In his deep radio voice, Bruce Larson recites the once-standard station break of KWLC: “You’re in tune to the radio voice of Luther College, KWLC, Decorah.” Larson, who is on staff as the station engineer but was a KWLC DJ in the late 1960s, recalls: “The very first time I was on the air, they put me in a studio, and the only thing I did was give a station break. I was armed with this phrase—it was written down on a piece of paper—and Dan Olson ’67, the DJ, gave his back-announce to whatever record he was playing. Then he pointed at me, the light came on, and I had a lump in my throat while I delivered that line. That was the beginning. And by the end of my freshman year, I was combo-ing” (engineering and broadcasting at the same time).

Larson describes a scene straight from radio’s golden days. But while the technology, programming, and promotional aspects of the station have evolved in the past few decades, the effect of KWLC on the students who work for and listen to it remains just as powerful.

Radio reach

On good days, KWLC general manager David Grouws says, the station’s signal reaches almost to La Crosse, Wis. KWLC operates on the AM band but also streams its programming, which means that people can listen worldwide. In addition to its original shows, KWLC streams chapel and Sunday morning services and select live campus sporting events, which are board-operated by work-study students hired for the task.

Grouws became KWLC station manager in November 2014, and his goal is to teach students—14 of whom work in paid roles and 50–60 of whom are volunteer DJs—to become not only creators but also promoters. “The station is an outlet for creativity—the students produce a beautiful thing, so they learn to be craftsmen and journalists,” he says. “But I really want to move to a model of teaching them to be independent producers, where they create a beautiful show and promote and sell it as you would in any media or entertainment industry. I want them to make a product that they can take with them and market.”

Music curators

According to Grouws, the traditional college station tries to bring in genres of music that aren’t amenable to commercial radio. “We try to capture a diversity of tastes,” he says, citing a show on Scandinavian rock, another on video-game music, and a third astonishingly specific show featuring German rap.

Grouws recognizes that in a digital age, when people can stream music for free and queue up podcasts on demand, radio is becoming a rarefied medium, but he thinks KWLC offers something valuable: “We bring an editorial intelligence. We’re curators. We can help find music our audience doesn’t even know they like. Students spend a lot of time selecting music, but their shows are only an hour each week, so what they choose to play matters to them.”

What’s more, Grouws says, KWLC students “coach listeners. They’ll say, ‘Listen to this part’ or they’ll point out connections between songs. So you have a knowledgeable companion.” In an age when listening options—good and bad—are near limitless, it saves a lot of time and money to have a curator willing to sift through the chaff to find the wheat. Having one that can educate you into the bargain? Priceless.

Talk radio

Sophomores Colin Landsteiner and Daniel Melaas-Swanson have one of KWLC’s few talk sports shows. And although their show is strictly volunteer, they do a lot of footwork for it. They cover Luther, collegiate, and national sports, and they court expert opinion. On their program, they’ve hosted columnists from USA Today, the Washington Post, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Denver Post, and the Charleston Post and Courier. For their pre–Super Bowl coverage between the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos, they even pulled off a phone interview with Denver Bronco safety David Bruton. Of course, they also interview hometown athletes, like Luther basketball player Anna Madrigal ’17 and soccer player Melisse Chasse ’17.

Although Landsteiner’s love of sports knows no bounds, he appreciates the eclectic KWLC lineup. “When I first got here, there were shows in four or five music genres, but the station seems more diverse now in terms of programming.”

In fact, one initiative on Grouws’s agenda is to increase the amount of news and talk programming at the station. “We’re trying to create a public affairs presence with more news journalism, more sports journalism, and more talk radio. And we’re starting to experiment with new narrative forms of journalism.”

KWLC’s spring on-air schedule features several news shows, including This Week at KWLC, a music-discussion show that explores the music industry, from trends, tours, and new videos to more philosophic discussions, like musicians’ rights, for example in the Spotify–Taylor Swift dustup, in which the singer pulled her music from the low-royalty music-streaming site. 

Grouws is also initiating a top-of-the-hour news segment that recaps both local and international news. The goal is to expand it into an hour-long current events program.

In what promises to be a win-win situation, Luther added a journalism minor last fall, and one requirement of the minor is to work on news at either KWLC or Chips for two semesters. The station has amped up its technical resources in anticipation of the journalism students, upgrading to the newest Adobe Audition software and adding a sound station where students can mix in sounds from field recordings.

Radio teaches

Sylvester Mhlanga ’16 might have the most diverse musical tastes of anyone on campus. A management major from Swaziland, his favorite musician is country singer Don Williams. Other list-toppers include new age Enya, Irish rockers U2, singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt, and reggae. Mhlanga hosts both a reggae show and a world music show, and he’s also the station’s music journalism editor. He puts out a print and digital monthly newsletter, which means overseeing a stable of writers and learning a thing or two about email marketing.

Mhlanga, who volunteered as a DJ until last summer, when he became a paid student-worker, says, “In Swaziland, where I grew up, radio DJs are like celebrities. So when I got a chance to work in radio, it was a big deal to me.”

He continues, “It was a challenge when I started. I was never someone who looks for the opportunity to speak in public. When you broadcast at the station, there are only one or two people, but it feels like a lot of people are watching you.”

Mhlanga used to work for Luther’s custodial department, and after he delivered this spring’s Convocation address as president of the International Student Union, his former supervisor shared how surprised and impressed she was to see him at the podium, given how quiet he’d been before. “I’ve come a long way from being someone who minds their own business to public speaking,” he admits.

Many of the KWLC students have a similar ease about them. They’re comfortable in their skin. They’re confident. They don’t say “um” or “like.” They don’t hem or haw or use other stalling techniques when asked a question.

“Working at KWLC has honed my skills of how to think on the fly or play off mistakes,” says Marlene Jones, rock music director.

“I’ve always been a good extemporaneous speaker, but now I think on my feet very quickly,” agrees Emma Cassabaum ’16, KWLC’s co-station manager and news director.

Both Jones and Cassabaum manage and train other students—as station director, Cassabaum manages and trains upward of 60 of them—and their positions obviously engage their managerial, leadership, scheduling, and organizational skill sets.

But with great responsibility comes great perks, and, owing to a combination of canny timing and media savvy, Cassabaum has gotten to interview such greats as famed Iranian graphic novelist Marjane Satrapi and South African musical icon and freedom fighter Hugh Masekela.

Another perk? “I get to watch our DJs evolve from their audition to the end of year,” she says. “They completely blossom.”

On the sound side, Erin Bradley works as KWLC’s recording technician, recording Luther ensembles and visiting musicians who come to the studio. As part of its promotional efforts, the station has started putting out an annual CD featuring these recordings. Bradley recruits the bands, sets up a time to record, records, edits the recordings, sends out the tracks for burning to CD, and designs the CD. “Organization is key,” she says. “I was not an organized person coming into this job, and you’d be surprised how quickly that turned around.”

The position has also taught Bradley some people skills. “There is a stereotype about musicians being moody, and that doesn’t change even in the recording studio of a college campus,” she says dryly. “So I’ve been learning to work with different personality types and different expectations—and also a wide variety of sounds.”

Bradley plans to work as a technician in the D.C. area next year while she considers entering an audio technician master’s program. “Radio is a dying art, and it shouldn’t be,” she says. “There’s so much you can get out of it, from learning to manage your time and organize your thoughts quickly to diving into new music, especially, when it comes to Luther, into music you may not get in the major.”

Radio surfaces

KWLC occupies the sub-basement level of Dahl Centennial Union, and most KWLC students agree that a top priority is making the station more visible on campus—“bringing it out of the basement” is a phrase they regularly deploy. To that end, they’ve increased promotion both on campus and social media, and they’ve started staging wildly popular outdoor music events each semester.

Jones explains, “We’ve put on more events over the past couple of years, and we’re tying to come to the surface with more promotional things. A lot of people at Luther don’t know about KWLC, but there are so many doors it can open. It’s different from any other club because there is no strict formula—you can do what you want with it. That creative freedom has been so rewarding.”

Some of the most powerful recent changes at KWLC have nothing to do with its content, but rather with its appearance, from a new digital billboard that hangs outside the station offices to a new coat of paint on the office walls. Bradley says, “It’s not only a physical renewing—it’s also renewing the spirit of the radio station. It’s not just forgotten in the basement. From the events we throw outside, to the promotions, to the digital billboard with the face of the DJ who’s currently hosting on it—it’s a cool opportunity that was hidden before, and we’re turning it into something inviting.”

If you had $5,000 to design a learning experience for yourself anywhere in the world, what would you do?

This is the question posed to the 10 students that Luther selects as Imagine Fellows each year. The Imagine Fellowship comes with few restrictions, giving students great latitude to envision what kind of experience will have the most impact for them, the biggest caveat being that the experience has to happen off-campus. Terry Sparkes, associate dean, says, “It offers the opportunity to explore beyond the confines of courses or campus, to engage in something meaningful that helps them just a little further—or a lot further!—down the road of discovering how to match their gifts and skills with a sense of direction.”

While the fellowships are merit-based, they offer an opportunity to students who might not otherwise be able to study abroad. JD Davis ’15, who used his fellowship to study Norway’s prisons, says, “At all the college fairs, they talked about the great study-abroad opportunities that Luther has, but I knew that financially that was something I would never be able to do, so when I learned about the Imagine Fellowship, I knew it could be my one opportunity to get out of the country and discover a new culture and a new place.”

In some cases, the fellowship is a factor in college selection. Karin Hecht ’16 says, “I don’t want to overemphasize it, but the Imagine Fellowship was one of the big reasons I decided to come to Luther. Nowhere else would have given me an opportunity to design my own experience, especially one that would take me abroad.”

"Imagine Fellowships are unique to Luther College in the creativity, freedom, and entrepreneurialism they encourage in students' pursuit of learning. Fellowships are funded by donors who are enthused by the vibrant vision of the fellows."

—Ann Sponberg Peterson, director of development, principal gifts

The fellows profiled here used their funds to volunteer, test career goals, grow their craft, explore their spirituality, and deepen their sense of social justice. They had to learn to navigate and make decisions. They had to be flexible and open-minded to adapt to new situations. They had to think creatively when things didn’t always go according to plan. But that’s what the fellows valued most about their experiences. Cole Puffer ’15 says, “I grew in some intangible and inexplicable ways, and that was a very important part of this fellowship for me.”

Davis says, “My Imagine Fellowship really challenged the way I thought about the world. I like to think in black and white—that there’s the right and the wrong and the good and the bad—but this was a great opportunity for me to realize that there’s a lot of gray out there.”

Shayla De Jong ’16, who explored the pipe organ tradition in Europe and plans to study the instrument in graduate school next fall, says, “I like to think of my Imagine Fellowship as an experience that stems off in many directions in my life. It connects my past to my present to my future, to where I’m going next.”

To explore giving opportunities at Luther, visitluther.edu/giving.

Discovering the cradle of organ music

Shayla De Jong ’16, a music major and German minor, spent her fellowship in Germany and The Netherlands researching the North German organ tradition, which holds tremendous influence over organ culture. She focused on the instruments of Arp Schnitger, a prolific craftsman who built more than 160 organs. She met with a number of professional organists, saw dozens of organ performances, took an organ master class, and was even able to play a few European organs. De Jong has been accepted into three pipe organ master’s programs; she will start one next fall.

A hotbed of organists in Iowa

De Jong grew up outside of New Sharon, Iowa, a town of about 1,300 that remarkably boasted several pipe organists. She started learning the instrument in high school, and by the time she got to college, she was interested in connecting with the wider world of organ music. “I knew my own story, but it was very serendipitous,” she says. “But Europe is where it all began, and so many students in the educational system there are flourishing under famous organists.”

So De Jong planned an Imagine Fellowship that would take her to the cradle of organ culture in North Germany and The Netherlands. She leveraged her time abroad to study for a month at the Goethe Institute in Dresden and fulfill the language requirement for a German minor. “It goes hand in hand with everything you should know as an organist,” she says. “German and French are the languages we’re supposed to study.”

The organ as teacher

One of the pinnacles of De Jong’s trip was the time she spent at the St. Jacobi church in the heart of Hamburg, home to Schnitger’s most famous organ. Not only did she get to help tune the instrument, but she was also able to play it.

Of the experience, she says: “It was a little daunting, but it was also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And it was absolutely sublime. Something I’ve learned at Luther in my lessons with Dr. Gregory Peterson ’83 is that the organ teaches you just as much as a teacher will. You can sit down and feel what sounds good and what doesn’t based on the acoustical space and the keyboard and pedalboard. European instruments are different from American instruments, and because they’re older, there are certain things you can’t play
on them.”

Class with a master

De Jong also took a master class in Amsterdam with renowned organist Jacques van Oortmerssen, from whom she learned more about the symbolism in Bach’s music and how an instrument’s touch can inform a player’s expressiveness, as well as how to be expressive without injuring yourself (there are many competing tensions in the body while a person plays). As De Jong says, “The organ is an intense instrument!”

Researching the intersection of technology and humanness

Growing up the son of two physicians near Rochester, Minn., Cole Puffer ’15 developed an early interest in science and medicine. He spent his Imagine Fellowship engaged in a comparative-data study conducted between clinicians at Mayo Clinic in Rochester and Akershus University Hospital in Norway. The study investigated the effectiveness of a filter that fits into the interior vena cava, which carries blood to the heart, and reportedly helps prevent pulmonary embolisms in trauma patients.

What it means to be human

Puffer started at Luther with a strong affinity for neuroscience but quickly gained an appreciation for the study of the mind through less scientific means. “I have a deep interest in what it means to be human,” he says. “My first year of classes at Luther ignited that sense of wonder, in particular Paideia and my first-year J-term, Big Questions.”

By the time he had to plan his Imagine Fellowship, Puffer was more interested in the philosophical, rather than medical, side of neuroscience and humanness. “I was attacking that interest from a different angle,” he says. “What I wanted to learn more about through my fellowship was the research process and how it was done in a hospital setting.”

What it means to be a doctor

Through his fellowship, Cole worked with physicians at Mayo Clinic to design the study and its databases, as well as an unbiased method of collecting data at the participating institutions. Then he went to the Akershus University Hospital for two months, where he spent two or three days a week doing data collection and the other days shadowing Norwegian doctors in different parts of the hospital. “I had no clue I’d be able to do that,” he says, “but it ended up being an incredible experience.”

One day, Puffer was shadowing a cardiologist while he monitored a patient who’d undergone minor surgery. The doctor was using an ultrasound machine on the patient’s lower leg but then set it down abruptly, frustration clouding his face. After the consultation, Puffer says, “He looked at me and said something profound: ‘We started using these machines, and we forgot how to be doctors.’”

