public entrepreneurship, employee culture, and fiscal responsibility, TenHaken has taken an innovative approach to problems he encounters.

the potential this whole Internet thing was going to bring to the culture. When he looked for another job, he went over to Midland National Life, an insurance business the polar opposite of where he had been. At Midland National, marketing became his thing—head of a department of four employees (all older than he was) whose job it was to create all the literature for the business. He lasted three years. “Great people, but I wasn’t fulfilled,” he says. With what he saw happening on the Internet, he couldn’t stop thinking he had to get back

there, a high energy place for a high energy guy. But those three years in insurance taught him something he never forgot—the undeniable importance of listening. At Midland he found himself heading up an office of company veterans, and he was just 24 years old. The boss believed in him, made him the leader anyway. To get along, he says, he had to sit still. He had to learn to listen. In 2004, he went looking for something with a little more pop and ended up at a tech firm called Electric Pulp (a cute

He can’t say enough about sales, because sales taught him a great deal. He claims he’d recommend it to everyone—even cold sales, making uncomfortable phone calls. Why? Because sales taught him how to deal with rejection. He couldn’t help but grow thick skin from sales, and everyone, the mayor says, needs thick skin to get along.

The Sioux Valley Hospital job was a plum; he was fast-tracked as the Associate Vice President of Marketing. But more importantly, he’d been hired by a man named Mark Elliot, who, the mayor says, shaped directions when Elliot told him, openly and sincerely, that he believed life’s priorities lined up this way: “faith, family, work.”

He lasted two years at Electric Pulp, while the business itself became the best web developer in the region, creating websites and content for all kinds of customers, even professional athletes like Randy Moss, Dante Culpepper, and South Dakota’s own NBA superstar, Mike Miller.

“’I’d never had an employer who was open like that to faith,” he says.

One of the biggest clients was local—Sioux Valley Hospital, where TenHaken ended up doing the hospital’s website work, plus the work of their entire fleet of regional affiliates.

TenHaken says Elliot allowed his team to talk about faith in the everyday hours

That move couldn't have come at a better time. Paul didn't need to hustle because politicians called him. "What's Twitter?" they'd say. of the job, and when Elliot did so, Paul signed on the bottom line. He wanted to work for this guy, and he did. Three years later, he started into a brandnew venture when four people he didn’t know pulled him aside and made him an

MAYOR'S OFFICE - CITY OF SIOUX FALLS

He left Electric Pulp for reasons that had to do with faith. There was more to work, he told himself, than “bigger houses, nicer cars, better vacations, slicker watches, better shoes.” He left a perfectly good position with lots of pizazz because Sioux Valley Hospital,

JAMIN VER VELDE ('99)

like other hospitals, was making people’s lives better. In his book, that mission counted for something.

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way of saying “web pages”) and began a transition from a desk job to a marketing position, doing nothing but sales.

In May 2018, TenHaken was elected the 32nd mayor of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

offer he refused for a year before being lured into buying in. It was a company the four of them were operating, a startup that secured government grants to do web content that would, for instance, get kids to eat healthy foods. Suddenly, he was back in sales. Soon enough it became clear that for what he was doing—signing up more clients on his own—he didn’t need the others. “I started hustling,” he says, “started making phone calls, beating the streets, going back to my roots at Electric Pulp, trying to make money.” He knew the ins and outs of web construction, and he was still fascinated by the potential of the web. But he was getting his own business. Just a year later, he started a brand new company he and Jill named Click Rain, “a marketing technology firm.” That move couldn’t have come at a better time. The political world was thunderstruck at the ascendency of a man named Barack Obama who’d won the presidency of the United States in a way no one else had ever worked— digitally. Paul didn’t need to hustle because politicians called him. “What’s Twitter?” they’d say.

By receiving the 2020 Distinguished Alumni Award, TenHaken hopes "to inspire the next generation of leaders from Dordt University to be bold in whatever that mission field entails and to be assured in the sometimes uncomfortable calling God places on our lives."

