Developing a Kingdom-Building Mindset

Tyler Van Hofwegen, a business major, came to Dordt from Lynden, Washington, alongside his triplet brother and several classmates.

“What surprised me about Dordt is that I didn’t expect to find such a vibrant Christian community—people who truly wanted to pour into me and help me grow,” he says. “That’s been a huge blessing.”

That growth often came through stepping into new opportunities. In addition to playing soccer, Van Hofwegen became deeply involved with the Admissions Office, giving campus tours and serving as a student leader.

“If you ask and are willing to put in the work, you’ll find at Dordt that there are many opportunities,” he says.

Balancing those responsibilities with academics pushed him outside his comfort zone.

“The growth that comes from facing discomfort has really shaped my character,” he says. “Every time I’ve been challenged, I’ve grown because of it.”

One example came early in his time at Dordt, when his Week of Welcome leader invited him and others to spend time reading the Bible first thing in the morning.

“It was honestly a challenge for me,” he says. “I didn’t want to get up at 7 a.m.—I took a nap every day, and I had my own routine. But it became a really important part of my day—starting in the Word, praying together, and then going to breakfast. That was really formative."

His coursework also shaped how he thinks about business itself. Through classes and conversations with professors, Van Hofwegen began to see business not simply as a way to generate profit, but as a means of creating value for others.

In one class, a comment from Economics Professor Dr. Josh Hollinger stayed with him.

“At the end of class, he paused, looked up in the corner of the room, and said, ‘I wonder what it looks like to invest eternally?’” Van Hofwegen recalls. “That stuck with me. It captures what we’ve been taught about money in Dordt’s business program.”

In one of his first business courses, he learned how profit can be used for kingdom-building purposes—not simply for personal gain.

“I’ve learned to think about what the customer actually needs and how you’re serving them,” he adds. “It’s not just about selling something—it’s about adding real value to someone’s life.”

Van Hofwegen plans to begin work in project management, where he is eager to continue learning and growing.

“I want to have a kingdom-building mindset,” he says. “Not just thinking about what benefits me or the company, but asking, ‘Is this actually good for people?’”

Looking back, he credits Dordt with shaping both his faith and his sense of purpose.

“If I’ve ever wanted to try something here, the answer has usually been yes,” he says. “That willingness to challenge you and help you grow—that’s what makes Dordt special.”