What it means to be both

“That moment really influenced me,” Puffer says, noting that it sparked a new interest in combating the negative role that technology sometimes plays in doctors’ offices. “For example, because of the requirement of electronic medical records, doctors are spending more time typing and less time talking to patients, which has resulted in less satisfaction in both doctors and patients, and I think it’s responsible for higher rates of physician burnout.” But he recognizes that electronic health records will play an increasingly important role in the years to come, and he’s been helping an oral surgery office convert its records from paper to electronic while he waits to start medical school at the University of Minnesota–Duluth in August.

“In my future career,” he says, “I really want to strive—partially as a direct result of going on this fellowship experience—to have a human touch in my practice and my relationship with my patients. They’re coming in in a vulnerable state—they’re going to the doctor because something is wrong—and the more you can greet that with both techonology and a sense of humanity, the more it helps them feel confident in themselves and their treatment, which leaves both parties better off.”

Solving for y with the help of a pilgrimage

Erika Storvick’s fellowship was an exploration of spirituality. Now a senior, she entered Luther as a math major, but “took a couple of religion classes and fell in love,” she says. For the first portion of her fellowship, she walked the French part of El Camino de Santiago, a famous pilgrimage. She followed this experience with two weeks at Plum Village, a Buddhist monastery near Bordeaux. She ended her fellowship with a week at Taizé, a Christian monastery in Burgundy.

From solving for y to engaging her faith

Storvick loved math in high school and considered majoring in it at college, but religion classes at Luther taught her to look deeper, which encouraged her to double major in religion. “There’s something different between attending church services and engaging your faith in an academic setting. Luther’s Religion Department taught me to question and look deeper and challenge assumptions people make about religion,” she says.

Storvick’s fellowship proposal combined a lot of the interests she’d developed through Luther’s religion program. “I wanted to learn what a pilgrimage was and how a spiritual journey can bring people together,” she says. “At Plum Village, I got the chance to engage with what I’d learned in my classes on Buddhism.” She was able to test what she’d learned in her classes on interfaith dialogue there and at Taizé, which, the week Storvick was there, hosted a gathering in honor of one of its founders that included world leaders from the European Union, the United Nations, and other organizations.

You can’t walk a pilgrimage backward

“My original plan was to walk El Camino backward, but that kind of goes against the spirit of the pilgrimage,” Storvick says, “because part of its purpose is to meet people and travel together. To be a part of the community, you have to do it forward.”

Storvick learned a lot about the power of community during her pilgrimage. “I appreciated meeting so many different people on the journey,” she says. “Every night in each hostel or gîte, we had a chance to share why we were doing the pilgrimage, and a powerful realization for me was that even if we didn’t speak the same language, we interacted in a meaningful way. I learned a lot about the importance of community and how so much can be learned from someone you don’t necessarily identify with.”

Being present in the moment

During her Imagine experience, Storvick went from a Christanity-centered pilgrimage to a Buddhist monastery, from walking up to 30 kilometers a day to sitting still and meditating four hours a day. She reflects, “The monastery was all about mindfulness and being present in the moment, but that was an attitude also prevalent in the pilgrimage. Sometimes you’re just thinking, I have to get up this hill.”

Researching incarceration and personal reformation

After developing an intense interest in the U.S. prison system, JD Davis ’15, a social work major, used his fellowship to travel to Norway, visiting a wide range of prisons, from Norway’s most secure facilities to halfway houses that are integrated into the community. He interviewed inmates, correctional officers, prison chaplains, researchers, and a community group that helps released convicts reintegrate. Davis is currently serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA member in the Twin Cities, helping released convicts successfully reenter society, and he was recently accepted into law school at the University of Minnesota.

“It lit a fire in me”

Although he grew up in Lino Lakes, Minn., home to a 1,300-man correctional facility, Davis’s interest in the U.S. prison system was sparked his first year at Luther, when Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow, came to campus to talk about how the sorts of restrictions that were in place during the Jim Crow era are essentially being re-created in the U.S. prison system. “I was blown away by all that was happening,” Davis says, “and it lit a fire in me for learning more.”

Davis took every opportunity to research the prison system: “I was able to incorporate that interest into my classes each semester and find ways to write papers on prisons and penal philosophy. Also, Britt (Hellgren) Rhodes ’96 always takes her Social Work 101 class to the correctional facility in Prairie du Chien, Wis., and I went with that group almost every semester. I helped drive students there and back.”

Norwegian prison tour

In June of 2014, Davis used his Imagine Fellowship to travel to Oslo to spend a month in Norway touring prisons and conducting interviews. “It was my first time being out of the country, so that alone was an amazing experience,” he says. But what made an equally big impression on Davis was the Norwegian philosophy of incarceration.

“Inmates in Norway are not treated differently from any other citizens, they’re just removed from society for a time,” he says. “The way I like to think about it is that in Norway, incarceration is just a time out. You still have access to everything you always had outside of prisons; you just need time to go to a different place and receive services to reform yourself so that your crime doesn’t happen again. Norwegian inmates don’t even wear special uniforms; they wear street clothes in prison. That alone says a lot about what they’re doing over there.”

Rejecting the status quo

Davis’s current position on the Goodwill–Easter Seals Minnesota’s ReEntry Team leaves him working with what many would call a broken system, but he remains resolute: “This is definitely my thing. I’m still very passionate about it. And the Imagine Fellowship really helped me solidify this passion, and it also continues to inspire me, because by going to Norway, I was able to see that things can be different within prison systems. The status quo isn’t the only way. So I want to continue to work with our prisons and try to create real change here.”

Empowering communities through long-term volunteering

Karin Hecht ’16, a psychology and English double major, spent her fellowship working with the Los Martincitos Senior Citizen Center in a shantytown in Lima, Peru. Participants in the program often live in harsh conditions with little support. The center provides two meals a day, social activities, basic medical care, a literacy school, and home wellness visits.

Using her fellowship to volunteer

“One stereotype about psych majors is that they like to help people,” Hecht says, “and that’s definitely why the major appealed to me.” It’s also why Hecht structured her Imagine Fellowship around volunteering. She’d visited her older brother when he was working with the Peace Corps in Peru, and she decided to volunteer in that country with Cross-Cultural Solutions (CCS), a nonprofit organization that Hecht says models some of the same values.

Through CCS, Hecht ended up working last January with Los Martincitos, which serves about a hundred abuelitos, as the elderly participants are called. On days when the center was closed, Hecht accompanied the program director on home visits, checking in on people who couldn’t make it to the center and inviting new people to join.

The problems that the abuelitos faced, such as poverty, isolation, and lack of access to medical care, exist in the U.S. but are amplified in Peru, Hecht says. She witnessed some heart-wrenching situations, such as a woman who’d broken her ankle and would have been bedridden for life were it not for the simple medical intervention of the center, which provided pain medicine and monitored healing.

Helping in ways that have an impact

Hecht is glad that her fellowship was an emotionally difficult experience: “It was good that it pushed me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to consider this other facet of poverty in developing nations.” 

She continues: “One of the fears I had going in was that sometimes these short-term volunteer experiences are not helpful. People show up for a week, make friends with the kids, leave a week later, and think they saved the world. I tried to pick a program that would minimize that. The programs I was working with didn’t rely solely on the people coming in. They had full-time staff members, and we’d come in to help them for as long as we could.”

Hecht cares about making sure that her efforts have an impact. “So many people from first-world countries like to throw money and resources at developing nations,” she says, “and though that can help, sometimes it can end up hurting because you don’t have a good concept of what the people actually need or want or what impacts the politics of that country will have on your help. You need the ability to work within the system, which means asking the people who actually live there what they need and want.”

2000–2009 / 2010–2016

2000

Erin (Meyer) Bockoven-Troll of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is an intermediate accountant for Transamerica Life Insurance.
Norah Bringer and Dave Wake live in Washington, D.C. She is an appellate attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice. He is an attorney adviser at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Tyler Christiansen earned a doctor of ministry degree from Garret Seminary. He is executive pastor at Riverchase United Methodist Church in Hoover, Ala.

John Smedstad earned a master of music degree in choral conducting from Oklahoma State University. He is upper school choral director at St. Paul’s Independent Day School in Lutherville, Md.

Karen (Knutson) Wain is assistant professor at Geisinger Autism and Developmental Medicine Institute in Lewisburg, Pa.
Richard Winkels of Red Wing, Minn., relinquished command of the 1st Armored Division Band in March. He is spending nine months in the Middle East, where he will serve as the theater music liaison officer for Forward U.S. Army Central and Coalition Forces Land Component Command. After his deployment, he will become deputy commander for the U.S. Military Academy Band in West Point, N.Y.

2001

Dan Bellrichard of Decorah is Grass Run Farms brand manager for Jack Link’s Protein Snacks.

Katie Marske is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Matt Mills is an IT program manager for USAID in Arlington, Va.

Heather (Ciernia) Nelson is choral director at Christ the King Lutheran Church in New Brighton, Minn., and vocal director for the Mounds View Community Theatre.

2002

Tucker Hansen is abstractor for Lake County Abstract in Madison, S.D.

Jenn (Smith) and Peter Hoesing ’03 live in Sioux Falls, S.D. She earned a master’s degree in arts administration at Florida State University and is executive director of Stockyards Ag Experience. He is visiting assistant professor of ethnomusicology at Grinnell College and recently received the 2016 United Methodist Church Board of Higher Education and Ministry Exemplary Teacher Award, as well as the 2015–16 UNCF Henry C. McBay Research Fellowship.

Arijit Mazumdar of Roseville, Minn., is associate professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of St. Thomas.

Peter Oyloe of Chicago is an actor, singer, and songwriter. He recently released an EP of original material, When the Wide World Roars.

Erica (Dencer) Weisgram of Plover, Wis., was invited to the White House to participate in the Conference on Helping Children Explore, Learn, and Dream without Limits: Breaking Down Gender Stereotypes in Media and Toys.

Jane (McDermott) and Kenny Wheeler II ’00 live in Bettendorf, Iowa. She teaches physical education and is the girls’ track and cross country coach at Pleasant Valley Community High School. Her cross country team earned state runner-up in 2015. He is an academic adviser at Western Illinois University and co–head coach, with Jane, of Pleasant Valley Community High School girls’ track and field. Their track team earned state runner-up in 2016.

2003

Julie Bauch is a nursing supervisor for Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.

Peter Hoyem of Stillwater, Minn., completed the fall 2015 New York Marathon with a time of 2:44:46. He placed 164 out of 29,999 male entrants, 182 out of 50,000 entrants overall.

Ryan Kling-Punt is community outreach manager for Rochester (Minn.) Area Habitat for Humanity.

Andrew Nelson is pastor for the children, youth, and family ministry at St. Mark Lutheran Church in Sioux City, Iowa, and serves as president of the Mary J. Treglia House Board of Directors.

Katie (Hendrickson) Thompson teaches middle school math at Ave Maria Catholic School in Parker, Colo.

Arvid von Taube is an associate attorney with Ropes and Gray LLP in Boston. He was elected chairman of the Wellesley Historical Commission, which is in charge of preserving the architectural, political, and social history of Wellesley, Mass.

2004

Bradley Carlton is business manager for School Management Services in Austin, Minn.

Sara (Johnson) D’Abreo is an attorney for the Law Office of Sara D’Abreo PLLC in Lewisville, Texas.

Janelle (Feine) and Charlie Dahl ’03 are traveling the country in a fifth-wheel camper. She works as a travel nurse, and he cares for their children.

Ben Druffel earned a doctorate from Rutgers University and is assistant director of bands for Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.

Sarah (Braun) Ekenberg is public relations manager at Proto Labs in Maple Plain, Minn.

Amy Frye is owner and operator of Boldly Grown Farm in Skagit Valley, Wash.

Jerry Koering is an owner of Group Benefit Partners in Fort Madison, Iowa, and recently became co-owner of Midwest Group Benefits in Decorah.

Katie Konrath is an inbound marketing and sales strategist at Media Junction in St. Paul, Minn.

Ryan Luhrs is assistant professor of music and director of choral activities at Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, N.C.

Leann McDowell earned a doctor of pharmacy degree from the University of California–San Francisco and received the Bowl of Hygeia Award, which is the highest honor given to a graduating student in the School of Pharmacy at UCSF. She was also awarded the Best Student Pharmacist Poster Award at the AMCP Managed Care and Specialty Pharmacy annual meeting. Leann is a PGY-1 pharmacy resident for HealthPartners in Bloomington, Minn.

Karen (Elliot) Thompson of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was the recipient of the 2015 University of Iowa D.C. Spriestersbach Dissertation Award in Biological and Life Sciences.

Bergen (Papka) and Jake Torgerson ’05 live in St. Paul, Minn. She is a communications consultant at HealthEast Care System. He is director of real estate portfolio at Target Corporation.

Zach Wigle was named the 2016 Iowa Secondary Principal of the Year by the School Administrators of Iowa. Zach was principal of Keokuk High School last year and was recently named activities director for the Solon Community School District for 2016–17.

2005

Laura Chaney is director of international student and scholar services at the University of San Francisco.

Anna Cigrand earned a master of health administration degree from Saint Louis University. She is administrative fellow at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.

Ashley (Reiman) Doddridge teaches seventh-grade language arts and coaches girls’ cross country in the Collier County School District in Naples, Fla.

Shannon (Johnson) Gravelle earned a doctor of musical arts degree in choral conducting from the University of Iowa. She is director of choral activities at Meredith College in Raleigh, N.C.

Kate Ingber is a certified professional with the Society for Human Resource Management and is a talent acquisition partner for Starkey Hearing Technologies in Eden Prairie, Minn.

Jason Ketelsen earned a juris doctor degree, magna cum laude, from the Villanova University School of Law. He is an associate for DrinkerBiddle’s Litigation Practice Group in Philadelphia.

Lindsey Koele-Schmidt is a neonatologist at Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa.

Lauren Mayfield is senior associate relations specialist for Edward Jones in Tempe, Ariz.

Erik Olson is principal at Hamline Elementary School in Chicago.

Brad Paulsrud of Hutchinson, Kan., is director of USA product sales for Les Mills.

Susie Pettinger of Burnsville, Minn., earned a bachelor of arts degree in elementary education from Upper Iowa University.

Melissa (Garbrecht) and Justin Pieper ’04 live in Fort Madison, Iowa. She is a homemaker. He is an owner of Group Benefit Partners in Fort Madison, Iowa, and recently became co-owner of Midwest Group Benefits in Decorah.