Click Rain took on local politicians running for office, but the strength of their work secured contracts from near and far. What Click Rain promised was to create digital content for very specific needs, not only for politicians (“how can I get more young people to like me?”), but also businesses (“how can we sell more tomato soup in Florida?”). And it was, as you can imagine, successful.

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MAYOR'S OFFICE - CITY OF SIOUX FALLS

It was his work with politicians that lured the color blind graphic designer, who’d become a dot.com guy, a salesman, a digital marketer, and then a CEO, along with wooing from others and his own fascination, that nudged him down a road he eventually couldn’t help but feel called to follow, politics. “Why would anyone want to get into politics—it’s gross, it’s divisive, it’s terrible—No!” he told himself. “But God kept putting it in front of me, through conversations, through Scripture, through quiet time.” He read stories about Jonah and Moses and Gideon— none of them wanted to do what God was telling them to do. They’d all have rather not, would have turned it all down. But didn’t. What he also knew, he says, was that God was with them—and him. What he’s come to learn, he says, is that “God’s calling is not always comfortable—it’s not always our desire.”

TenHaken is working to rethink the Sioux Falls public transportation system and has launched a bold mentorship vision for the community.

Eight people were in the race. To win required fifty percent of the vote, plus one. When votes were tabulated, no candidate got there. At 30 percent, he was at the top of the list. There’d be a runoff, and he’d be in it.

But he could not escape the sense that God was calling him to run. Period. End of sentence. No, the beginning of sentence.

Then came the horror. Rumors morphed into accusations that looked all too plausible to those who didn’t know him or didn’t want to believe him. Someone had hacked into his competitor’s bank

JAMIN VER VELDE ('99)

The mayor’s job came open. He threw his hat in the ring, prepared to lose. He’d determined that a first run would give him some name recognition should he ever want to try again. “Who’d vote for me, after all?” he asked Jill.

account, and TenHaken, as everyone understood, was a tech guru. Makes sense, doesn’t it? Young techie like him? It was the darkest time of his life, he’ll tell you. “I got into the politics of politics, you know: ‘sweet Christian guy’—sure. But look what he’s doing.” In a way, guilt by association was a given, and today, as everyone knows, the accusation alone can put an end to a campaign and even a career. All of this went down ten days before the election. He was questioned, deposed by the Department of Criminal Investigation and the Sherriff’s Office, interrogated at length, his lawyer present. He told people he was innocent—and he was. Just three days before the election, the authorities announced as much—none of the story was true. Votes were cast, and he won. Paul TenHaken would be the mayor of Sioux Falls. It’s over now, but in some ways, he says, it isn’t gone. “There’s still some splatter on me, but at the same time the whole story thickened my armor too.”

TenHaken and his team have also encountered numerous crises over the past two years, including tornadoes, floods, and the Covid-19 epidemic.

And as anyone from Sioux Falls knows, he’s needed a wearying coat of protection because in the last two years, in his first term of office, Mayor TenHaken has had to handle a devastating tornado that hit the city’s busiest streets, immense flooding all over the town, the rampage of Covid-19

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“It’s given me an appreciation of other people’s viewpoints, sometimes begrudgingly because I’ve had to admit that maybe they’re right.” — Paul TenHaken, on being mayor

