Confidence and Connections

When Cody arrived at Dordt, he was shy and didn’t know anyone on campus. Miles away from home, he found himself spending most of his time doing homework in his room. However, over time, Cody developed confidence and deep friendships.
"I think Dordt has made me a very friendly person,” he explains. “Being in an environment were everyone is kind and helpful will wear off on you. I came to Dordt a quiet and introverted person, and left there a caring ‘how can I help’ person.”

Looking back at his time at Dordt, Cody is grateful for the caring and qualified professors and the great business connections. Although Dordt is a smaller school, alumni and connections exist all over the country. When Cody was searching for an internship, he reached out to President Hoekstra for the name of a company and a phone number or email.

“[President Hoekstra] personally called me within 15 minutes,” he explained. “We talked on the phone for about 15-20 minutes and he passed my resume on to the owner of the company. I had an internship set up with them within a week. I was so thankful for that experience. President Hoekstra went above and beyond for me. I sent the email hoping for just the company name and instead I was put into contact with the president of the company.”

After graduating, Cody was able to get a job right away as an Assistant Project Manager at Barenz Builders in Wisconsin. He explains that Dordt set him up for success and prepared him for his career better than another university could have done.