Aaron Richards is producer relations project manager at Cigna Behavioral Health in Eden Prairie, Minn.

Jen Stoa is a registered nurse at Saint Luke’s East Hospital in Lee’s Summit, Mo.

2006

Erik Bies earned a physical therapy doctorate from the University of Washington. He is a doctor of physical therapy at Movement Systems Physical Therapy in Seattle.

Tara (Huinker) Brown of Murrieta, Calif., is a stay-at-home mom.

Heather Carlson earned a master’s degree in differentiated instruction from Concordia College. She teaches seventh-grade special education for the Waconia (Minn.) School District.

Laura Chapin earned a Ph.D. in oncological sciences from the University of Utah. She is a research assistant at Covenant Clinic in Waterloo, Iowa.

Sonja Chi is sales operations specialist at Proto Labs Inc. in Maple Plain, Minn.

Lyn Curry is choir director at Regis Middle School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Abbey Dibble is procurement coordinator and liaison to the Holden Mine Remediation Project for Holden Village in Chelan, Wash.

Anna (Sill) Engelhart is a clinical development specialist at Fairview Southdale Hospital in Edina, Minn.

Laura Fristad is a speech language pathologist for the Anoka-Hennepin School District in Coon Rapids, Minn.

Kristi (Millmann) Garcia earned a bachelor of science degree in nursing from St. Catherine University. She is a registered nurse at Summit Orthopedics in St. Paul, Minn.

Jill (Knutson) Gierok of Prior Lake, Minn., is a registered nurse in peri-operative services at University Hospital of Minneapolis Fairview.

Eric Hahn teaches social studies and is athletic director at Pinnacle High School in Thornton, Colo.

Kathryn Hobson is assistant professor of communication studies at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va. She received the honor of top dissertation from the National Communication Association GLBTQ Division.

Andy Hoegh earned a Ph.D. in statistics from Virginia Tech. He is assistant professor of statistics at Montana State University in Bozeman, Mont.

Kara (Kulzer) Jordahl is a mental health therapist for Lifeworks Inc. in Des Moines, Iowa.

Sheil Kee earned a Ph.D. in biophysics from Johns Hopkins University and a postdoctoral degree in chemical engineering from Stanford University. She is a scientist with Theranos Inc. in Palo Alto, Calif.

Nick Kelley is assistant public health administrator for the city of Bloomington, Minn.

Rachel Kibler is a software test analyst for Zions Bancorporation in Salt Lake City.

Bethany (Peterson) Kracl earned a master’s degree in school counseling from the University of Nebraska–Omaha. She is a school counselor for the Omaha (Neb.) Public Schools.

Rachel (Swenson) Miller is a quality improvement specialist with Gundersen Health System Inc. in La Crosse, Wis.

Al Onkka earned a master’s degree in evaluation studies from the University of Minnesota. He is a senior consultant at Aurora Consulting in Minneapolis.

Lynnea Pfohl earned a master’s degree in environmental law and policy from Vermont Law School. She is a policy program organizer for the Land Stewardship Project in Lewiston, Minn., until the conclusion of the Frac Sand Ban Campaign in Winona County.

Nicole (Bontrager) Rediger is a registered nurse of pediatric intensive care for Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota in St. Paul. She and her husband, Ryan, have also started a business, 4TK Consulting.

Emily (Anderson) Shockley is a communications specialist at Mesa County Valley School District 51 in Grand Junction, Colo.

Andrew Steward is dean of students and teaches at Kansai Christian School in Heguri Cho, Japan.

2007

Hemie Collier is assistant director of intercultural life at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa.

Liz (Rasmus) Drayton is elementary music specialist for the Altoona (Wis.) School District.

Megan (Manthey) Ellingson is a certified nurse practitioner at St. Paul (Minn.) Radiology.

Adam Frye is head coach for the cross country and track and field programs at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash.

Matthew Hagen earned a master’s degree in psychology from Harvard University. He is a senior product line manager and IBM thought leader: strategy with IBM Commerce in Bedford, N.H.

Mindi (Scott) and Josh Johnson live in Frisco, Texas. She is a registered nurse. He is a specialty market account executive at MetLife Insurance.

Leah Kinnaird of Des Moines, Iowa, received the Early Achievement in Outreach Award from the College of Human Sciences at Iowa State University. She is a human services specialist III and domestic violence response coordinator for the Iowa Department of Human Services.

Morgan (Sterzel) Lentino is a music teacher at School District U-46 in Elgin, Ill.

Troy Peterson is controller at Prime West Companies in Denver.

Mark Strohbehn earned a master’s degree in international security studies from Georgetown University. He is program manager at Development Transformations in Washington, D.C.

Stacy (Myhre) Twite is legislative director of continuing care administration for the Minnesota Department of Human Services in St. Paul.

Morgan (Waterstraat) Woods is associate doctor of chiropractic at Brennan Family Chiropractic and Nutrition Center in Rochester, Minn.

Danny Young of Nashville, Tenn., is a drummer, background singer, and music director for the Church Sisters, who were recently signed by Big Machine Label Group. He also drums and sings full time with Mary Sarah from the last season of The Voice.

2008

Katie Benedix is constituent manager at Brucemore in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Nina Catterall earned a master’s degree in sustainability leadership from Edgewood College. She is a human resources specialist with Nordic Consulting in Madison, Wis.

Stefanie (Tow) Cooper is a nurse at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines.

Eric Crawford of Decorah is head coach of Decorah Swim Club. He was named head coach for Team Iowa at the 2016 Mega Zone Championship meet in Indianapolis last summer.

Haley Douglass is staff attorney for Professional Contract Services Inc. in Austin, Texas.

Jake Hunerdosse works at Hormel Foods in Austin, Minn.

Josh Leinen is a sound engineer in Ames, Iowa.

Laurie Meinholz is a doctor of chiropractic at Nordic Chiropractic LLC in Decorah. She received an Iowa Chiropractic Society District Star Award for her dedication and leadership in the Northeast Iowa District of the ICS.

Aaron Nyquist is an attorney at DLA Piper LLP (US) in Minneapolis.

Tim Peterson earned his paramedic certificate at Ridgewater College/Hennepin County Medical Center. He is a paramedic for North Memorial Ambulance Service as well as an on-call firefighter for the city of Maple Grove, Minn.

Kaycee (Green) Rogers earned a master’s degree in education–professional development at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse. She is director of teacher education programs at the Rochester (Minn.) campus of Augsburg College.

Allison (Bouslog) Seeley is a business negotiations consultant in the Shareholder Services Department at Wells Fargo in Minneapolis.

Amber (Holzl) Sorenson teaches fifth grade at Woodland Elementary School in Brooklyn Park, Minn.

Godson Sowah is advisory senior manager and CPA for Ernst & Young in Minneapolis.

Kaitlyn Vaske-Wright is a board-certified women’s health nurse practitioner at Planned Parenthood of Illinois in Chicago.

2009

Kate (Westby) and Abe Campos ’10 live in Bellevue, Neb. She is a stay-at-home mom and reviews books for Booklist magazine. He is an emergency medicine resident at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.

Mischa Fleishman is a grants administrator for the Legal Assistance Foundation in Chicago.

Kelly Gaul of Davenport, Iowa, earned the adult CCRN certification and attended the National Teaching Institute and Critical Care Exposition in New Orleans last spring. She is a nurse at Trinity Medical Center.

Melissa (Munks) and Andy Gisleson ’08 live in Glenwood Springs, Colo. She is an associate veterinarian at Alpine Animal Hospital. He is a family medicine physician for Roaring Fork Family Practice.

Sara (Walters) Graverson is a registered nurse in orthopedics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She received the 2016 UW Health Nursing Excellence Award.

Brie (Kunkel) Iverson of Chussell, Mich., is a part-time director of youth and education at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, where her husband, Joseph, serves as pastor.

Justin Madsen is senior manager of negotiations finance and lead accountant of corporate financial reporting for Target Corporation in Minneapolis.

Nelao Nengola Alexander is a certified personal trainer at Virgin Active in Windhoek, Namibia. She is also a corporate wellness consultant for Power Poise Wellness.

Jenna Pulkowski Huntsberger earned a master’s degree in divinity from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. She is pastor at Peace Lutheran Church in Fargo, N.D.

Cody Ryberg earned a higher education administration degree from St. Cloud State (Minn.) University.

Dan Summerfield earned a master’s degree in materials science and engineering from Johns Hopkins University and a doctor of medicine and a master of science in applied anatomy dual degree from Case Western Reserve University. He is a pathology resident at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Kathie (Palmersheim) Whitt completed three years of residency at Grant Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio, and has joined Family Foot Health Care PLC in Waterloo, Iowa, as a foot and ankle specialist.

2010

Tom Blattner is accountant II at InfoSync Services in Wichita, Kan.

Anna Bullard earned a master’s degree in teacher preparation K–12: English as a second language from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn.

Mike Byrd earned a juris doctor degree from New York University School of Law. He is an associate at White & Case in London, United Kingdom.

Phuong Dau of Westminster, Calif., is a scientist at Avrio Biopharmaceuticals LLC.

Alysa Davis earned a doctor of osteopathic medicine degree from Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. She is an emergency medicine resident physician at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.

Sarah Frana is a technical recruiter at NextGen Global Resources in San Diego.

Vickie Harper-Halverson is an administrative assistant at Des Moines (Iowa) University.

Bob Kemp is a financial representative at Northwestern Mutual and a broker for Aflac in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

Amanda Kloser earned a master’s degree in teaching secondary English from the University of Iowa and received a Fulbright U.S. Student Program grant to teach English at Kastamonu University in Turkey.

Nana Kwapong earned a master of business administration degree with a focus in digital marketing from the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis. She is a marketing researcher and consultant at the university.

Marie Maguina Heller is an immigration case specialist at BI Incorporated, a GEO Group company in Phoenix, Ariz.

Dustin Meriwether earned a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Katie Prichard earned a master’s degree in museum and artifact studies from Durham University in Durham, England. She is assistant registrar at the University of Michigan Museum of Art in Ann Arbor.

Victoria (Blanco) Tapia of New York City earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Columbia University.

Reid Wilson is founder and chief pursuit officer of Second Shot, a 501(c)(3) company creating adaptive outdoor opportunities in Iowa City, Iowa.

2011

Alex Anderson is assistant city attorney for the city of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Sabrina (Hawkinson) Arredondo teaches fourth grade at Greenleaf Elementary in Apple Valley, Minn.

Camille (Welter) and Peter Burleson ’11 live in Plymouth, Minn. She is a training technician at Allianz Global Corporate and Specialty. He is an aquatics and kids’ activities manager at Lifetime Fitness.

Kate (Schaefer) Gerhardinger is a sustainable process solutions consultant for U.S. Bank in Minneapolis.

J. Scott Harrison is director of operations for Northwestern Mutual Financial Network in Edina, Minn.

Ryan Nord Kitchen of Johns Island, S.C., was featured in the New York Times in a review of his solo painting debut at Nicelle Beauchene Gallery in New York City. Art critic Roberta Smith wrote: “Now the field has a brilliant newcomer: Ryan Nord Kitchen, 28, born in Minnesota; educated in Iowa and Baltimore; and making his New York solo debut at Nicelle Beauchene with ‘Winter Paintings,’ a show of 25 works measuring either 15 inches by 12 inches or 24 inches by 21 inches. As I’ve said before: Art you can take home in a taxi dissents from the big scale and site specificity that, regardless of medium, are so highly favored if not fetishized by the current system of huge spaces, museum commissions and sprawling international exhibitions. . . . The works in this quietly stunning show have a kind of perfection that can make you wonder where Mr. Kitchen will go next.”

Jordan Lang is territory sales manager for Deere and Company in Miami.

Charlie Rasmussen is cello and Suzuki faculty for the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music in Milwaukee.

Liz (Cox) and Jeff Rose Jr. live in Moline, Ill. She is marketing manager of Vibrant Credit Union. He is strength and conditioning coach for Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill.

Rachel Rudeen is admissions coordinator at University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis.

Kirsten Strandjord and Jay Dewitt live in Boulder, Colo. She earned a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from Purdue University and is a doctoral student in aerospace engineering at the University of Colorado–Boulder. He earned a juris doctor degree from Washington University and is a law clerk for the Colorado Court of Appeals in Denver.

Jenny (St. Clair) Tomesch of Iowa City, Iowa, earned a master of business administration degree from the University of Iowa. She is a project manager for Modern Woodmen of America.

2012

Peter Beierwaltes of Burnsville, Minn., earned a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs. He is a policy specialist for the Minnesota Department of Human Services and serves on the board of directors for the Arc Greater Twin Cities.

Bailey Cahlander is communications coordinator at Hennepin Theatre Trust in Minneapolis.

Kelly Dotseth of Boulder, Colo., is founder and chief experience officer of Brandzooka, a video marketing platform that makes it possible for anyone to execute video ad campaigns online.

Caroline Feeney is associate editor for Inman News and a freelance writer for Influence and Co. in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Erin (McWilliams) Hart earned a master’s degree in communication sciences and disorders from St. Cloud University. She is a speech language pathologist for Anoka-Hennepin School District 11 in Anoka, Minn., and a Zumba instructor in the Minneapolis area.

Kelly Hyland is historical researcher and digitization specialist at Musco Lighting in Oskaloosa, Iowa.

Danielle Koch is program specialist for Disaster Services and Camp Noah at Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota in St. Paul.

Jenn (Winder) and Benj Kost live in Bettendorf, Iowa. She teaches Spanish in the Eddyville-Blakesburg Fremont Community School District. He is completing Summer Vocology Institute training through the University of Utah.

Joanna Lee is a paraprofessional at Mammoth Lakes (Calif.) Elementary School.

Thato Masire of Little Rock, Ark., earned a dual master’s degree in business administration and public service from the University of Arkansas. He was also named the 2016 Kathryn Davis Fellow for Peace, which enabled him to participate in the Summer Intensive Language Program at Middlebury College, learning a year’s worth of French in six weeks.

Meghan McCall earned a master’s degree in nonproliferation and terrorism studies with an emphasis in Russian at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, Calif. She is a legal assistant at Google.

Teresa Procter is an active artist in the Da Camera Young Artist Program in Houston, Texas, where she performs for underrepresented communities and presents music to children in the greater Houston community school district. She works in a musical residency at the Monarch School, a therapeutic day school for children with neurological disorders, and serves as the Singer-Songwriter Fellow at Texas Children’s Hospital. Its Purple Songs Can Fly is a music studio that positively impacts pediatric cancer patients and their families through the writing, recording, and sharing of original songs. As an artist with Houston Grand Opera’s community and collaboration initiative, HGOco, she recently performed as the mezzo-soprano in Opera to Go!’s performance of The Velveteen Rabbit, and she sang in the world premiere of the chamber opera O Columbia.