through a huge packing plant, and racial tensions that exploded after the death of George Floyd. But then, no one ever told him the job would be a cake walk, and he knew as much. He just hadn’t expected the successive storms, totally unforeseen, that every Sioux Falls resident knows he’s had to handle. It hasn’t been easy. Still, with two years in, he says he knows that “God wants me here. I feel reaffirmed in this calling every day. I’ve not doubted the decision to run three years ago. He’s been crystal clear.” Paul TenHaken is still a young guy. Some of us might even call him a kid. But he’s learned some things, as we all do. Empathy, for starters. “People want to see empathy in their leaders. They don’t see it enough of it in government, but they want to feel empathy from their elected leaders.” So how does the young, high-energy mayor of a city like Sioux Falls gain empathy? “By sticking with the values you know to be eternal and true,” he says. By holding on to clichés when they speak the truth. “As much a cliché as it is,” he says, “I ask myself daily in this office, ‘What Would Jesus Do?’” He has to deal with what comes his way from the other side of the mayor’s desk. He has to listen—to Black Lives Matter and LGTBQ advocate groups as well as a host of others. “I’ve had to come to a moment of reckoning about the homogenous life that I’ve lived,” he says. As mayor he knows he can’t and won’t dismiss those with whom he disagrees. Being mayor has changed him, he says.

UNEXPECTED ART The thing is, a mayor has a vast array of constituents, and they’re all his or hers. You’ve got to speak to them, got to listen. Mayor Paul TenHaken had no more than stepped into his office for the first time, when a visitor dropped by. His secretary let him know she didn’t know the guy, but once inside, the mayor claims the stranger seemed pleasant and thoughtful. He was carrying what seemed to be a scroll of some type. For a few minutes the two of them chatted, sort of on and on. The guy seemed perfectly uninterested in ending things. Finally, the mayor said, “Is there something I can help you with?” At which time the friendly stranger unrolled that scroll he’d been holding. What he had in his hand was a drawing

“I have had to listen to so many different people in this office, so many people from different walks of life that it’s given me an appreciation of other people’s viewpoints, sometimes begrudgingly because I’ve had to admit that maybe they’re right.” TenHaken runs every morning, sometimes as much as six or seven miles. He does Ironman competitions, too, even Obstacle Course Racing World Championships for three separate years. If you didn’t know better, you might think the mayor could pass for 19 years old. Athletic, trim, and wiry as

of the life and loves of Paul TenHaken, his kids and, well, Sioux Falls, an oddly personal work of art. It was thoughtful, even sweet of this guy to bring it in. The mayor smiled broadly. Then they talked more. And more. “Well, listen,” Paul said to the guy, “do I owe you anything?” Honest question, he thought, and he received what he assumed was an honest answer. The guy nodded, smiled. “$500,” he said. The mayor could have shown him the door, could have thrown him out. Didn’t. He got the man his $500. And that work of art is now up on the wall, east side, if you get to his office, where it holds down a solid place in the museum. You can’t miss it. Don’t.

a bed spring, he’s been tough to beat in any kind of race. But he’s not a kid. He’s the elected mayor of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, who listens when he hears the voice of Jesus and when he hears the voices of the people he serves. He’s an entrepreneur, an innovator, a politician who’s the captain of a team of diverse men and women, boys and girls. He’s a husband and a father and, he’s happy to tell you, a servant of the King. JAMES CALVIN SCHAAP ('70)

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2020 HORIZON AWARD

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BOOMING IN AG

Dr. Chris Boomsma serves as the director of education at the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America—or the “Tri-Societies.” “In my current role, I lead a team tasked with taking the work performed by agronomy, crop, and soil scientists and effectively and innovatively delivering it to in-field practitioners and leaders so they can make timely, informed

decisions and take science-based actions,” says Boomsma.

up pursuing a career in agriculture? God had a plan.

He did not grow up on a farm—in fact, he grew up in a Chicago suburb. So how does a Chicago suburbanite end

When looking at what to do after high school, Boomsma considered a variety of paths, including joining the military

heavy in research, serving at Dow AgroSciences, who named him “Future Giant of the Industry,” and then back to Purdue University, before landing in his current position with the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.

“Having worked with various universities, I have learned that an education from Dordt is unique. Sure, my time at Dordt gave me the skills and knowledge I needed for graduate school and beyond, but it did more than that.”

