Dave Bolhuis

Dave Bolhuis - Class of 1959 

2017 Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame Inductee

Service to HPS and Community

Hudsonville High School graduate and retired science teacher Dave Bolhuis has left a resounding impact on the Hudsonville Public School System and the community.

Dave’s passion for science inspired his students but was not limited to learning in a traditional classroom setting. Dave was instrumental in the development and launch of the Summer Science Program, regarded today as one of the district’s flagship programs.

For three weeks every summer, a group of students from the incoming senior class are chosen to journey out west for an immersive biology and geology field course. During those weeks, students will learn about the ecosystems and geologic formations they have been taught in school by actually visiting, climbing, and hiking those destinations. Some of their stops include the Badlands National Park, the Black Hills of South Dakota, the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone National Park, and Glacier National Park. Since his retirement, a number of science teachers have joined the program and taken groups of students on this amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience. In recent years, Dave’s son, Chris Bolhuis, a geology teacher at Hudsonville, has continued the family legacy by leading the program.

In addition to his dedication to the school district and his students, Dave’s love for the city of Hudsonville and its history has materialized into two published works: History of Hudsonville Schools the First Hundred Years and Hudsonville Schools: The Great Revolution. These works act as great resources that preserve the story of how our growing community is evolving.

In his retirement, writing books just scratches the surface of the work Dave is doing to give back. He continues to be involved with Hudsonville Public Schools through volunteer work as a board member of the Hudsonville Education Foundation and a volunteer for the Hudsonville Athletic Boosters.