Maren Quanbeck earned a master’s degree in music from the University of Nevada–Las Vegas. She is music production coordinator for the Aspen (Colo.) Music Festival and School.

Inga Rohde is community coordinator at L’Arche Tahoma Hope in Tacoma, Wash.

Cassie Seebart is a senior sea turtle biologist for Clearwater (Fla.) Marine Aquarium.

Katie (Etter) Sheets earned a doctor of chiropractic degree from Palmer College. She is opening Sheets Chiropractic and Wellness Inc. in Sigourney, Iowa.

Marcus Turen is accounting control and brokerage escheatment operations manager for U.S. Bancorp Investments Inc. in St. Paul, Minn.

Andrew Weckwerth earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Oregon State University. He is a business analyst consultant at Genesis10 in Eden Prairie, Minn.

Kristi Wietecha earned a master’s degree in teaching and learning from St. Mary’s University. She teaches eighth-grade English for the Pine Island (Minn.) School District.

Dan Wilcox is an activist with the Green Party in St. Paul, Minn., and candidate for the juris doctor degree at Vermont Law School.

Lisa Yahr teaches social studies at the Lionsgate Academy in Minnetonka, Minn.

2013

Anna DiCecco is Play Ball liaison for the Miami Marlins in Miami. Play Ball is an initiative designed to boost youth participation in baseball and softball.

Kelsey (Krall) Dralle is absence management team lead for Sedgwick CMS in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Dan Fernelius is individual giving manager at Hennepin Theatre Trust in Minneapolis.

Mary Ferrian is environmental health and safety technician at the Institute for Environmental Assessment Inc. in Minneapolis.

Tyler Hagy is a graduate assistant at the University of Cincinnati (Ohio) College–Conservatory of Music.

Kayla Hatting is head softball coach at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn.

Kaylee Helgemoe is a registered nurse at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Phoebe Jan-McMahon is a graduate student in painting and a teaching assistant at the University of
Nebraska–Lincoln.

Rachel Jungwirth was awarded the David LeClair Award for her active volunteering on the Professional Development Committee of Minnesota Association of Health Underwriters and continued professional representation of the health insurance industry. She is a sales representative with the Principal Financial Group in Minnetonka, Minn.

Matt Key performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the opening of the Battle of Midway remembrance ceremony in June. RADM John Alexander, commander, Battle Force 7th Fleet; Capt. Buzz Donnelly, Ronald Reagan’s commanding officer; and IS2 class Matt Key from Oshkosh, Wis., pose for a photo during a Battle of Midway remembrance ceremony in the ship’s aft mess decks.

Shannon Koenders is a doctoral student in optometry at the University of the Incarnate Word Rosenberg School of Optometry in San Antonio, Texas. She won one of 21 national tuition grants for her submission of an original case report.

Kelsey Moler earned a master of social work degree from Colorado State University. She is a behavioral health clinician for SummitStone Health Partners in Fort Collins, Colo.

Emily Ramos is a visitor services associate at the Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio.

Amy Shishilla is assistant cheese maker at the Lone Grazer Creamery in Minneapolis.

Kelsey (Rohs) Spohn is a veterinary technician for Twin Cities Animal Rehabilitation in Burnsville, Minn.

Sarah Thell earned a master’s degree in library and information science at St. Catherine University. She is marketing coordinator at KeyStone Search in Minneapolis.

Niki Tryggestad is administrative assistant of legal and outside sales for Marvin Windows and Doors in Eagan, Minn.

Isaac van Bruggen earned a master’s degree in public administration from Hamline University. He is a tenant services coordinator for Zeller Realty Group in Minneapolis.

Nick Vondrashek is an IT analyst and programmer at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Ashley Wright earned an MFA degree in theatre management from Florida State University in Tallahassee.

2014

Benjamin Anderson is a teaching assistant at Minnesota State University in Mankato.

Ingrid Baudler is a law student and legal research assistant at the University of Colorado Law School. She works as a law clerk at Grease Monkey International in Denver.

Eve Christensen is IELTS administrator at ELS Educational Services Inc. in St. Paul, Minn.

Michael Crocker is a freelance videographer in Half Moon Bay, Calif. He tells people’s entrepreneurial and personal brand stories through video.

Madeline Davidson earned a master’s degree in architectural engineering from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. She is an acoustician at HDR in Minneapolis.

Becca Dugdale is a certified public accountant at Deloitte in Minneapolis.

Paul Esker of Brooklyn, N.Y., is a press assistant for Hillary for America.

Daniel Gallagher earned a master’s degree in flute performance from Illinois State University. He is a doctoral student at Ohio State University in Columbus.

Allison Gieswein teaches fourth grade at Lincoln Elementary School in Washington, Iowa.

Luke Hanson is a development officer at Concordia University in St. Paul, Minn.

Dane Huinker is a land-management district technician at the Jackson Soil and Water Conversation District in Lakefield, Minn.

Charles Martin-Stanley II earned a master’s degree in student affairs administration from the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse. He is a doctoral student in higher education student affairs at the University of Iowa in Iowa City.

Sam Matheson is relationship manager at Alliance Benefit Group in Albert Lea, Minn.

Lauren Maze earned a master’s degree in kinesiology from Iowa State University. She is a graduate student in physical therapy at the University of Iowa in Iowa City.

Scott Mittman is a graduate student and teaching assistant in mathematics at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff.

Cody Orr is a purchasing engineer co-op at True Manufacturing in O’Fallon, Mo.

Michelle Schieber is a material planner at Trane Company in Memphis, Tenn.

Marissa Schuh earned a master’s degree in entomology from Michigan State University. She is an extension educator specializing in assisting commercial vegetable producers at MSU Extension in Adrian, Mich.

Rachel Selvig is a funded programs coordinator for Girl Scouts River Valleys in St. Paul, Minn.

Sam Wettach is a natural resource specialist for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
in Madison.

2015

Tyler Anderson is communication assistant for Data Communication Solutions in Eden Prairie, Minn.

Emily Betts is project manager at Polaris Industries Inc. in Plymouth, Minn.

Claudia Calderon Machicado is a consultant at World Bank in Washington, D.C.

Kyrie Dailey is a professional research assistant at the University of Colorado–Denver.

Carly Ellefsen is associate designer at Design Center Inc. in St. Paul, Minn.

Michona Johns is an English lecturer at Université de Bretagne Occidentale in Brest, France.

Amanda Johnson teaches special education at Gage Elementary School in Rochester, Minn.

Julia Joseph is a page designer at Lee Enterprises in Madison, Wis.

Connor Mattison is a sales associate for DSW in Bloomington, Minn.

Thandokazi May is a research assistant in molecular biology and human genetics at Stellenbosch University in Cape Town, South Africa.

Corey Miller is an account executive at Robert Half Technology in Oklahoma City.

Ben Nordquist is a DJ for Instant Request and is also on-call retreat staff and a communications intern at Youth Frontiers in Minneapolis.

Alex Odette is accounts payable specialist at Entrust Datacard in Shakopee, Minn.

Meghan Owens is clinical interventionist I at Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center in Phoenix, Ariz.

Lydia Petersen teaches elementary music for the Hood River Valley School District in Hood River, Ore.

Hannah Scholbrock is a billing specialist for LSM Chiropractic Clinics in Oregon, Wis.

Andrew Sharot is an analytics consultant for Deloitte in Minneapolis.

Alli (Kephart) Tjossem teaches elementary music at Riffenburgh IB World Elementary School in Fort Collins, Colo.

Andrew Withers teaches sixth-grade math at South Middle School in Waukee, Iowa.

Luke Wright is territory underwriter for Nationwide Insurance in Des Moines, Iowa.

2016

Blake Moen is a business development representative at Infor in St. Paul, Minn.

Christine Morrow is a registered nurse at UnityPoint Health in Des Moines, Iowa. 

1938–1939 / 1950–1959 / 1960–1969 / 1970–1979 / 1980–1989 / 1990–1999

1938

Minnard “Dusty” Hanson recently celebrated his 101st birthday in Burr Ridge, Ill. He sold his retail business of 44 years and has been retired for 12 years.

1958

Felice (Hahn) Bastian received the 2016 Wisconsin Conference Love in Action Award from Tom Rossmiller, the Conference Disaster Committee chair. Bastian has participated in 114 trips with Volunteers in Mission (VIM) for the United Methodist Church and Wisconsin Conference since 1989. She has also served on the National VIM committee.

1959

Louis “Lou” Accola of Mesa, Ariz., retired following the 50th anniversary of his ordination and 50 years of continuous ministry in the TALC and the ELCA. He is a certified master ceramist and ceramics teacher.

1960

Gerald Anderson of Boone, Iowa, retired last March as president of Woodward Youth Corporation (WYC). He continues to serve on the WYC Board of Directors as chairman.

Kathy (Fjone) Richardson of Cincinnati is retired. She is active in OLLI, a learning-in-retirement program at the University of Cincinnati. She teaches courses in novels and poetry and takes classes, including how to play the harmonica. She also enjoys plays, concerts, and operas and writes poetry.

Gale “Tex” Vathing of Vienna, Va., translates poems and plays from French, Farsi, and Norwegian.

1963

Carson Ode has published the third and final book of his Iowa book series, Iowa Culture—Past and Present, featuring Iowa museums. The volume is available in Iowa book stores and online at carsonode.com.

1967

Rosanne Bliss of Minneapolis recently compiled a PowerPoint presentation consisting of vintage postcards and photos of her maternal grandmother’s first 20 years in America after emigrating from Hedmark, Norway, in 1905.

Terry (Thiele) Rasmussen of Fort Collins, Colo., has completed half marathons in 30 states in the past six years. She hopes to run half marathons in all 50 states before turning 75 in 2021. She has also run in Washington, D.C., and in one international race in Cancun, Mexico.

1968

Tom Carlisle was named chief legal counsel of the Illinois Department of Historic Preservation in Springfield, Ill.

Carl Rowe is a professional fine arts painter in Boise, Idaho. He was a professional choreographer for 40 years and earned many awards, including three fellowships in dance from the Idaho Commission on the Arts, the Mayor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts (Boise), and the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts from the state of Idaho.

Neal Skaar of Hayward, Minn., was inducted into the Albert Lea High School Wrestling Hall of Fame last July. He taught mathematics and English at Albert Lea High School (his alma mater) and also served as head wrestling coach from 1979 until 2004, after serving 11 years as assistant coach. Retired from teaching, Skaar continues to serve as assistant wrestling coach at Albert Lea.

1969

David Ellingson of Edmonds, Wash., retired as a professor of children, youth, and family studies at Trinity Lutheran College and was granted professor emeritus status. This fall he intends to kayak the Erie Canal/Hudson River to the Statue of Liberty.

Myrna Petersen-Konajeski is director of corporate and foundation relations in the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy in Baltimore.

1970

Bruce Hansen of Racine, Wis., retired from Gemini Inc.

William Kobler was reelected to his second term with the American Medical Association Board of Trustees. He is a board-certified family physician in Rockford, Ill.

Judith (Johnson) Olsen teaches English online at Villanova (Pa.) University.

Ken Varland of New Ulm, Minn., retired as regional wildlife manager for the southern region of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources after 39 years as a wildlife biologist.

1971

Jackee (Larsen) Gonzalez of Lake in the Hills, Ill., works part time for Dundee Park School District in early childhood and an afterschool program. She studies Alive and Well Immanuel Prayer lifestyle skill training with her husband, Ramon.

Roger Larson is owner of A Writer’s Touch in Westminster, Md.

Becky (Linnevold) Shaw is assistant professor for the Department of Specialty Medicine at Des Moines (Iowa) University.

1972

Amy (Christian) and Daryl Dodd live in Anaconda, Mont. Amy is owner and operator of Beyond Necessity Gifts. Daryl retired after 41 years as rehab department director and physical therapist at Community Hospital of Anaconda.

Phil Holtan retired as pastor of Calvary Lutheran Church in Perham, Minn., after 40 years of service in ministry. He led the church in various missions, including packing one million meals for Feed My Starving Children, raising $200,000 in Perham, and many other missions around the world.

Joan (Heusel) Rowney of Marseilles, Ill., is a retired teacher and works with standardbred horses.

Steven Sorenson is a shareholder with von Briesen and Roper, S.C., in Oshkosh, Wis. Steve was elected as president-elect of the Senior Lawyers Division of the State Bar of Wisconsin.

1973

Colleen (Fiebiger) Carlson is retired after 25 years of working for the Harmony (Minn.) School District.

Mary (Runningen) Monsted of Metairie, La., published a children’s interactive musical CD called Miss Mary’s Musical Gumbo. The CD can be purchased at the Luther Book Shop.

1974

Randy Keehn was awarded a master of arts in ministry degree at the Nashotah House Seminary in May. In June, members of St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Cartwright, N.D., welcomed him to the ministry.

Solveig (Sperati) Korte is an instructor at the University of South Dakota Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders in Vermillion. She received the 2016 Outstanding Instructor Award. The award is given annually to a faculty member in the College of Arts and Sciences who demonstrates outstanding classroom teaching and mentoring of students.

Joel Mjolsness is retired from the military. He is regional director of the communications industry vertical at Mirantis in Mountain View, Calif. He is also a tenor in the Santa Clara Chorale at Santa Clara University, he serves on the board of directors of Lutheran Social Services of Northern California, and he is on the executive committee for the Association of the United States Army.

1975

Paula Stuart of Steilacoom, Wash., retired as a radiologist at Group Health Permanente.

Cary (Shaffer) Tuckey retired from Fontbonne University in St. Louis after serving as an adjunct professor and director of student teaching.

1976

Beverly (Brandt) Bachelder is principal of Douglas (Mass.) Middle School.

Jamie (Christie) Christensen of Emmetsburg, Iowa, is professor emerita at Iowa Lakes Community College.

Steven Grandgeorge of Goffstown, N.H., is retired.

Marty (Monson) Keck is an advanced practice nurse for Erickson Medical Group in Pompton Plains, N.J.

Mary Kessens is president and CEO at Riverfront Inc. in La Crosse, Wis.

Lynn Paulson of Madison, Wis., is retired.

Joan Pederson of Chicago is retired and serves as president of the First Unitarian Church of Chicago.