“If Dordt’s agriculture program didn’t exist, I am certain I would have never pursued an education in agriculture. When I visited — Dr. Chris Boomsma, director of education Dordt, explored its agriculture and other science programs, by others who pushed him both experienced its campus life, and met its academically, in his faith, and all areas of students, my decision was cemented, life. and I never looked back.” “Having worked with various universities, Little did Boomsma know just how much I have learned that an education from his experience at Dordt would shape his Dordt is unique. Sure, my time at Dordt future. gave me the skills and knowledge I needed for “During my time graduate school and at Dordt, I became beyond, but it did more fairly certain that I than that. It provided wanted to perform a strong education. It basic and applied Chris Boomsma’s gave me perspective. It research in the plant work exemplifies what helped me become a sciences in industry Dordt’s Horizon Award better communicator. or academia. I recognizes—young alumni It encouraged my double-checked my who are emerging as philosophical and interest by taking leaders and innovators, theological growth. research internships working effectively toward It strengthened my in industry and Christ-centered renewal faith. It prepared me to in every area of their lives, serving as a be an adult, a spouse, including their work. teaching assistant a parent, a teacher, a Dordt seeks to provide and tutor at mentor, a scientist, and insight and develop talents Dordt. By the time I a leader. That is not that will sustain lifelong entered my senior an education you can responsible service in year at Dordt, I was get at every academic God’s kingdom. fully committed to institution.” attaining a Ph.D. since my career This preparation has led to aspirations required valuable opportunities for it,” he says. “It became an even easier Boomsma as he has gained experience decision when I was offered a fellowship and connections in the agriculture for my Ph.D. studies.” industry.

“There is a lot of great work done in the sciences that never gets effectively put into practice. It is the role of my team to make sure that doesn’t happen in the agronomic, crop, and soil sciences. My team focuses on actionable education. The science we summarize, translate, and disseminate covers everything from plant gene editing to hemp production to greenhouse gas emissions to food system sustainability and resource conservation.” “Agriculture, in my opinion, is a field of work that can deeply challenge and grow a person’s faith,” he says. “I routinely see that with farmers, who operate their businesses among many unknowns, chief among them being the weather. Despite remarkable scientific advances, cutting-edge technologies, and government support, farming in North America remains a difficult, complex, and often underappreciated profession. The challenges and perils of farming are all the more evident in developing nations reliant on subsistence agriculture.”

HORIZON AWARD

While at Dordt, Boomsma also had the opportunity to do co-curricular activities such as play soccer and participate in Ag Club. “From soccer matches to laboratory sessions to late-night debates and discussions, I benefited greatly from the people around me,” he says. He appreciated being surrounded

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or pursuing a degree in engineering or meteorology. However, growing up, he’d heard farming stories from his grandparents and interacted with farmers from church. These small influences, and then a visit with Dordt’s agriculture department, sealed the deal.

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There have been many opportunities for Boomsma to experience the challenges and successes of agriculture throughout his career—from lecturing in Africa,

“After graduating from Dordt, God opened a number of interesting doors that led to rooms full of opportunity.” He began his career with a research position at Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont, Illinois. Then, he started a Ph.D. program at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. After Boomsma received his Ph.D. in Agronomy and Plant Physiology, he dove into a career

Boomsma says Dordt helped him develop academic skills for graduate school and also pushed him toward philosophical and theological growth.

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DOING REAL WORK FOR REAL PEOPLE WITH REAL NEEDS P

eople who step up and reach out: that’s who Dordt alumni and families are. There are countless stories of these people making a difference in their corner of Defender Nation.

"Dordt prepared me to move forward with conviction, purpose, and faith, and that has had a profound impact on my life," says Boomsma.

to performing research in biotechnology and precision agriculture, to coordinating start-ups with venture capitalists. Over time, he has found a deeper appreciation for the verse “give us this day our daily bread.”

