From the President: Rev. Dennis N. Voskuil, Ph.D.

Dear Friends,
I am excited about this issue of News From Hope College — and not because of the cover story! It is humbling to open this magazine and find my story within the very same pages that share such inspirational stories about our alumni, students and employees. From cover to cover, you’ll find a common thread running through these pages. Reconciliation. Collaboration. Respect. Dialogue. Hope.

There is something undeniably powerful about our name: Hope. In its simplicity, the word conveys unbreakable faith and relentless optimism. Rev. Albertus C. Van Raalte, who co-founded Hope College with Rev. Philip Phelps Jr., said of the school: “This is my anchor of hope for this people in the future.” In his statement, we hear echoes of Hebrews 6:19, “We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul.”

Sure and steadfast indeed. The name of our college community communicates a shared belief about our work: It is meaningful. It is uplifting. And in today’s climate, it is needed. At times, it seems that the world has never needed hope more than it does today. And if the world needs hope, the world needs Hope graduates.

As Hope’s mission statement says, we are educating our students for lives of leadership and service. This is apparent on and off campus — and on the pages in this magazine. From student-led initiatives that model civil discourse to institutional partnerships that strengthen faith to acts of service that span the globe, our efforts reflect a “sure and steadfast” commitment to God’s creation. We believe His is a world worth serving.

As our students prepare to graduate and enter the world beyond Hope’s campus, they do so with the courage and conviction to transform their communities. In them and in our alumni, we are assured: Hope College is living up to its name.
Spera in Deo,

Rev. Dennis N. Voskuil, Ph.D.
Interim President and Professor