Kathy (Lund) Sedlet is education coordinator at Nurtur in Dallas.

1977

Melinda (Morris) and Luther Berkeland ’76 of Lake City, Minn., are retired.

Jeff Kelly of Bloomington, Minn., was inducted into the Austin High School Music Hall of Fame. He is a member of the American Choral Directors Association, Minnesota Education Association, and the National Education Association and director of Honor Choir for the Southeast Minnesota Conference.

1978

Yuri (Mizuno) Ando is pastor at Bellport (N.Y.) United Methodist Church.

Julie Dahlen is an economic support specialist for the Dane County Department of Human Services in Madison, Wis.

John Mueller of Saginaw, Mich., earned a doctor of ministry degree from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis.

Linda Short is on the staff at Habitat for Humanity Restore in Hot Springs, Ark.

1979

Andrew Strandjord is assistant professor of chemistry at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, S.D. He received the Augustana Student Association Faculty Recognition Award for 2015–16. The award recognizes outstanding teaching and contributions to the Augustana community by a faculty member.

John Twedt is a teacher, adviser, and coach for Cranbrook Schools in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

1980

Greg Braatz retired from a 30-year marketing career at Kimberly-Clark and now serves as associate pastor at the Memorial Presbyterian Church in Appleton, Wis.

Rod Dir is president and CEO at nTelos Wireless in Waynesboro, Va.

Barb (Perry) Lutz of Waverly, Iowa, was inducted into the Association of Home Office Underwriters Hall of Fame last spring. She is assistant vice president and chief underwriter for Fidelity & Guaranty Life.

Tom Maakestad is owner and artist of Maakestad Studio in Marine on Saint Croix, Minn. He was invited to be artist in residence for the city of Salzburg, Austria, last summer through an exchange program organized by the Anderson Center in Red Wing, Minn. He stayed in the city center at the historic Künstlerhaus, headquarters of the art organization Salzburger Künstverein, which was founded in 1844 and is the leading organization in central Europe for producing and exhibiting international and Austrian contemporary art.

Bill Musser of Decorah delivered the sixth Annual Knut Gjerset Lecture, “Life in the Freezer: From Seed Savers to Svalbard,” at Luther. He is the librarian at Seed Savers Exchange. He is also the treasurer of the Board of the National Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries.

Darrel Posegate earned a master’s degree in banking and financial services management from Boston University and is chief operation officer and chief financial officer of Heritage Bank in Sioux Falls, S.D.

1981

Dawn (Canfield) Bremer of Knoxville, Iowa, is retired from teaching. She is writing children’s stories with hopes of publishing children’s books. She substitute teaches, writes, and enjoys travel with her husband, Jeff.

Jim Chamness is a physician at Lakeshore Allergy PC in Holland, Mich.

Barbara (Henn) Clausen retired from teaching third grade at the Decorah Community Schools.

Roxanne (Gunderson) Heinrichs teaches elementary physical education for West Delaware Community Schools in Manchester, Iowa.

Marty Hertel is a passenger service assistant at Prospect Airport Services in Las Vegas, Nev.

Carol (Gustafson) Hetrick is a companion, homemaker, and PCA at Community Companions and Homemakers in Willimantic, Conn.

Laurie Heyer is executive vice president of healthcare operations and IT at Blue Cross of Idaho in Boise.

Becky (Leschensky) Hoffman is a behavioral health specialist and licensed marriage and family therapist at Step By Step in Milton, Wash.

Elaine (Olsen) and Gary Johnson ’82 live in Andover, Minn. She is owner and director of Sounds and Praise and director of children’s ministries at Faith Lutheran Church in Coon Rapids, Minn. He is a network architect at MedNet Solutions Inc. in Minnetonka, Minn.

Jim Knutson teaches music at Cotter High School in Winona, Minn.

BJ Larson earned a master’s degree in organizational leadership from St. Catherine University. She is spiritual health service director and systematic strategic head for SHS at Fairview Health Services in Burnsville, Minn.

Miri (Peterson) Mattson is an office professional at Thrivent Financial in Decorah.

Chuck Mueller of Nisswa, Minn., is founder and president of Solution Tactics.

Pam (Norris) Phillips is retired in Alexandria, Minn.

Curt Tryggestad is superintendent at Eden Prairie (Minn.) Schools and president-elect for the Minnesota Association of School Administrators. He will serve a three-year term.

Cathy (Miner) Weber is a nurse case manager at Mercy Medical Center in Dubuque, Iowa.

1982

Deanna Barth is a librarian at Washington Middle School in Kenosha, Wis.

Donalee (Rima) Burns of Decorah has been costumer for New Minowa Players for 41 years. She costumed 59 people in the theater company’s summer musical, Fiddler on the Roof, last June.

Nancy (Hermeier) Hershfield is director of advancement and assistant dean at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Nancy (Nickerson) Lee is director of arts programming at Washburn High School in Minneapolis. Out of the 1,100 teachers nominated for Tony Awards presented by Carnegie Mellon University, she was one of 20 to earn honorable mention for excellence in theatre education.

Andrea Urice is senior lecturer in drama at Washington University in St. Louis.

1983

Sandra (Bergstrom) Dawson earned a master’s degree from St. Xavier University. She teaches special education at Rockford (Ill.) Public Schools.

Kim (Christensen) Mahlum of Ettrick, Wis., is a district nurse for the La Crosse School District.

1984

Julie (Roehl) Coffin is executive editor for DoubleInk Publishing Services based in Dublin, Ireland. She works from her home in Spencer, Ind., developing, writing, and editing educational materials for elementary and middle school reading and language arts.

Dan Kuester published his book Green Wave, a murder mystery, in June. The book can be purchased in bookstores and online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, or Barnes and Noble.

Anne (Mattson) McAnallen is investor reporting manager at Ditech Financial LLC in Tempe, Ariz.

Kay Rathjen-Tulppo is a reading specialist and literacy coach at Sheboygan (Wis.) North High School.

Sean Taylor is professor of history at Minnesota State University–Moorhead.

1985

Jana Christen Albers of Hiawatha, Iowa, is a social worker at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and in the Child Health Specialty Clinic in Decorah.

Jim Biedermann is plant manager for Sparboe Foods in New Hampton, Iowa.

1986

Laura Dotseth is practice director of the enterprise transformation and strategy national practice at Trissential in Minneapolis.

Teri (Palmquist) Hansen is a nursing education specialist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Gina Sauer is volunteer coordinator for Lyric Arts Main Street Stage in Anoka, Minn.

1987

Bruce Dir is owner and president of Tighthead Brewing Company in Mundelein, Ill. Dir and his business were featured in the Chicago Tribune in June.

Lisa (Minske) Klever of West Des Moines, Iowa, is a pharmacy accountant for the Hy-Vee Inc. corporate office.

Phil Meirick is a premier one-branch manager for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage in Des Moines, Iowa. This year marks his 26th working for Wells Fargo.

James Tegtmeier is regional counsel and manager on the Midwest Enforce Team for the Federal Aviation Administration in Des Plaines, Ill.

1988

Callista (Bisek) Gingrich earned a place in the top 25 of Newsmax’s 50 Most Influential Female Republicans. She is president of Gingrich Productions and author of several New York Times’ bestseller children’s books.

Jon Wee is a juggler and comedian. He and his partner, Owen Morse, are a corporate entertainment team known as The Passing Zone. They appeared on NBC’s America’s Got Talent last summer. The Passing Zone has been awarded five Guinness World Records and 18 gold medals from the International Juggler’s Association.

1989

Ray DeWalt Jr. is a workers’ compensation representative at Aegis Corporation, Brookfield, Wis.

Herman Jass is the owner of Snap Fitness in Eden Prairie, Minn. An extremely dedicated rugby player and supporter, he received the “Flash” Korman Award for Rugby Excellence from the Luther Old Boys in 2015.

Lindsay Jordan earned a doctor of ministry degree in congregational mission and leadership from Luther Seminary. He is pastor at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Delafield, Wis., and was also a prospective nominee for bishop of the Milwaukee Synod last spring.

Vicki Weidenbacher-Hoper is assistant director for external and pipeline programs at the University of Illinois in Rockford.

1990

Kelly (Bjugan) Hudson is assistant professor of music at Concord University in Athens, W.Va.

Mike Japenga is pastor at Chandler (Ariz.) Presbyterian Church.

Pete Lawrence of Brighton, Colo., is master trooper and lead firearms coordinator for the Colorado State Patrol.

1991

Sue (Vongroven) and Don Baker ’92 live in Mazeppa, Minn. She works in surgery scheduling at Olmsted Medical Center Hospital in Rochester, Minn. He is a manager for Kwik Trip.

Melissa Bevis is a school psychologist at Rum River Special Education Cooperative and Cambridge-Isanti Schools in Cambridge, Minn.

Brett Cloninger-West was named one of Washingtonian magazine’s Best 100 Realtors in Washington, D.C. He is a realtor for McEnearney Realtors.

Carol (Edwards) Denekas of Dyersville, Iowa, recently released her second novel, Seeds of Hope (inspirational fiction), which can be purchased on Amazon as a paperback or for Amazon Kindle.

Paul Eckheart of Spring Valley, Minn., teaches sixth grade and coaches for the Kingsland Public School District.

Ben Fincham of Iowa City, Iowa, is a clinical specialist for Medtronic.

Soren Flessen earned a doctor of ministry degree at Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and is chaplain of Presence Health in Aurora, Ill.

Heather (Henschel) Hasstedt is a substitute teacher for the Boone (Iowa) Community School District.

Dean Haugen is senior vice president for Wells Fargo Bank in Minneapolis.

Mark Heninger is president of 11 Amps, a digital marketing and consulting agency in Venice, Calif.

Nancy (Watson) and Eugene Kreiter ’89 live in Davenport, Iowa. She is an accountant and payroll clerk, and he is a teacher and coach for North Scott Community Schools.

Sarah (Fromong) Lee earned a bachelor’s degree in human service administration from Kaplan University. She works in medical research for human resources at IICHA in Decorah.

Michelle McLain-Kruse of Decorah is executive director of Thunder Rode Inc. and a registered instructor through the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International. She is also a member of the United Way of Winneshiek County Board and owner and operator of McLain Farms Trailriding Inc.

Eric Muller of Urbandale, Iowa, is vice president of internal audit for Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines.

Kirstin (Hanson) Norby is a grade-level counselor and school social worker for Austin (Minn.) Public Schools.

Elke Norwig Eastaugh is a grants administrator at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

Mary (Wallestad) Oyebade is a missionary and teacher for the ELCA in Jos, Nigeria.

Kristin (Anderson) Ranum is a social worker at Columbia County CSP in Portage, Wis.

Sven Schulte is a global delivery manager consulting for Intelligence AG in Bielefeld, Germany.

Dean Southern is on the voice faculty and head of the voice and opera division at Cleveland (Ohio) Institute of Music.

Wahneta Tonn Dimmer is a licensed massage therapist and president of Hands in Harmony Inc. in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Tom Voute of Midlevels, Hong Kong, is an equity arbitrage at Algorithmic Trading Group Ltd.

Bill Weiss teaches social studies and is head football coach at Chisago Lakes High School in Lindstrom, Minn.

Doug Zars of Rochester, Minn., earned a certificate of advanced study from Winona State University.

1992

Eric Dodd of Rock Island, Ill., was inducted into the Thrivent Financial Hall of Fame at Thrivent’s annual conference in Nashville, Tenn.

Cindy Marlow McClenagan is vice president for academic affairs at Wayland Baptist University.

Dean Rossow is team lead at Infor in St. Paul, Minn.

Anne (Potter) Walters was named senior fiduciary officer at Wells Fargo in Minneapolis.

Kelli (Dunne) Winchester is the new owner of Margaret’s Boutique in Decorah. Longtime business owner Margaret Walter is selling her business to Winchester, who worked for Walter while attending Luther. Winchester asked Walter two years ago if she’d be interested in selling her the business. Walter said she would, as long as Winchester committed to two years of training and learning the ropes, including accompanying Walter on buying trips and working at store events. Winchester put in the time, commuting from Des Moines, and Walter is confident the new owner will “hit the ground running.” Winchester moved to Decorah last summer.  

1993

Kris Alwin Begay of Bellevue, Wash., earned a Ph.D. in educational psychology from the University of Washington. She works at the University of Washington Autism Center.

David Schifsky graduated from the FBI National Academy in June. Schifsky was chosen by his department to complete the 10-week course among 234 other graduates from 47 states, the District of Columbia, 21 countries, four military organizations, and eight federal civilian agencies. Those selected represent less than 1 percent of the country’s law enforcement officers. David works for the National Park Service at Point Reyes National Seashore in Calif.

1994

Drew Moorcroft is owner and director of ChiChi Wacha Corporation in Timnath, Colo.

Daniel Stout is a web software developer for UW Health in Madison, Wis.

1995

Shannon (Miller) Duval is president and chief development officer of the National Catholic Health Initiatives Foundation in Denver.

Andrew Olson is global project manager for Mercury Marine/Brunswick Corporation in Oshkosh, Wis.

Clint Schnekloth is pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Fayetteville, Ark. He serves on the board of Augsburg Fortress, the publishing house of the ELCA. He also teaches as adjunct faculty at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif., and was recently honored as the 2016 Faithful Leader by the Northwest Arkansas Workers’ Justice Center for his support and empowerment of workers.

Dawn (Schlatter) Spies is interim pastor at Calvary Lutheran Church in Brookfield, Wis.

1996

Erik Berry of Two Harbors, Minn., plays with the band Trampled by Turtles. The band played at Bayfront Festival Park in Duluth, Minn., last summer and toured through Alaska, Colorado, Utah, and Washington.

Kristi (Lenning) Dean of Greensboro, N.C., is a network analyst for Guilford Metro 911.

Zack Durlam is assistant professor of music and director of choral activities at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. His article “Glimpses of Handel in the Choral-Orchestral Psalms of Medelssohn” was published in the May issue of the Choral Journal.

Jaime Schultz is associate professor of kinesiology at Penn State University in State College. She was a 2016 recipient of the George W. Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching and recognized as one of the best teachers among Penn State’s faculty.

1997

Becky (Bixby) and Marshall Anderson ’96 live in Mansfield, Texas. She is director of clinical services for Shady Shores Communities. He is the head athletic trainer at Grand Prairie High School.

Jodi (Nelsen) Dettmann of Rochester, Minn., is assistant director of admissions for the Rochester campus of Augsburg College.

Nikki Colsch and Michael Elsbernd live in Waukee, Iowa. She teaches English at Waukee Public Schools. He is director of worship and music at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Des Moines. He published a composition, “Four Short Reflections on SLANE,” with Alliance Publications.

