Student Stories | Dordt University
Adapting Plans, Growing in Faith
Julia Verhage
Julia Verhage
In Awe of Creation
Ada Smies
Ada Smies
Equipped to Lead, Ready to Serve
Tate Hansen
Tate Hansen
Finding Voice and Calling
Zach Bivens
Zach Bivens
Leading with Curiosity and Grit
Erica Roth
“I love working with teammates who are invested in doing great work and want to build an enduring company,” Roth explains. “We have fun, we problem solve, and we challenge ourselves to reach new goals together.”
Erica Roth
Walking Alongside Others
Andrew Geleynse
“As therapists, we have the privilege to walk alongside people in their most difficult moments and be the hands and feet of Jesus.”
Andrew Geleynse
Hope for the Hurting
Erin De Jong
Erin De Jong
Blooming in Agriculture
Jade Hubers
“I think it’s important for young women to see there are many ways to be involved in ag beyond the traditional crops and livestock,” Jade Hubers says. “Agriculture can be creative, beautiful, and still deeply connected to stewardship.”
Jade Hubers
Coming Full Circle: A Calling Realized
Kelly Lapadula
Kelly Lapadula
Learning and Leading in Liberia
Darric Dennis
Darric Dennis
Soaring Ambitions: A Path to Air Force Service
Benjamin Eerkes
Benjamin Eerkes
A Direct Path to Purpose
Megan Van Maanen
Megan Van Maanen
Through the Lens of Faith
Parker Freeman
Parker Freeman
Called to the Classroom
Austin Faber
Austin Faber
A Fresh Start
Athan De Jong
Athan De Jong
Expanding Knowledge
Matt Haken
Matt Haken
Dialing Up Connections
Julia Stob
“It still catches me off guard—in a good way—when professors pray before class or when discussions naturally lead into faith. It’s been amazing to study psychology with a sense of awe at how God made our brains; I don’t think I’d get that same perspective at another school.”
Julia Stob
A Sense of Belonging
Abigail Maldonado
Abigail Maldonado
Leading by Serving
Timothy Buckholtz
“During my Dordt campus visit, I stayed with my brother and his friends, and the quality of his friends was incredible—I wanted friends like them in my life.”
Timothy Buckholtz
Steps to Service
Lucy Zylstra
Lucy Zylstra
Stewarding God's Creation
Robert Lund
Robert Lund
The Power of Policy
Daniel Zekveld
Daniel Zekveld
Building a New Beginning
Enock Rop
“I am so grateful God sent me to a Christian college. I have grown in my faith immensely and had more opportunities than I would have imagined.”
Enock Rop
Guided by Compassion
Brenna Brouwer
Brenna Brouwer
Bridging Global Gaps in Healthcare
Sharon Ige
Sharon Ige
Cultivating Confident Leadership
Melanie Sharp
Melanie Sharp
Leading With Vision
Pamela Szmyrko
Pamela Szmyrko
Fast-Track to Calling
Lily D'Amour
Lily D'Amour
Faithful Advocacy
Nia Boentoro
Nia Boentoro
Deputized to Lead
Alex Pruismann
“The MPA program allowed me to learn how to lead from different angles and take many things into consideration while making decisions."
Alex Pruismann
Resilience through Fire and Ice
Charlie Lang
Charlie Lang
Harmonizing Worship Arts and Design
Nicole Mahoney
“I think there’s something really powerful about the community at Dordt; we get to do life together and know each other’s stories, and then we get to worship together."
Nicole Mahoney
From Patella Injury to Physical Therapy School
Alexa Kopaska
“You could argue that Dordt has one of the best academic experiences for undergraduates preparing to go into the medical field, because, as undergraduates, we have access to a cadaver lab,” she says. “Not only have I learned about the rectus femoris in class, but in the cadaver lab, I’ve seen the four quadricep muscles up close."
Alexa Kopaska
Connecting through Finance
Sam Zylstra
“I wanted to be a part of many different groups and truly leave a mark on the university I attended. This led me to Dordt, as it’s a smaller university with an emphasis on individual relationships.”
Sam Zylstra
Finding a Faith-Focused Education and So Much More
Grace Bruin
“I wanted to be in an education program that was founded and rooted in faith rather than having Christianity as an appendix to the program. It was clear from the first time I talked with Dordt education professors that they are passionate about Christian teaching.”
Grace Bruin
An Artist Takes Flight
Emma Nydam
“One of my favorite classes was Avian Biology. We had to memorize and identify 150 bird species by sight and sound, and I’ve painted almost all of them because that’s how I study best. I also found that I could pay attention to all the details when I put it to paper.”
Emma Nydam
Embracing Perseverance and Accountability
Jacob Schmoll
“My faith has grown at Dordt by truly and fully becoming my own."
Jacob Schmoll
Embracing Mess, Creating Beauty
Megan Veurink
“I enjoyed many of the psychology courses I had taken during my freshman year, so I continued to look in that broadened field. This is when I discovered art therapy, a dream career I didn’t know existed!”
Megan Veurink
Finding a Future in Ministry
Kira Ouwinga
“I have always had a passion for helping others and seeing them experience the joy of Christ. I was excited when I found out that Dordt had specific majors where I could pursue that.”
Kira Ouwinga
Chasing Community
Craig Becker
“My mom and dad were shocked because they’d never seen so many people come together. I spent over an hour just talking with teammates, meeting family members. That overall sense of community was overwhelming.”
Craig Becker
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