Yage Wang — Staff Writer

The pervasive “small but intimate community” idea of Dordt allows most students to advance their relationships with faculty on campus. However, there are also many people that students often overlook on campus. Corinne Hentges, who retires on October 10, is one of the veteran faculties at Dordt and an experienced staff member of the Engage Global Education Department.

Hentges has been working at Dordt since she graduated from Dordt in 1973. At first, she was an adjunct professor for Spanish classes. Then she started teaching the freshman English writing class, now known as the Core 120, for couple semesters.

“One time I had three sections of that freshman English class, and everybody had to write a research paper,” Hentges said. “Each class was thirty students at that time, so I had ninety research paper to grade.”

After a few years of teaching English and Spanish classes, Hentges turned into a full-time professor who also worked in the Community Based Learning program.

“There were some changes of needs on campus. And so my job was slowly shifting until I was a full-time in Global Education Office,” Hentges said. In recent years, Hentges’s job has been mostly focused on managing paper work for the international students. Before students come to America, Hentges was the initial person who connected with them and directed them to complete their applications.

During her 46 years of serving at Dordt, Hentges witnessed many reforms advancing the institution.

“Now we have the pro-tech program and some graduate studies have grown so much. So it’s been wonderful to see that growth,” Hentges said. “But the heart (of Dordt) is still the same: Working together as we grow, as God’s people. That is what Dordt means to me.”

Working in the Global Education Department offers Hentges a chance to interact with students from diverse cultural backgrounds.

“I will miss her pop into my office sometimes and ask me if I want to take a ‘coffee walk’ with her,” said Rebecca Tervo, Hentges’ coworker in the Global Education department.

Many international students also enjoyed having conversations with Hentges. Even in the middle of the Heartland break, Priscilla Pangestu, a freshman student who’s from Indonesia, went to visit Hentges in her office. “I just came in and talked with her. That’s all, nothing serious.”

“For the near future, we don’t have big plans to go somewhere or to do things. But sort of in every day, I hope I can have more time to be with friends and families, like my grandkids,” Hentges said. “For example, I want to do some cooking and maybe golf a little even I golf badly.”