1998

Jen Follstad-Popp earned a graduate degree in art education from the University of Minnesota and teaches art at Waseca (Minn.) High School. She is also art team coach and a board member at the Waseca Art Center.

Nicole (Voss) and George Hawkinson Jr. ’97 live in Leawood, Kan. She is a pediatric dentist for Pediatric Dental Specialists. He is vice president of business development at Connexx Energy Inc.

Jason Lage is vice president for Wells Fargo in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Sarah (Kipling) Lightner is dean of students for Bloomington (Minn.) Public Schools. She earned her education specialist degree from Minnesota State University–Mankato.

Kyra (Rusch) McCool is a school counselor at Hilltop Elementary School in Mendham Borough, N.J.

Lakshmi Ramjattan is purchasing analyst at AMD Solutions in Miramar, Fla.

1999

Sarika Bajoria is senior project designer and architect of Perkins+Will in New York. She is also a meditation teacher for the Kadampa Mediation Center.

Shelley (Jennings) Bumpus earned an early childhood endorsement from Northwestern College and is a preschool teacher at Trinity Lane Preschool in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Jen (Solomonson) Doty earned a master of technology management degree from the University of St. Thomas. She is a business analyst for Digital Cinema Implementation Partners in Edina, Minn.

Mustafa Ozer of Minneapolis is chief medical physicist at Minnesota Hematology-Oncology.

Karen (Erceg) Schock is a pharmacist at St. Mary’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Grand Junction, Colo. 

In the understatement of the year, Molly Goodwin ’02 says, “It’s not a little job.” As production stage manager for the touring production of The Wizard of Oz, Goodwin is responsible for calling out 466 lighting cues alone, not to mention cues that control audio or special effects or change the set or scenery. “It’s not the busiest show I’ve called,” Goodwin says casually. “I once called a show in which I was speaking more than any character on stage.”

Goodwin describes the modern stage manager as a communications hub: “They’re responsible for making sure that everybody connected to the production is aware of what’s happening on a show-by-show basis. Unlike a lot of regional or community productions,” she says, “once we open, our director and choreographer depart,” leaving the running of operations to people like Goodwin.

Goodwin performs her job from a call desk, or stage management console. “My call desk lives wherever I can fit,” she says. When it doesn’t fit on stage, she sets up in an entirely different room—which sounds impossible, until you realize how connected the modern stage manager is. Goodwin uses five video monitors. One shows a diagonal slice of the stage and one an overhead shot. One shows the conductor, so that Goodwin can catch any musical cues. Two show front of house—what the audience sees. Of these last two, one is a color shot and the other is infrared, giving Goodwin night vision and the ability to make sure during dark set changes that things are where they need to be and people are safe.

If she’s set up away from the stage, Goodwin leans more heavily on her headset system with four audio channels that connect her to carpenters, electricians, props crew, a spotlight operator, the audio engineer, the music director, and her assistant stage managers.

Goodwin jokes that it’s like being an air-traffic controller. The stakes aren’t quite as high, but Goodwin contends with a lot more than traffic patterns. In addition to motorized systems that move set pieces on the ground, the show has two automated systems overhead, one that flies scenery and another that flies people. And on top of the lighting and audio changes she cues, there are about 20 backdrops, 10 automation tracks, and special effects, from haze, fog, and smoke, to pyrotechnics, to projections that play while the crew completes set changes. Oh, and two live dogs (even Toto needs an understudy).

By land, by sea, by Caesar’s Palace

Goodwin first learned about stage management during a Making Theatre J-term her first year at Luther. While she’d done a lot of acting, singing, and dancing in high school, she embraces challenges and wanted to help design and build the set too. When emeritus professor Bob Larson and professor of theatre Jeff Dintaman asked whether she’d be interested in stage managing, she asked what it was. “They read me a laundry list of job responsibilities,” she recalls. “I said, ‘That’s . . . crazy! Sure!’”

At Luther, Goodwin stage managed a show a semester, including a couple of operas. “I got a broad picture of what my job was and how it applied to musicals, dance, plays, and opera. Looking back,” she says, “that background, in addition to everything I did prior to Luther, gave me a really strong foundation for being a good communications hub and being able to talk to a multitude of people, making sure that we’re all on the same page. Nobody speaks the same language in theatre—musicians, dancers, technicians, and actors all have a different vernacular. It’s served me incredibly well that I have a little bit of each one of them and can be a translator. For example, if they want to run a dance number in rehearsal, and they want to start at a particular point in the song, it’s easy for me to say, ‘That’s four measures before this lyric,’ which the orchestra can easily find. It helps things move more smoothly and quickly, and people get less frustrated.”

Goodwin earned a master of fine arts degree in stage management from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, where, among other school shows, she interned at Celine Dion’s A New Day at Caesar’s Palace. She then did a two-year stint with Holland America Line cruises. She describes her work on the cruise as an inverse, or negative, of her touring work: “On the cruise ship, I had one venue. Each day was a different show, but I knew what my stage could do. With touring, I’m taking one show and putting it into multiple venues. So, in one instance, I know my venue really well; in the other, I know my show really well.” And knowing your show well is a real advantage when you arrive at a stage that’s too small, or a venue with touchy smoke alarms, or a hundred other factors that Goodwin and her crew have to nimbly maneuver.

A different city every week

The Wizard of Oz is a very large show. Most of the shows Goodwin has toured tote three or four trucks’ worth of equipment. The Wizard of Oz has seven. The tour, which opened in December, plays each city for a week. On Monday, the crew starts what’s called pre-rig, installing lighting, audio, and backdrops and starting to put in the deck system, an 80-by-40-foot platform that stands four inches above the existing stage and houses some of the show’s automated and mechanical systems. Installation continues into Tuesday, which is the first show of the week. Evening performances run nightly through Sunday, with matinees as well on the weekend. Sunday night, the crew tears the show down in about six hours and heads to the next city. It sounds brutal, but Goodwin promises it’s gentler than what she calls “one-nighter” tours, which do the same thing on a 24-hour cycle.

Traveling is one of the things Goodwin loves about her work. The Wizard of Oz tour took her to 23 cities. On one-nighters, she’s seen as many as 96. “It’s fun to see what one city will laugh at that another city won’t; what lands with an audience in the South versus an audience in the Midwest; the difference between audiences that get on their feet right away during bows and those who wait until Dorothy appears,” she says.

But what Goodwin, who has also toured Legally Blonde, Blast, West Side Story, Ghost, and Sister Act, loves most about her work is taking stories to people. “Most of the shows that tour come from New York, and touring them allows us to take those stories to people who might not be able to get there,” she says.

And though she watches the shows’ standing ovations from a monitor, sometimes in another room, she says, “I’ve always felt that the applause is for all of us. We all helped put the magic together.”

This summer, like the three summers before it, Sissel Schroeder ’83 found herself digging trenches—methodical, razor-straight trenches from which dirt was excavated by shovel and Marshalltown trowel. Schroeder, professor of anthropology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, has been digging in Aztalan State Park near Lake Mills, Wis., since 2013 to learn more about the Native peoples who lived there a millennium ago.

The confluence of cultures at the site is of great interest to Schroeder, who studies the social and political systems of complex nonstate societies that archaeologists call Mississippian. “Judging from the pottery,” Schroeder says, “this was a site where people from at least two different cultural traditions lived together. We see evidence that there was a peaceful relationship between these people, and we want to understand how they forged and maintained this kind of relationship through daily practices. It’s an issue that’s really resonant today when we’re seeing a backlash against immigrants in many parts of the world.”

Schroeder doesn’t excavate by herself, of course. Each summer, along with one or two grad students, she brings six to eight undergraduates with her. She explains, “We’re working on helping them develop the physical skills of excavating carefully, but we’re also training them to see subtle differences in the color and texture of soil that might indicate that they are starting to encounter a trash pit or something else that happened at the site. And those subtle differences in soil color and texture are not something that students are trained for in the classroom—you can only learn this through experience.”
Because the group excavates in a state park that’s open to the public, the site gets a lot of visitors—more than 100 some days. “We’re very transparent about what we’re doing. We want to engage visitors to help them understand some of the heritage that’s in their own backyard,” Schroeder says. “The middle school teachers who visited the site this summer were so excited to see that it was an active learning process and that it integrated knowledge that is typically taught in a very segmented way in K–12 settings.”

Those teachers are in luck, since Schroeder and a colleague are partnering with a local school district to develop curricular materials for middle school students based on the Aztalan site. The materials will draw together geology, the scientific process, journaling and writing, the mathematics of laying out excavation units and analyzing cultural material, some zoology related to investigating animal bones, and art—the ability to draw artifacts and make maps or to illustrate what students think the community looked like when people were living there.   

That last bit is something that Schroeder’s excavations are calling into question. “We are rewriting the understanding that we have of life at Aztalan,” she says. “What we’re finding is that the history of activities at this site was incredibly dynamic. Walls were built and dismantled, the occupied area expanded and contracted. The internal organization of the site really needs to be reassessed. For the students, it’s really exciting to be a part of a project that’s revealing new information, things that weren’t expected by the professional community.”

For nearly three decades, Rufus Glasper ’74 has held the catbird seat on evolving higher education trends in this country. As chancellor emeritus of Arizona’s Maricopa Community Colleges, one of the country’s largest community college systems, Glasper has witnessed many changes in the business of education. Challenges facing students today are much different than those he faced as a student at Luther, he notes. “Life has gotten more complicated,” he says with a knowing chuckle. “When I enrolled at Luther more than 40 years ago, the cost of education was around $2,100 per year and there was no question I would finish my degree in four years. These days, the average time to a bachelor’s degree nationally is six years* and the cost of an education is much, much higher. The financial commitment to education on the part of federal, state, and local governments has diminished and there are myriad demands on people’s time. In short, getting an education isn’t as easy as it once was.”

Glasper speaks from a place of deep experience, having spent his entire professional career in this sector. He came to Luther from the Chicago area with the goal of becoming a high school teacher, but soon realized that his heart was in business and finance. After completing his bachelor’s in business administration, he earned a master’s and certificate of advanced study in school business administration from Northern Illinois University and a doctorate in higher education finance from the University of Arizona. Glasper is also a certified public accountant. In 1986, he joined Maricopa Community Colleges as director of finance and associate vice chancellor. After nearly a decade in that position he advanced to vice chancellor for business and CFO, and in May of 2003, he stepped into the role of chancellor, leading the institution until February of this year.

From the outset of his time at Maricopa, Glasper says, he was thinking about the end game. “Because I was on the finance side of the house for so long, I kept a close eye on funding trends. I realized that the legislative statutes were changing and the state was slowly disinvesting in education. In fact, the percentage of our budget from the state went from 29 percent in 1980 to zero today.” So Glasper concentrated on structuring Maricopa for self-reliance. “We started looking at ourselves differently and running Maricopa more like a business, taking steps such as establishing the largest two-year online educational institution in the country and setting up incubator services for small businesses, with Maricopa as a shareholder should they go public.” Glasper’s efforts paid off handsomely. Maricopa made it through the 2008 recession without imposing a single furlough day; the school earned a Triple A bond rating; the budget remained stable, ranging from $1.5 billion to $1.7 billion; and operating reserves rose to more than $400 million, up from $13 million when he took over.

In March, Glasper embraced a new challenge, assuming the office of president and CEO of the League for Innovation in the Community College, an international nonprofit whose raison d’être is catalyzing the community college movement, a goal that falls right in this seasoned veteran’s sweet spot. “As chancellor at Maricopa for the past 13 years, my focus has, of necessity, been more heavily weighted toward politics and fundraising than student outcomes,” he says. “My new role at the League offers me the opportunity to step back from the day-to-day activities of an administrator and focus on leadership development and student success, which I love.”

Glasper’s voice rises with enthusiasm as he discusses what community colleges bring to the table. “Maricopa Community Colleges are the largest provider of job training in the state of Arizona,” he says. “They help students of every persuasion, from those seeking a two-year degree to those looking to amass credits and transfer to a four-year institution.” Indeed, he notes, Maricopa educates 60 percent of the juniors entering Arizona State University’s system, and the majority have higher grade point averages than students who started out at the university.

During the recession in 2008, he continues, Maricopa also saw many students with bachelor’s degrees returning to community college for certifications because they couldn’t find jobs in their degree fields. “The average age of our students dropped from 32 to 26 and these incoming students found a level of quality they didn’t anticipate,” he says proudly.
Glasper is equally enthusiastic about ways in which the League for Innovation can assist community colleges by sharing and scaling best practices across the nation through sponsored research; hosting of an annual Innovations Conference, a Learning Summit and a STEMtech Conference; and management of an Executive Leadership Institute dedicated to training the next generation of community college leaders. “My role is to identify what works well in community college education and then share those findings in conferences, publications, and presentations,” he says. “The Lumina Foundation established Goal 2025, which states that by 2025, 60 percent of Americans will hold a degree, certificate or other high-quality postsecondary credential,” Glasper concludes. “It’s a laudable goal and I know that community colleges can play a vital role in meeting the challenge.”

* At Luther over the past five years, approximately 70 percent of students earned their degree within four years.
luther.edu/ir/enrollment

Heading out the door for a run one evening in 2014, Michael Switzer ’10 called to wife Leah (Jensen) Switzer ’11, “I think we should move to Africa.”

“I thought, What? Get back in here, you can’t leave now,” Leah recalls.

She had already been to Africa twice. When she was in high school she traveled to Nairobi, Kenya, with her mother, Kari (Hermeier) Jensen ’83, and aunt Paula (Hermeier) Meyer ’76, former chair of Luther’s Board of Regents. Meyer and Keith Kale ’76 were founding an organization called Friends of Ngong Road, to provide education and support for children affected by HIV/AIDS in Nairobi, Kenya. Leah returned to the continent her junior year at Luther to student teach in Uganda. Since that first trip, she had dreamed of living in Africa, and she and Michael had discussed it but, he says, “I never thought it would happen.”

Now he was ready. He was working in financial investing in Minneapolis but wanted a job that would challenge him in different ways. Leah was happy in her elementary school teaching position but immediately started looking for teaching jobs in Africa. Michael thought he would find a job or volunteer position after Leah found a spot.

But Paula Meyer had a better idea. Michael remembers: “She said, ‘Michael, you’re going to move to Nairobi and you’re going to start up a portable toilet company, and this thing is going to make money to support the mission of Friends of Ngong Road.’” And that’s just what happened. But it wasn’t so simple.

