��͹��Ƶ

Since he was young, Bryce Enger knew he wanted to be a teacher. By the end of his senior year at Sioux Falls Christian School in Sioux Falls, he was sure he wanted to focus on teaching mathematics and physics. When it came time to decide where he should go to college, he looked at Dordt.

“��͹��Ƶhas strong education and STEM programs, both of which I wanted to study and get degrees in,” he says. “When I first met faculty from these programs while on a campus visit, I knew that ��͹��Ƶhad something special about it. I also knew I wanted to continue to receive a Christian education that was grounded in and focused on the word of God, both inside and outside the classroom.”

Outside the classroom, Enger was involved in choir and in the Education Club. Most ��͹��Ƶstudents might know Enger from his work with Student Government.

“Being in Student Government sounded like a cool opportunity for a resumé builder, to learn more about the inner workings of Dordt, and to have a voice to make positive change for Dordt’s campus,” he says.

Enger was a senator during his freshman and sophomore year. He enjoyed being able to learn more about campus and to voice concerns about things that were important to him and his friends.

“During my sophomore year, as an education senator, the Student Government president encouraged me to run for Vice President, which would turn into President during my senior year,” he says. “I’ve been grateful for the opportunity to work closely with administration, specifically Robert Taylor. It’s been great to grow my leadership skills and participate in important moments with the ��͹��Ƶcommunity.”

As a ��͹��Ƶeducation major, Enger developed solid relationships both with his professors and with his fellow education majors.

“My professors value me as an individual as they work with me and encourage me to continue to pursue and grow in my capacity as an educator,” he says. “I have also made some lifelong friends in the program and am so thankful for the community of support that I have in my peers and professors.”

Being an education major is about more than “sitting in a classroom learning how to teach, and I’ve gotten to experience what it means to be a teacher through the many field experiences I’ve had in the program, equipping me to be the best teacher I can be,” adds Enger.

One such experience was spending the final semester of his senior year student teaching in Denver. He was placed in a charter school, which has provided him with a different perspective on the education system in the United States “that isn’t just the public or private education system.”

“I have had a great experience with my mentor teacher, who has been supportive and helped me grow my teaching abilities,” he says. “Also, living in a big city is something that has helped me grow. It’s a different feeling, and I have gained so much independence through the experience.”

He loved Denver so much that he accepted a position teaching creative engineering to middle schoolers at the charter school where he student taught.

“I enjoy working with middle schoolers; it’s a fun age, and they have so much energy. I enjoy working with them and challenging them to channel their energy into class work and problem solving.”

What, exactly, is creative engineering?

“It’s basically an introductory engineering class for middle school students,” explains Enger. “I’m most excited to be able to create a space where students can explore creative design and problem solve. It's a class that pushes students to think outside the box and create something that solves a problem. It’ll be great to see what students can create and think up.”

Enger is glad he chose ��͹��Ƶto be home for the past four years, “because it truly has felt like home.”

“I’ve experienced the community that everyone talks about: I’ve made so many friends that I cannot wait to walk through life with, and I know my professors will always be there when I need them. ��͹��Ƶalso gave me a solid biblical foundation for my life, which isn’t something that can be seen in broader culture.”

Enger says that his experience at ��͹��Ƶhas also “given me the confidence in Christ and his calling on my life” and that he has also been equipped “with the tools and skills to follow that calling so that I can continue to serve Christ’s kingdom for years to come.”