Walking Alongside Others

For Andrew Geleynse (’07), Dordt University was not only a college choice but a continuation of a family legacy. His grandfather was a dedicated Dordt supporter, his parents both attended Dordt, and he had visited campus while growing up. “It was a natural fit,” he says.

He arrived as an education major, following in his father’s and mother’s footsteps, but soon realized teaching wasn’t the direction he wanted to go. “I knew I wanted to work with people, so that’s what drew me toward healthcare,” Geleynse explains. His double major in exercise science and psychology prepared him well for graduate school prerequisites and laid the foundation for a career in occupational therapy, which was a profession he had never heard of until college.

What drew him in was occupational therapy’s focus on function. “We help people get back to their daily tasks and the meaningful things they need or want to do,” he says. That might mean helping someone recover from surgery or adapt after a life-changing injury. “It’s purposeful, meaningful work.”

After graduating from Dordt, Geleynse attended the University of South Dakota’s occupational therapy program. Dordt’s rigorous anatomy and physiology courses prepared him well for the fast pace of grad school.

Following graduation in 2009, Geleynse began his career at Sheldon Hospital before joining Sioux Center Health, where he started off as the only occupational therapist on staff. The rural setting meant variety: one day he might work with a stroke patient, the next with a child, and the next on hand therapy. “In a rural hospital, you have to know a little bit of everything,” he says. “I don’t think I could work in a place where I only did one thing.”

Over time, Geleynse moved into leadership roles: first as therapy manager, and now as outpatient services officer and a member of the senior leadership team at Sioux Center Health. “As a therapist, my focus was on helping patients directly,” he says. “Now, my role is to make sure our managers and staff have the tools they need to provide excellent patient care. It’s still about the patient, just from a different angle.”

Faith has been a constant thread through his life and career. “I’m thankful to work for a faith-based organization where I can pray with patients or talk about God’s purposes, even during hard times,” he says. “As therapists, we have the privilege to walk alongside people in their most difficult moments and be the hands and feet of Jesus.”

Looking back, Geleynse says Dordt shaped his understanding of community, an essential part of both healthcare and life. “The Christian life is meant to be done with others,” he reflects. “In healthcare, from the highest-paid employee to the lowest, everyone plays a role in providing an excellent experience for each patient. That sense of teamwork was reinforced at Dordt, and I carry it with me every day.”