Backing up about nine years, Friends of Ngong Road was founded as a Minnesota-based 501(c)(3) organization, partnering with Ngong Road Children Association (NRCA), a registered Kenyan nongovernmental organization, or NGO. They share a mission to provide education and support for impoverished children in Nairobi whose families have been affected by HIV/AIDS. The organization has succeeded, with many children being sponsored by Luther alumni and friends, in fact. But its board of directors wanted to ensure its sustainability and said the organizations needed to generate revenue in Kenya so that they were not entirely dependent on U.S. philanthropy.

That’s where the portable restrooms—or, as they say in former British colonies, loos—come in. A friend of Meyer’s, Todd Hilde, who owns restroom supplier Satellite Industries in Minnesota, urged her to consider starting a portable loo business. She was intrigued, she says, and looked into it. “I visited the largest providers in Nairobi, and the data point that stuck in my mind is that Nairobi and the Twin Cities area are approximately the same size—about four million people. In Minneapolis, every day, between 12,000 and 15,000 portable restrooms are deployed at construction sites, parks, and events. And in Nairobi there are fewer than 1,000 portable restrooms available to rent. Also, only about 40 percent of Nairobi’s population has access on a daily basis to improved sanitation.”

Hilde said he’d contribute 10 loos, and the Ngong Road groups decided to a pilot project in 2015 for a business to be called Karibu Loo.

Michael accepted Meyer’s offer to run the pilot, and the Braeburn International School in Nairobi hired Leah to teach kindergarten. Her students were a global mix, with 15 countries represented in her class of 20 students. The school turned out to be close to the NRCA offices and even provided their apartment.

Now all Michael had to do was completely set up the portable loo business. The economics major had never run a business, but he learned fast.

Sixteen more loos, for a total of 26, and an exhauster to clean them had been ordered from Germany. A truck to move the loos around was on its way from Japan. Michael figured out how to take delivery of the equipment at the port of Mombasa, transport it to Nairobi, and find storage. He worked with an attorney to set up the business’s legal framework; hired office staff, drivers, and more; sourced supplies such as tissue paper, soap, and hand sanitizer; researched the market; learned accounting practices; and started lining up customers.

As it happens, the market for portable loos in Nairobi is different than in Minneapolis. Middle- and upper-class events such as long-distance running races, weddings, and private parties are where most of the demand is. To be competitive for those events, Karibu Loo needed very nice loos, so each had to be retrofitted with flushing mechanisms, which also had to be shipped in.

Karibu Loo also attracts business because of its philanthropic mission—each loo reads: “Helping educate children.” Attendants hired by Karibu Loo—children who have been through the NRCA program—are on hand at each event to explain the motto. For many, this is their first job. They receive wages, get experience at holding down a job—in a city with 40 percent unemployment—and build references for future jobs.

Michael and Leah got to know many of the children in the NRCA program on Saturday afternoons. The NRCA rented a field where children could gather for games, reading instruction, art projects, and a healthful lunch, something many of them were unlikely to get on weekends. It was a time for the couple to meet with the young girl they were sponsoring and for Leah to work with students on their reading skills.

The pilot ended in early 2016 and was determined a success. A Kenyan man was hired to take over Michael’s job, as he and Leah were returning home in July at the end of her teaching contract. Now Karibu Loo is run entirely by Kenyans. Back in Minnesota, Leah is teaching at Earl Brown Elementary, an international baccalaureate school in Brooklyn Center, Minn., and Michael is working on his M.B.A. at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Business, Skyping regularly with Karibu Loo’s new manager during his transition. Karibu Loo is scaling up and now has 87 restrooms, including a VIP trailer with electricity and running water.

By 2020, Meyer says, about a third of Ngong Road’s operating budget should come from Karibu Loo. “The board of Friends of Ngong Road believes that with the addition of earned income in Kenya through Karibu Loo, our mission of educating some of the world’s poorest children will become much more sustainable,” she adds.

For more information about Friends of Ngong Road or Karibu Loo, contact Paula Meyer at paula@ngongroad.org.  

Anyone’s first question to jazz drummer Lars-Erik Larson ’10 might be: Why is your jazz quartet called Mancrush? Answer: It’s the name you give to a group of serious professional musicians as a joke; sometimes that joke sticks. Next question: How would you describe Mancrush’s music? Well, that’s harder.

Listening to Mancrush, the Twin Cities–based group Larson started in 2013 to play his original compositions, you hear warm saxophone melding with ruddy keyboard, glossy jazz guitar, and rich, oscillating drums. It sends your mind to jazz country, but once there you can make out frontiers that blend into indie rock, contemporary classical, and folk music. Mancrush even has a jazz interpretation of a 1930 Béla Bartók piano concerto, just to keep you guessing.

“It’s intentionally very simple music,” says Larson, who writes every note for each member. “It’s what the inside of my head sounds like.”

In March of 2016, Larson released his debut album, Authentic Midwestern, with Mancrush in St. Paul, Minn., at the Vieux Carré, a legendary subterranean jazz club formerly known as the Artists’ Quarter. Met with high acclaim from the Twin Cities music community, Mancrush is growing in popularity.

But Larson is not the type to let his success go to his head. True to the name of his latest album, he remains authentic and Midwestern—eager to point out the people that helped him get where he is today as a professional drummer.

A fourth-generation graduate of Luther, Larson credits its music program for shaping him into a multidimensional musician. In college, he played drums in every capacity available to him: Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, Concert Band, Jazz Orchestra, Percussion Ensemble—the list goes on. The exposure to such breadth of music served Larson well as he discerned what style of drumming allowed him to best express himself.

“Because of Luther, I had a really strong understanding of music as a whole,” he says. “And while there I was exposed to modern jazz, which I related to more than the traditional jazz I was familiar with.”

His discerned love of jazz led Larson to earn a master’s degree in jazz studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in 2012. From there, he moved to the Twin Cities and dove headlong into the life of a working musician, taking on as many gigs as possible and working odd jobs until he landed his current full-time position as an apprentice restoring grand pianos, all the while spearheading Mancrush.

“The goal for me has always been to create my art, to support myself through this creative passion of mine,” Larson says. “But it’s a juggling act, a leap of faith. It takes a lot of hard work to get yourself to a point where you can do that.”

Fortunately for Larson (and anyone crushing on Mancrush), he’s reached that point.

Last fall, Luther’s English Department hired Mike Garcia and his wife, Marie Drews ’02, to help with writing instruction and program development in Paideia and the first-year writing courses. Garcia also became the director of Luther’s Writing Center. He hopes to attract more students to the center at various points in their academic career (about 70 percent of visitors are Paideia I students). He’s also training his tutors to specialize in discipline-specific writing and in tutoring ESL students.

“The demographics of Luther keep shifting,” he says, “and the more we recruit students outside of the stereotypical ‘Luther student,’ the more we get students from different backgrounds in writing and reading. We’re looking for places to help students feel confident in those things.”

Over J-term 2016, Garcia taught a course called Grammar Cops and Criminals. It explored how people attempt to protect, preserve, and control the English language, and the motivations behind these attempts. “If someone gets angry over the Oxford comma, where does that anger come from?” Garcia asks. “Language is tied to identity to an extent, and when you start to do things outside of what people want, that may pose a threat to their identity or their notion of right and wrong. Language symbolizes these bigger concepts that are beyond the words.”

We asked Garcia to write about this for our readers.

If you’ve spent much time online, I’m sure you’re familiar with “grammar cops,” the people who leave comments on news articles and Facebook posts correcting other people’s grammar, punctuation, spelling, word choice, and so on. Sometimes, these comments appear to be good-faith attempts to assist the writer, similar to a helpful English teacher’s feedback. Far more often, however, the commenter is trying to insult the writer. It’s a way of exploiting the long-standing assumption that language errors indicate a lack of intelligence. Even though this assumption is generally untrue, many of us find it difficult to banish from our minds. Consequently, attacking someone’s grammar can be an effective way to diminish that person’s overall credibility.

In the fall of 2015, I started paying closer attention to the human tendency to use people’s English-language usage to make broader assumptions about them—and I quickly confirmed that this tendency wasn’t limited to grammar policing on the Internet. We use language to make all sorts of judgments about other people, their character, and their motives, and sometimes the consequences of those judgments are graver than a mere squabble on the Internet.

Consider, for example, a hypothetical African American or Latino/a student who enters college with strong critical thinking skills and a willingness to participate in class discussion. However, this student uses a dialect of English that isn’t highly valued in academic settings. Will that dialect difference be significant enough to jeopardize the student’s overall chance to succeed? Will that student be labeled “deficient” throughout his or her academic career?

What about the immigrant who is learning English but still speaks her first language when talking to her family? Will she be judged as unpatriotic and unwilling to assimilate into American culture? (This became a frighteningly real question at a Minnesota Applebee’s last fall. A woman struck an immigrant mother in the face with a beer mug, causing severe injury, because the second woman was speaking in Swahili to her children, and the first woman was upset that she didn’t speak English.)

In the 2016 J-term course Grammar Cops and Criminals, my students and I studied dozens of such examples of language policing—both trivial and serious—and we asked these questions:

• What does the English language mean to us? Why do we feel the need to police it?

• Why do violations of mainstream/standard English make us irritated—or even angry? What causes the emotional reaction?

• Do we sometimes overreact to minor language “crimes,” making them seem more significant than they probably are?

• Do we make false assumptions about the reasons why people use nonstandard varieties of English?

• Do we sometimes pretend to misunderstand others when in reality we’re just impatient, irritated, or culturally narrow-minded?

• Can our policing sometimes go too far, victimizing people whose language backgrounds happen to be outside the mainstream?

Don’t get me wrong, however: just because we explored the potentially negative consequences of language policing, that doesn’t mean we always concluded that grammar cops were bad cops. We spent much of the course identifying the types of English that earn the most respect in the academic world and professional workplace. We also learned how a common understanding of language is necessary for communication. As students considered these points, some of them backed away from their initial arguments for complete linguistic freedom and sought out a more balanced approach. Others held fast to their beliefs, arguing strongly on behalf of the “cops” or the “criminals.” But no matter where we each ended up, we all learned to critique our simplistic assumptions about language and to reconsider the notion of language “criminality.”

If you think archeological work is all kneeling in a trench, brushing ancient dust off potsherds, think again. As Dan Davis, Luther assistant professor of classics, points out, digging up artifacts is only about 10 percent of what an archeologist does. This past summer, students from Luther and other colleges got their hands on the rest of the work during a field school in Greece, learning such skills as archeological drawing, site illustration, architectural and artifact photography, pottery cleaning, and ceramic analysis. Their accumulated work will eventually tell the story of Roman-era Kenchreai, the port of the great city of Corinth on the Aegean City.

Luther partners with Vanderbilt University and the University of Maryland to offer the field school. Vanderbilt’s Joseph Rife directs the Kenchreai Archeology Project under the auspices of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. This year, Davis acted as assistant director for the program in late May and early June, bringing with him 11 Luther students. Undergrads from Marshall, Swarthmore, Skidmore, Cornell, and other mostly four-year liberal arts colleges made up the balance of the 39 participants.

A small area of Kenchreai was excavated by the Greek Archeology Service in 1976 in preparation for a public works project building a road to connect southern and central Greece. The Greek archeologists rapidly but thoroughly excavated a Roman villa near the sea shore and stored the artifacts, but didn’t have time to do the archeological reporting and publishing that would tell the world what they’d found, Davis says.

So for the past four years, Greece has permitted the U.S. team to work on recording and analyzing the site, allowing students to try out archeological work firsthand. This summer they continued work on the Roman villa. Made up of various rooms surrounding an internal colonnade, the villa’s architecture is monumental, incorporating huge stone blocks and walls in a footprint of about eight thousand square feet.

“We were shocked by the size of this thing when we first started to clear out all the weeds and trees that had been growing over the last 40 years,” Davis says. And each summer, the students’ first task is to again remove the masses of weeds and branches that push up around the stones.

After that stint of manual labor, however, they go into high-tech mode to record the site using theodolites, cameras, and computer software. “This year we incorporated 3-D photography, which was a lot of fun, and a steep learning curve for me,” Davis says. With the new technology, the team is trying to create interactive and very accurate plans of the site.
Luther sophomore Tatiana Proksch admits that she entered the program with the stereotypical image of archeologists digging up artifacts and connecting them to historical events. Part of the reason many of us hold that image is because, traditionally, most students have seen only that part of the process. Davis says that after he joined the Kenchreai project four years ago, “I realized that these students learn more about archeology in those three and a half weeks than most graduate students learn at a typical excavation. Oftentimes a graduate student will be just stuck in a trench—you get to know your square or your room really well—and specialists are called in to take it to the next step.” The students in this project get to try a little of everything.

Sophomore Jacob Domogalla says he was surprised by the comprehensiveness of the field school. “From organizing sherds of pottery by number to utilizing 3-D modeling and pictures, I was impressed to see the amount of work going into each artifact,” he says.

The field school also provided expert speakers. “Bringing in other scholars to lecture offered [students] a chance to see what the careers are in the field of archeology, in case they’re ever interested,” Davis says. Students learned about paleography, the study of letterforms over time, and even ancient magic—how amulets found at the site would have been used. Davis spoke on his specialty, marine archeology. In the next few years the Kenchreai project would like to move underwater in the harbor area by using a suite of sensors and an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to survey the remains of warehouses, temples, and an early Christian church that sank in an earthquake toward the end of the Roman Empire.

Busy days also included field trips to such ruins as late Bronze Age palaces and classical theatres, as well as visits to Athens’ museums. For a little recreation, the Americans played a basketball game against the local town’s team. It’s become an annual tradition, with the mayor announcing the game and doling out prizes afterward. Half the town showed up, Davis says.

Who won? “We got killed,” he says. “But I like to think we had a good showing.” There’s always next year.

Jane (Greene) Hildebrand ’74 worked both parts of campus at Luther, as a coach in the Regents Center for 27 years and, for the past five years, as assistant dean for student life, up the hill in Dahl Centennial Union. She retired from Luther in June, and one early summer day, in her office overlooking the playing fields, she visited about her Luther career.

Hildebrand laid the foundation for her career by majoring in health and physical education (teaching) at Luther. In 1973, she and Steve Hildebrand ’73 married, and he joined the United States Air Force. They lived in California, Kansas, and Nebraska—Jane teaching high school and coaching multiple sports—before returning to Decorah in 1982, when Steve left the air force. Property along the Upper Iowa River that they’d planned to retire on became the home where they’d raise their three children, Josh ’02, Jake ’02, and Jim ’06.

