Kuyper Staff, Faculty Honored for Years of Service
At the annual Christmas brunch held for faculty, staff and board members of Kuyper College in early December, President Patricia Harris told the story of a young man who first came to know the College 50 years ago when his father became a Kuyper professor.
“He grew up around this place, attended college here and eventually returned 25 years later to teach himself, overlapping with his father for one semester,” she said.
She added that the young man, of course, was Dr. Dan Kroeze, who is now celebrating 25 years as a professor of Biblical studies at Kuyper.
Reflecting on his time here, Kroeze said, “This has been the best part of my ministry, not because it’s been long, but because it’s been good. I can’t think of a better place to be.”
The annual Christmas brunch is a time for the Kuyper community to gather over a delicious, festive meal and share appreciation for each other’s contributions to the College.
It also traditionally includes a time to honor employees who, like Kroeze, are celebrating major milestones of service. This year, four were recognized.
One was Ray Thomas, Director of Campus Operations, who came to Kuyper five years ago.
Thomas shepherded the College through the pandemic and the rise of the KuyperWorks and athletic programs, all of which, he said, made his job interesting.
“You know a lot of what to do for a lot of things,” said Curt Essenburg, Dean of Students and Work, who took the microphone to congratulate Thomas. “I appreciate the way you are always willing to help.”
Marc Andreas joined the Kuyper community 10 years ago, also at a critical juncture. Kuyper was in the early stages of planning a business leadership program, and he knew he was the person for the job.
He helped the program become one of Kuyper’s core degree pathways, where hundreds of students have learned how to honor God through their business endeavors.
“I never thought I would be a full-time professor, but it’s pretty amazing, where God led me. I would never choose another place to be than Kuyper College,” he said.
And Pete De Boer, who is celebrating five years as Kuyper’s Senior Development Representative, knows how to cultivate growth too, though he does it through fundraising.
“I could talk about Pete for a lot longer, but Pete is a lot like me: he doesn’t like to be talked about, he just wants to go to work and to serve the Lord. We are blessed beyond measure to have him on our team,” said Jim Steenbergen, Chief Advancement Officer.
No matter how long each honoree has been with the College, all share the same commitment to honoring God and serving others, for which the Kuyper community is very grateful.