Others have also recognized how Boomsma has been equipped for Christ-centered renewal in the world of agriculture. One of his nominators for the Horizon Award shared, “Chris is a master teacher, but one whose products are educational resources that deliver economic, agronomic, environmental, and social sustainability insights to North American production systems. Despite his youth, leadership aptitude is also evident in serving on director boards like the American Society of Agronomy and the American Seed Trade Association.” Boomsma’s skills go beyond scientific knowledge. A nominator wrote that Boomsma has “superb analytical and exceptional writing skills” in addition to recognizable leadership qualities. These skills have allowed Boomsma to work with many in the industry, such as agronomists and conservationists, with non-profits and government, and more. “For a kid from a suburb on the south side of Chicago, it has been quite a journey thus far. Now, as I look back on it, I see how God orchestrated it all, using my skills and knowledge to serve in his world in ways I never anticipated or thought possible," says Boomsma. BETHANY VAN VOORST

Recent graduate Ebby Prewitt (‘20) partnered with students at her high school alma mater, Des Moines Christian School, to send letters to residents and healthcare workers in nursing homes during the early days of the pandemic. Ebby made an impact by blessing others through a note from someone that cares during a time when these residents have limited contact with family and friends outside their home. Chad Meekhof, who is currently enrolled in Dordt’s sport leadership program, is a history and outdoor education teacher at Rehoboth Christian High School in New Mexico. Like many teachers, he thought creatively about Willa Vogel's goal was to raise $250 for her school. So how to prepare for a unique far, she has raised $420. year of learning. He built an outdoor teaching platform, lecture podium, chalkboard, and firepit so learning could happen outside for his students. Chad’s outdoor education curriculum is designed so students gain a deeper appreciation for God’s creation. We often hear that community is what makes Dordt so special, and that’s so much broader than what happens on campus for two or four years. It’s how you are taking community into new spaces. You’re expanding the community reach by drawing others in as you live out community in tangible, serviceable ways. Dordt alumni, students, and families are doing real work for real people with real needs.

ALICIA BOWAR (’05), ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI AND PARENT RELATIONS

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“Growing season after growing season, a farmer employs the art and science of agriculture and mixes it with a heavy dose of faith,” he says. “Overall, I find it very gratifying to perform research and educate in the areas of food security, environmental conservation and improvement, and farm and rural sustainability. It is a profession that routinely allows me to use my passions and talents in the service of God and his redemptive work.”

Willa, the daughter of alumni Chris ('09) and Jessica (Veenstra, '09) Vogel in Minneapolis, is a kindergartner on a mission to raise money for her school. And this isn’t just any fundraiser. She’s created a flower stand that also offers root beer floats and is selling homemade hot cocoa to friends and family. Her goal? To help families who need tuition assistance be able to attend her school.

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"My mission is to help make great stories come to life with playful, beautifully crafted illustrations," says Joe Hoksbergen.

FARMER JOE THE ILLUSTRATOR If he didn't know the unique hazards of that particular day on the farm calendar, he should have. It was the day of sorting cattle, and any farm kid should know that the worst days of the year to screw up are those days. But screw up he did. Like an idiot, he drove the pickup smack into the side of a corral while his dad and the help were sorting cattle. Not smart. Joe Hoksbergen ('05), who today sits comfortably in his studio and turns out fascinating, playful images for book illustrations, was a farm boy who was never really a farm boy. That day, he says, “One poor kid was perched on the side of the corral and got launched several feet. I was the clumsiest farm kid ever to work the Iowa soil.”

