“When I found out about my generous scholarship and incredible research opportunity, I immediately texted my friends who had been praying for me over the matter,” he says. “They returned my messages with words of congratulations and praise. I’m joyful and feel very blessed about the opportunities waiting for me in Michigan.”
Dallas Johnson, a Dordt University senior theology and social work major from Milford, Iowa, has received the Trustee Scholarship, which provides him with a 75% tuition break to Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan, and an invitation to conduct research with Director of the Eugene Peterson Center for Christian Imagination Dr. Winn Collier. He will begin his studies this fall and will ultimately earn a master of divinity degree as well as a master of social work degree.
“When I found out about my generous scholarship and incredible research opportunity, I immediately texted my friends who had been praying for me over the matter,” he says. “They returned my messages with words of congratulations and praise. I’m joyful and feel very blessed about the opportunities waiting for me in Michigan.”
Johnson says he made the decision to attend seminary because he loves school and has a desire to learn more in the field of theology. He isn’t sure what vocation he will pursue at this point, but since Western Theological Seminary offers him a chance to pursue both a master of divinity and a master of social work concurrently, he will continue to pursue both areas of his undergraduate interests.
“Though I didn’t grow up in the Reformed tradition, I’ve come to feel at home in Reformed theology and am excited to continue pursuing an education at a Reformed institution,” he says.
Johnson says he has appreciated his Dordt experience over the past four years. Through Dordt’s theology program, he has built strong relationships with theology professors. “By participating in weekly theology lunches and inviting students to their homes, these professors have created a community where they and students share their lives together,” he says. “My professors model what it means to be faithful followers of Jesus.”
The social work program has also greatly influenced Johnson and has given him a more nuanced understanding of what the word “helping” means. “In addition to a plethora of practical skills, my social work professors have given me a mindset that seeks dynamic, appropriate, and restorative ways to help others,” he says. “My social work professors also embody a Christ-like integrity in their interactions with students and have created a gracious community of students and faculty.”
He's especially enjoyed participating in the Kuyper Honors Program (KHP), where he found research positions, book groups, and projects that he wouldn’t have considered otherwise. “My participation in KHP encouraged me to pursue and foster those student-professor relationships which I’ve come to value so much.”
Overall, his time at Dordt has taught him that he doesn’t need to be powerful or influential to make a God-honoring difference in this world. He can make a difference in the lives of others by being generous, showing kindness, and being a joyful presence to others, he says.
“Dordt has definitely shaped me as a man of God,” he adds. “I care deeply about this institution, and I wouldn’t be the person I am today without it.”
About Dordt University
As an institution of higher education committed to the Reformed Christian perspective, Dordt University equips students, faculty, alumni, and the broader community to work toward Christ-centered renewal in all aspects of contemporary life. Located in Sioux Center, Iowa, Dordt is a comprehensive university named to the best college lists by U.S. News and World Report, The Wall Street Journal, Times Higher Education, Forbes.com, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review.
This summer, Dordt University will provide a number of undergraduate research opportunities. These experiences include curriculum development for a study trip to Israel, a look at anxiety in undergraduate college students, investigation of meteorological effects on air pollution transport in India, and more.
“I was not expecting to be a sound design finalist at ACTF regionals, much less win an award at the national level,” she says. “My mind is blown that professional designers actually enjoyed the music I wrote, and I am so encouraged by their recognition.”
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