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About the Boerigter Center

Hope’s Boerigter Center for Calling and Career, opened in the fall of 2018, is a college-wide initiative that seeks to inspire students to engage in lifelong practices of career development by emphasizing discernment, preparation and pursuit.

Our Background and Mission

Programming for the Boerigter Center is designed to enable all Hope students, beginning in their first semester, to understand their strengths, engage in experiences that directly connect to career preparation, discern vocational and life goals, and ascertain clear next steps toward their future.

As a part of the academic division of Hope College, the Boerigter Center is committed to creating innovative, broadly integrated programs for students and alumni. The Center was established by pulling together resources and staff from the former Career Development Center, the Academic Advising office, and the Office of Alumni and Family Engagement.

The Boerigter Center was made possible by a major gift from SoundOff Signal in honor of founder and chairman George Boerigter, who is a 1961 Hope College graduate, and his wife, Sibilla.

Recognition

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The Boerigter Center is recognized by Colleges of Distinction for excellence in career development. Colleges of Distinction bestows the recognition on programs that have a “superior ability to think ahead about how their students will succeed after they graduate.” Criteria for selection include providing integrated career exploration across a student’s entire time at college; accessible programs and training; a career-center staff; assessments to help students clarify their skills, interests and career goals; and strong employer relations that include involving and assisting alumni.

Recent Awards

2022 — PeopleGrove Innovator’s Award
2022 — National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Technology Excellence Award
2021 — American College Personnel Association (ACPA) Commission for Career Services Group Innovation Award

CENTER FOR LEADERSHIP

In January 2021, Hope College’s Center for Leadership (CFL) became a part of the Boerigter Center. Since 2006, CFL has a strong track record of preparing students for the future through the leadership minor, student consulting operations and leadership development workshops. Becoming a part of the Boerigter Center will connect CFL’s unique experiential learning programs to Hope’s core career preparation initiatives. In addition, we hope to elevate the topic of leadership to be a more prominent educational track for all students.