And then there was this, too, almost too embarrassing to repeat in public. His wind rows, the ones he left in the field when, early summer, he was cutting hay, were not straight. You read that right. Joe Hoksbergen, who, professionally at least, goes by the name of Joe Hox, rather preferred making those rows sway a bit—“artistic,” he says, giving them a little life. One way or another, what became apparent as early as second grade was that he wasn’t like other kids in his class because he just loved to draw, to create things with a pencil or pen, a crayon or a magic marker, to make things come alive

on the paper in front of him. It was a second grade assignment every kid was given: create an Native American village. What he began to understand was that his second-grade classmates at Pella Christian School regarded his little paper figures as, well, wow! Hoksbergen was very much at home on his parents’ Iowa farm, but he couldn’t help but know he was not going to be sorting cattle when he graduated from Pella Christian. And that was fine with his father, who encouraged his son to line up his dreams of art and go after them. Instead, his father kept him supplied with what he needed to follow that dream.

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Hoksbergen illustrated The Moon is Always Round, which explains to children "how God's goodness is always present, even when it might appear to be obscured by upsetting or difficult circumstances."

His mother’s encouragement grew out of her own work as a graphic designer. “To this day,” he says, “Mom and I love to brainstorm together.” Thus, deciding on some kind of art for a future wasn’t at all difficult for him. “Art classes were paradise for me, growing up,” he says. “All the way through, I was blessed to have art teachers who gave me lots of freedom.” That freedom made his dreams as clear as they were vivid. “I realized I loved the idea of using art to tell stories.”

His college art classes confirmed his choices and his dreams and narrowed his career plans. “I spent my college career making art that garnered acclaim in critiques and earned me good grades,” but what dawned on him gradually was the importance of “a cohesive portfolio,” a body of work that would get his foot in the publishing

“Art classes were paradise for me, growing up. All the way through, I was blessed to have art teachers who gave me lots of freedom.”

While he was at Dordt, he began to sense that book illustration was the kind of job and calling that made sense. He had decided — Joe Hoksbergen, illustrator on Dordt when his dad had determined to sell some beef cattle across the state at the Sioux door. What he set out for himself, Center auction barn. Joe came along; post-grad, was day work for pay—and but he got himself sold on Dordt when nights spent in the studio, “refining my he visited with Professor Jake Van Wyk, illustration style.” who, Joe claims, didn’t mind at all that this kid had dropped by with manure But his four years at Dordt resulted on his work shoes. “He seemed to in much more than a sketchbook understand the plight of an Iowa farm full of drawings. He joined Concert kid who wanted nothing more than to Choir, where Professor Ben Kornelis make art,” he remembers. remembers Joe occasionally looking

down at his sketchbook, behavior Kornelis says could have made him ornery if what Joe was drawing hadn’t been so cute. “He used to draw me,” Kornelis says, chuckling. “I wish I still had some of those.” When he wasn’t singing or sketching, Hoksbergen couldn’t help noticing a certain alto named Katie Boer, from South Holland, Illinois...and yes, this is one of those “choir tour romance” stories you may have heard about, although you’ll have to get the details from the two of them. Hoksbergen and Boer were married in June of 2005, a month after graduating. They’re still a team, a great one, if you’re wondering. They’ve got four wonderful kids and plans for publications yet to come. But then, the best laid plans of mice and men and artists...well, you know the rest. While still at Dordt, and then, after graduation, trying to establish himself as an artist (beginning as a mural painter), Joe found himself increasingly victimized by “severe body aches, brain fog, and fatigue,” symptoms eventually diagnosed as Lyme disease and CIRS (mold illness).

It’s hard to keep one’s head above water when what’s happening inside prompts a kind of lethargy. “My mind, once teeming with ideas, now felt muddled and depressed.” All that potential, all that challenge seemingly dried up. Things were difficult. For a variety of good reasons, he and Katie decided the best path for the two them—and him—would be for Joe to take a job teaching art (grades two through 12) at Pella Christian, where, in what seemed a miracle, an opening had just occurred. For 12 years, Hoksbergen taught art in the schools he had attended himself, a few of his later years behind the desk part-time. In the persistent languor of his Lyme’s disease, he did very little creative work; but then eventually new medical treatments slowly brought improvements, and he started to reopen those sketchbooks—doing all sorts of things and on Instagram posting things he’d created. Freelance work followed when people noticed his work, and his strength—and his imagination— returned. During his summers, he stayed busy producing, sometime art pieces, sometimes freelance graphic design, sometimes bare-wall murals. One of his first illustration jobs was for Beyond Control: Heart-Centered Classroom Climate and Discipline (2014), by Alan Bandstra (’89), published by Dordt Press. Bandstra was greatly pleased: “No matter how abstract the concept presented within my writing, Joe’s pictures nailed it. Every time.”

