When Dordt students and faculty left for spring break on March 6, they planned to come back to campus to finish off the spring semester. Because of COVID-19, a coronavirus that caused a worldwide pandemic of respiratory illness, those plans changed. On March 12, Dordt announced that spring break would be extended by a week and that classes would be …
Chemistry Majors Set Sights on Graduate School
Of the seven chemistry majors who graduated from Dordt University this year, five are heading to graduate school in the fall. Marcus Van Engen will attend graduate school in Pittsburgh to study organic chemistry. Abbey Bos is headed to Iowa State University for veterinary school. Evangeline Colarossi will earn a master’s degree in material science engineering at Colorado State University. …
Three Sells Award Recipients in 10 Years
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 attempt. It turns out Westra had nothing to worry about. Not only did Westra pass all the exams, he qualified for and …
Defender Clay Dusters Aim for Club Success
Dubbed the Defender Clay Dusters, Dordt’s trapshooting club is one of the newest and most popular sports clubs on campus. “We’re a group of people with a shared interest in shooting,” says Dr. Tom Prinsen, communication professor and the trapshooting club’s faculty adviser. “Our mission is to provide opportunities for education, training, and mentoring of students in a safe, ethical, …
We are Living Loved
Last summer, Kade Krosschell missed a flight. This wouldn’t have been a big deal, except that all the other flights to his destination were booked for the day, so he and his colleagues ended up having to fly to a different city and then make an hour-long drive to get to a meeting. “I was on the wrong plane, at …
The Hope Fund
Tyler Postma had an abrupt end to his senior year at Dordt University. In March, he traveled back to his hometown of Abbotsford, British Columbia, and spent the rest of the spring semester working on online classes to finish up his business degree. In April, he learned that he’d be getting a billing adjustment for partial room and board credits …
Two Profs Put Politics into Practice
Two Dordt University professors put their passion into practice this political season by running for and ultimately winning seats in Iowa’s primary election on Tuesday, June 2. Randy Feenstra (’91), a Dordt business professor and an Iowa state senator, won the Republican primary race against Congressman Steve King by a margin of nearly 10 points – 45.7 to 36 percent. …
Alex Vasquez Brings Young Life to Sioux County
Alex Vasquez (’18) first heard about Young Life, a para-church organization, when he was a senior in high school in Dallas, Texas. At the time, he felt that he’d achieved everything he’d ever wanted—he had great grades, a girlfriend, football success, and popularity. So, when, according to Vasquez, a “super corny and weird” guy approached him about attending Young Life’s …
The Life and Times of Leonard Gooz
“Every experience in life influences you,” says Leonard Gooz (‘02). “Your family, your community, the friends you surround yourself with.” Gooz can point to many experiences over the years that have led him to his current position as vice president for customer experience and innovation at Hilton, where he works with brands like DoubleTree and Embassy Suites. His life today …
Gen Z, Faith Formation, and Campus Ministries
There are more than four former Christians in America for every one new convert to Christianity,” said Aaron Baart (’99), dean of chapel, in a January 2018 chapel talk in his series “Why They Leave, and Why It Matters.” “That statistic hit me right between the eyes. I thought back on classmates I went to Christian school with who no …