Students Embrace their Home Away from Home

Each year, hundreds of students make their way across the country to Sioux Center to attend Dordt. In fact, 62% of students this year hail from outside the state of Iowa—a reminder that for many, Dordt truly becomes a home away from home.

“Moving to a new place is always an adjustment,” says Derek Buteyn ('11), associate dean of students and director of residence life. “But students who come to Dordt quickly feel a strong sense of welcome. The close-knit community of both the campus and the town of Sioux Center helps students feel grounded as they settle in. They get plugged into campus life, local churches, and organizations, and through that process develop a sense of belonging.”

For senior Tyler Van Hofwegen, from Lynden, Washington, that sense of belonging was clear from the start. “When I first visited campus, I was met with smiling faces and people spending intentional time together,” he recalls. “Someone asked if I could call this place home, and I confidently answered, ‘Yes.’”

As a freshman, Van Hofwegen made it a priority to meet new people and embrace every opportunity for connection—an approach he’s continued throughout college. “Community to me means being accepted and loved as a child of God, and that’s what I’ve found during my time at Dordt,” he says. Whether in the classroom, on the soccer field, in the dorms, or studying abroad in the Netherlands, he has seen God’s hand guiding him toward relationships that make Dordt feel like home.

Hannah Thong, a junior from Overland Park, Kansas, says she’s discovered that same hospitality through athletics. “It’s been a blessing to be part of a successful cross-country program, but what makes it so special is the girls I get to run with every day,” she says. “The deep conversations and memories we’ve shared on those endless gravel roads and prairie trails have helped me build lifelong friendships.”

For Jenna Landstra, who came to Dordt from Michigan, the transition was daunting at first. But through leadership roles as a resident assistant and worship leader—and by embracing campus events and clubs—she found herself thriving. “It took a few months to adjust, but I can confidently say now that Dordt is my home away from home,” she says.

That sense of community extends beyond campus. Recently ranked as the safest city in Iowa by two independent groups, Sioux Center is known for its hospitality and care for residents—including Dordt students. “Our students are invited into this community because they’re valued as important contributors to the vibrancy and health of Sioux Center,” explains Buteyn. “The Dordt community isn’t an island within Sioux Center but fully integrated into its life and culture.”

As Dordt continues to grow—with record enrollment, expanding facilities, and new academic opportunities—the commitment to purposeful, Christ-centered community remains central. “Since coming to Dordt, my understanding of belonging has deepened,” says Landstra. “Through this community I’ve built friendships, received guidance for my future, engaged in meaningful conversations with peers and professors, and felt a deep sense of belonging. The community at Dordt is special, and it’s a blessing to be part of it.”

About Dordt University

As an institution of higher education committed to the Reformed Christian perspective, Dordt University equips students, faculty, alumni, and the broader community to work toward Christ-centered renewal in all aspects of contemporary life. Located in Sioux Center, Iowa, Dordt is a comprehensive university named to the best college lists by U.S. News and World Report, the Wall Street Journal, Times Higher Education, Forbes.com, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review.