The more freelance work he did, the more contacts he accumulated and offers he considered. Vermeer Corporation asked him to illustrate Farmer Gary’s Birthday Adventure, a book to honor the corporation’s 70th anniversary. That series of freelance jobs, he says, “helped me to understand the process of design, layout and printing,” and thereby to grow as an artist and a professional. These days he’s illustrating another book in a series called Good News for Little Hearts, from New Growth Press, books for children from three to eight years old, hardcover books New Growth says bring “biblical help and hope to issues every child faces" (see newgrowthpress. com). He says he and Katie were greatly taken with what they found at New Growth. He applied, and, blessedly, was invited to submit some drawings for this new series. What he gave them sealed the deal. His very first project for them was The Moon is Always Round, a standalone title designed to help families deal with infant loss. These days he’s working on his ninth book in the Good News for Little Hearts series, his tenth book in all for New Growth. “We have always dreamed of publishing together,” he says, Katie writing, Joe illustrating. “We have lots of ideas and several different manuscripts we’re hoping to publish someday.” Out of the classroom completely now, Joe Hox’s contract calls for more work from New Growth Press, including another stand-alone book, not unlike The Moon is Always Round. One more thing. Just in case you’re wondering, his father sold the farm. Joe doesn’t hold on to dreams of one day proving himself in the cattle yard or leaving perfectly straight wind rows behind him on a John Deere. He readily acknowledges that he never was much of a farmer. But ask him about his latest project, and his face will light up. “This summer I’ll be illustrating a book for Feeding Minds Press, an imprint of American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture.”

This drawing, titled "Iowa Gold," and many other designs are available for purchase at etsy.com/shop/JoeHoxArt.

Fitting, eh? Still a farm boy, just one packing a sketchbook. JAMES CALVIN SCHAAP (’70)

Derek De Vries (’18) completed his final actuarial science exam and received his designation as a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries. He is employed as an actuarial associate at Principal Financial Group in Des Moines, Iowa.

ALUMNI

His health went into decline just a few months into their marriage.

ALUMNI NOTES

Katie (Kortman,’14) and Lee Veldkamp (’14) started Simply Earth, an essential oil company that exists “to glorify God by positively impacting our families and communities.” Current students Melissa Van Den Berg and Nicholas Veldhorst also work for Simply Earth. Dr. Nana Quaicoe (’12) was appointed to the James A. Leach Chair in Banking and Monetary Economics at Wartburg College. Quaicoe serves as assistant professor of economics at Wartburg, where he began work in 2018 after completing his doctorate in economics at Southern Illinois University. Dr. Sarah Skidmore (’12) completed her doctorate of strategic leadership degree from Regent University in January. She also published a leadership development workbook and launched an innovation, leadership, and marketing firm based in Orlando, Florida. Ryan Trosper (’07) has been named president of Eastern New Mexico University-Ruidoso Branch Community College (ENMURuidoso). Previously, he served as vice president of student learning and success at ENMU-Ruidoso, where he oversaw academic and student affairs, provided supervision for all academic and workforce programs, student success programs, and more. Trosper holds a master’s degree from Colorado State UniversityPueblo. Josiah Murphy (’03) has graduated with an M.A. in TESL from Kent State University (KSU) in Ohio. She will continue working at KSU’s Department of Modern and Classical Language Studies while conducting research for the Language and Cognition Research Laboratory.

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