Mark De Jong didn’t just attend Central College, graduating in 1981 — he grew up in its shadow, literally living across the street from campus as a toddler in a house that sat where a Scholte parking lot now spreads.
That deep connection to Central, forged over decades of watching the campus evolve from his childhood home to his college years, inspired De Jong to establish the Arthur and Joyce De Jong Endowed Scholarship — a gift that honors his parents while supporting students who balance academics with extracurricular passions.
A Central Childhood
De Jong’s parents moved to Pella when he was 18 months old, settling into temporary housing Central provided for incoming families. His father, Arthur De Jong, a 1956 graduate, joined the college as chaplain and professor of philosophy and religion, eventually founding the counseling center and serving until 1978 as assistant to the president for Ken Weller, Central’s president at the time. Watching his father making a difference in the lives of students created a legacy that De Jong continues in his adulthood.
“My parents took us five kids to things at Central,” De Jong remembers. “We went to concerts, plays and football games. Going to Central for four years was like the culmination of all those years of growing up around the campus.”
That familiarity made his transition to college life seamless. Even when his family relocated to Ohio after his freshman year — his father became president of Muskingum College — De Jong remained at Central, honoring his father’s promise that he could finish his degree at Central.
Building a Foundation
As a systems management major, De Jong embodied the interdisciplinary approach his scholarship now celebrates. He tackled business courses alongside math theory classes taught by Don Meyer, Class of 1957 Central graduate, who served as his professor, advisor and his father’s best friend.
The diverse coursework — spanning business, mathematics and computer science — provided the foundation for a 30-year career in information technology at companies like Coca-Cola, Deloitte Consulting and Home Depot.
“One of the things my Central education did was give me exposure to all those areas — marketing, production and accounting,” he explains. “I had a leg up in terms of background for what those functions did for a business.”
Music and Balance
While pursuing his technical major, De Jong marched with the band, playing trombone and living in the Theta Kappa Alpha fraternity house. It was this balance between academic rigor and extracurricular engagement that his mother, Joyce, particularly valued in students.
“My mother always admired students who balanced extracurricular activities with their studies,” De Jong says. “She might point out someone on campus and say, ‘That’s so and so — they’re really good at math, but they’re also a good basketball player.’”
That observation became the scholarship’s only stipulation: recipients must participate in extracurricular activities outside their major, encouraging the same well-rounded experience that shaped De Jong’s own success. By engaging across multiple academic disciplines and extracurricular pursuits, students create ripples of positive impact that extend far beyond campus and prepare them for their adult lives.
A Living Legacy
Four decades after graduation, De Jong still maintains connections forged in Pella. But it’s the ongoing impact of his scholarship that brings him the greatest satisfaction.
“The honor of that scholarship is rejuvenated every year that it’s awarded,” he reflects. “It’s not just about the money being given once. It’s awarded every year, and that honor continues.”
De Jong’s gift represents more than financial support — it’s a testament to how Central shapes lives across generations. His parents spent 18 years building careers and raising a family on Central’s campus. Their son spent four years finding his academic path there. Now, through the scholarship bearing their names, their influence continues with each new recipient.
“It’s up to the kids who receive the scholarship to do a world of good,” De Jong says. “I’ve done what I can for them. They’ve got to take it and run with it from there.”
In a world where higher education costs continue rising, De Jong’s endowed scholarship offers something invaluable: the freedom for students to pursue both academic excellence and personal growth through activities that enrich their college experience and help equip them to do a world of good, just like his father and he have done.
It’s an endowment that keeps on giving — honoring the past while investing in Central’s future.
For more information about supporting Central and endowed gifts, visit central.edu/give or 641-628-5154.