Their first year back, Hildebrand was an assistant coach for field hockey, track and field, and women’s basketball. She became head coach for women’s basketball in 1985, also teaching physical education and eventually taking on the roles of senior women’s administrator and associate athletic director.

Hildebrand led her teams to seven Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships while posting an IIAC record of 293-155. She was named Iowa Conference Coach of the Year five times. Her teams made nine appearances in the NCAA III National Tournament, advancing to the round of 16 twice and the round of eight twice. In 1992, she led the Norse to the Final Four and returned home with a third-place finish. When she left coaching, Hildebrand was the longest-tenured coach in the IIAC and in the history of Luther women’s basketball, with a career record of 438-260.

Some things remain unchanged since Hildebrand got involved with Luther athletics. The floorboards and bleachers of the basketball courts are the same ones she played on as a student, and many of her early influencers, such as Betty Hoff ’60, Paul Solberg ’61, and Kent Finanger ’54—who, like her, coached multiple sports, taught, and did advising—are still her friends and supporters. “They have been critical role models and mentors for me, and continue to be,” she says.

But she’s also seen big changes, in part because of larger athletics budgets in recent decades. When she was a student, she says, “Our basketball team would ride in the coaches’ cars to get to away games. We would stay overnight in our families’ homes. I remember my mother putting up our team in the basement and making breakfast for us before we went to play Iowa Wesleyan [near her hometown of Columbus Junction, Iowa]. Freshman year, we didn’t have uniforms, so we wore our own shorts and shirts and wore little pinnies over the top.”

Asked about some of her best Luther memories, Hildebrand says: “The first thing that pops into my mind is just having meaningful conversations with students, whether it’s a cup of coffee and a roll at Sunnyside or a chat in my office about how they played in the game.” Most of all, she’s glad she was able to be there for students, for the happy times and for the sad, such as telling a student that a grandparent had passed away.

Hildebrand says she has enjoyed working with this age group because the students are going through a transitional period in their lives—children growing into adults. It’s been a pleasure to see students “becoming themselves,” she says.
It’s a pleasure too when she gets to talk with alumni returning to campus, and she says she remembers everyone—even by their voices. In the Student Life Office, she sat around a corner from the main entrance, but when former students came into the office, she says, “You heard voices and you thought, Oh my gosh, that’s a voice from the past—I know who that is!”

Hildebrand says she’s looking forward to having a little more time for her immediate family and for visiting grandchildren in Iowa City and Saudi Arabia. She appreciates the support she’s received over the years from across the Luther community and from other Decorah residents—many of them strong fans of the women’s basketball program—and the sense of family she has felt at Luther. But she says it’s the day-to-day talks and engagement with students she’ll miss the most.

The Martin Luther statue on campus is looking good after an extensive “rubdown” last spring. Years of corrosion have been scrubbed off and his warm brown patina restored.

Conservators from Midwest Art Conservation Center did the work, overseen by Kate Elliott, Luther associate professor of art history and curator of the Fine Arts Collection. They began the process, which took about a week, by washing the statue and removing corrosion. Two layers of patina were then applied, followed by coatings of wax—first hot then cold. Afterward, cracks in the the statue’s base were repaired.

The statue was a gift from the Norwegian Lutheran Synod ministers’ wives in 1911 to celebrate the college’s 50th anniversary. It is a third-generation sculpture, cast from a replica of Ernest Friedrich Riestschel’s original sculpture of Martin Luther in Worms, Germany.

Plans are also in the works to add new lighting and limestone landscaping. Landscape designer Jens Jensen, who created a campus design for the college’s 50th anniversary, also designed the base of the statue and chose its location. In a letter to President C.K. Preus (class of 1873) in June 1911, Jensen wrote: “A statue ought to have a background of green to be ideally situated . . . it seems to me that the Luther statue should be placed on the campus with a good background of foliage.”

The statue still does have a backdrop of foliage, and once again it projects a burnished glow amid the green.

Namuun Tsend-Ayush ’17 was among the first-place winners in the American Protégé International Concerto Competition last spring (college students/professional musician category). So on Dec. 18, two days after fall semester ends, she’ll perform the first movement of Bach’s Violin Sonata No. 1 in the winners’ recital at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall in New York.

She used the American Protégé competition as a way to focus her practicing and improve her playing. “Having a goal like that, to practice for a competition, it definitely motivates you more, and you want to do better,” she says. “When you have a goal in mind, you want to push yourself more.”

Tsend-Ayush has been refining her playing through contests—and the practice, practice, practice they require—since 2004, when she first competed in her native Mongolia, winning second place, at age nine. She entered the American Protégé contest by submitting a video of her playing, but she’s competed in person for the multiple contests in Mongolia, the Czech Republic, and Italy that have provided her motivation through the years. Walking onto the Carnegie stage will be a familiar experience in some ways.

Of course, the violinist has performed multiple times at Luther as well—solo, in small groups, and with the symphony and chamber orchestras. As concertmaster of both ensembles, Tsend-Ayush also tunes the musicians and leads first violin section practices. She’ll be polishing each note of the Bach sonata movement for her New York debut in December, but Tsend-Ayush has perhaps a bigger challenge before then. She won the Hemp Family Prize for Orchestral Performance earlier this year and will give a recital this fall, learning a full concert’s worth of new music.

Tsend-Ayush’s violin teacher at Luther, visiting assistant professor of music Igor Kalnin, has no doubt about her abilities and also credits her initiative. Meeting for lessons only once a week, Kalnin says, “There’s no time to talk about all the details of a piece. Students have to take the initiative and have a certain mindset” that drives them to refine their playing. Tsend-Ayush has that mindset, he says, and strives to improve the quality of her playing and the details of her technique on her own.

But when it comes time to take the stage, Tsend-Ayush isn’t necessarily thinking about the particulars of technique that she’s rehearsed for hours in the practice room. In fact, she says she sometimes doesn’t remember much after a performance—whether she played a certain rhythm just so or hit a tricky note. She’s concentrating on expressing the music at this point: “I think that in music, the emotions that you are portraying or sharing with people are the most important. . . . It’s not about perfection but about the general performance.”

Tsend-Ayush, a Davis United World College Scholar, took up the violin as a first-grader in a music school in Ulan Bator, Mongolia’s capital city. She made her way to Luther via the United World College Adriatic. Jon Lund, of Luther’s Center for Global Learning and International Admissions, first talked with her about Luther, and then she met Luther associate professors of music Spencer Martin and Andrew Whitfield. They codirect the International Music Festival of the Adriatic, and Tsend-Ayush heard them speak about Luther when they visited the UWC to give a master class. Friends of hers had also spread the word about Luther, and because the college is similar in size to UWC Adriatic and is known for its music program, Tsend-Ayush thought she could be comfortable in Decorah.

She has been. Her favorite memory so far is from the first time she participated in Christmas at Luther. She sang in the Aurora choir and performed with Symphony Orchestra. At one point, while she was singing in the aisles of the Center for Faith and Life, she noticed people in the audience tearing up as they smiled. “It was such an emotional moment, and I thought [performing in Christmas at Luther] was a beautiful thing to do, and I’d like to keep doing it as long as I could.”

Tsend-Ayush will graduate from Luther next spring. She’ll have completed the music major and be just shy of a double major in accounting. Her parents enjoy listening to classical music but are not musicians themselves, and Tsend-Ayush’s accountant mother encouraged her daughter to learn accounting too. She may yet finish that degree. She’s hedging her bets a little, sure, but she also really likes accounting.

First, though, she’ll follow her passion for music and begin graduate studies in violin performance. She’ll be entering the professional music world at a time when there are a lot of good violinists, Kalnin says, but he is confident that Tsend-Ayush has a good future in music. “She will do well,” he says.

The 31st annual Luther College Entrepreneurial Showcase was held Tuesday, April 26, in Dahl Centennial Union. Since 1986, the goal of the Entrepreneurial Showcase has been to provide an annual forum for students, faculty, alumni, and friends of Luther who are interested in and support entrepreneurship.

The event began with a networking session in which student entrepreneurs displayed their ideas and ventures. Dennis Birkestrand ’64, cofounder of Factory Direct Appliance, gave the keynote address.

The Daryl and Audrey Erdman Prizes for Entrepreneurship were awarded to Fabian Pop Pop ’17, Bjorn Myhre ’16, and Madilyn Heinke ’19. To be selected for an Erdman Prize, students who create, develop, and manage a successful enterprise during their years at Luther present their venture to a panel of judges made up of local entrepreneurs.

Fabian Pop Pop received the grand prize of $5,000 for his social enterprise and poultry business, Aweb’. Pop Pop, a Davis United World College (UWC) Scholar, attended the UWC in Norway before coming to Luther. He was born and raised in northern Guatemala, and the main purpose of Aweb’ is to aid women in rural Guatemala who are unemployed and living in poverty. The business provides employment for women who have never held jobs or received a salary, and it helps them support their families by providing a reliable source of income.

After determining through research that a business that employs women would be likely to help uplift the entire community, Pop Pop searched for a product that would be in high demand and easy and relatively quick to generate. He found that raising and selling chickens, with a production cycle of seven to nine weeks, would provide more than 140 percent return on initial investment in that region. It would also build on skills the women already had.

Pop Pop wrote a business plan in 2014 and in 2015 was invited to make a pitch for funding to the Resolution Project in Miami, Fla. He made it through several rounds of presentations and questioning from the judges to become one of 14 winners among 191 competing teams from all over the world. With $6,000 in seed money and a fellowship that hooked him up with two business mentors, he started Aweb’.

Late that summer, he got training about safe food handling and animal welfare, recruited and trained the 20 women who would work in the business, and organized workshops for women on topics such as resource management, entrepreneurship and self-empowerment, and current challenges for women from rural areas.

“People think that if you want to change people’s lives you have to come up with great ideas, but if you can use the skills people have already you can improve their lives,” Pop Pop says. Providing training in areas such as financial and resource management so the women can run the business themselves is better than giving gifts of food and school books, he says. Jobs allow them to buy their own necessities.

Aweb’ markets chicken to restaurants and small grocery stories, where there is large demand. “Most of them were also pleased to learn about our social commitment toward creating long-lasting opportunities for women in the region,” Pop Pop wrote in his Erdman application.

Pop Pop says more than 95 percent of profits go to the women who work for Aweb’. He plans to invest a portion of the prize money back into his business so he can continue to expand its reach.

Bjorn Myhre, who received a $2,500 prize, collaborated with Evan Sowder ’15 to create Sacred Media, a media production company that promotes environmental stewardship and aims to inspire people to visit national parks. Myhre specializes in multimedia productions that showcase outdoor adventure, and he has held a handful of internships that honed his media production skills.

Madilyn Heinke was the second recipient of a $2,500 prize. She started her business, M-N-M Sweets and Treats, by selling smoothies, hand-packed ice cream, and a variety of other treats with her sisters, McKendra and Mercede. Their mother bought them a trolley car to use as an ice cream stand, hoping they would earn money for college while also learning the value of hard work.

When Dennis ’64 and Suzanne Birkestrand gave $1.5 million to Luther to endow the Birkestrand Economics and Management Chair in spring 2016, it was a big deal, and we wanted to know more about the effect their gift would have. How, exactly, do endowed chairs and professorships work at Luther? And how do they affect the education that students get?

To learn, we went to the experts—faculty who hold or have recently held endowed positions.

First of all, these funds, given by individuals or groups, provide recognition. They recognize the value of an academic subject, the faculty member who is named to the chair or professorship, and the person or persons for whom the endowment is named—a past professor or the donors themselves. Classics professor Philip Freeman says, “Fundamentally, it’s a recognition by the college that a particular subject is important enough to be permanent.”

Alumni have used endowments to honor professors whom they especially respected. For instance, since 2007 Freeman has held the Orlando W. Qualley Chair of Classical Languages, created by a group of former students to honor “Pip” Qualley, who served at Luther for 60 years as a professor, administrator, and coach. “I meet students of Qualley—mostly retired people now—and they tell such stories of this man. They have a great fondness for him, and that’s why they endowed the chair,” Freeman says.

Endowments help pay the salary of the person who holds the position, which frees up college funds for other purposes. And as Robert Christman, the Kermit O. and Jane E. Hanson Professor of History 2013–16, points out, they also enhance the academic excellence of the institution by bringing distinction to whoever holds them, acknowledging that person’s achievement.

Endowments also bring what’s called programming money, which the faculty often put toward research expenses. Christman says this added ability to conduct research “further allows individuals who already have a profile in their discipline to continue to be leaders in their field.” In addition to the obvious benefits of having academic leaders teaching in Luther’s classrooms, professors who are well-connected and widely known scholars write graduate school letters of recommendation that carry weight.

Ultimately, students benefit in many ways from the additional resources that endowments make possible. Endowed faculty often use funds to allow students and other faculty to attend scholarly conferences and obtain specific skills training, purchase classroom resources, bring speakers to campus, and more. Endowment funds also make it possible for professors to partner with students in conducting research. Kirk Larsen, the Russell R. Rulon Endowed Chair in Biology 2013–16, says, “I extensively involve students in my research and do very little research without a student next to me.”

Recent use of endowment funds

Larsen bought three honeybee hives and placed them in Roslien Woodlands for use with his entomology students. The hives are a learning tool at a time when honeybees are encountering environmental trouble, and they give students hands-on experience. Students learn how to maintain the hives, for instance, and extract honey from them.

To further his development as a professor, Larsen attended an insect macro-photography workshop in Belize. “Because I teach about insects and they’re so small, I need to have photographs in the classroom so students can visualize what I’m talking about,” Larsen says. This summer, when some of his research students were doing a butterfly survey, he was able to photography butterflies in the field that they can use in their presentations.

Another training trip took Larsen to Mexico to the overwintering sites of monarch butterflies, which he lectured on when he got back. He is involved with the Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium, and his students are doing a project on plants that are nectar sources for monarchs. “Some of the information I learned from that trip . . . has really influenced my work with students this summer,” he says.

Christman’s endowment-funded research is providing a unique primary-source experience for his students. “As a result of my research, I have translated 500-year-old historical documents into English and assigned them in my classes. Students are always excited to realize that no one else in the English-speaking world has access to these sources,” he says. He is also working on a case study of the first two people executed for their beliefs during the Protestant Reformation, which he has designed for students: “The entire project is designed as an attractive and thought-provoking introduction to the Reformation, one that will spark the students’ imagination and inspire a desire to learn more.”

Collaboration is at the heart of how Steve Holland, the Bert M. and Mildred O. Dahl Chair in Economics and Business 2011–16, has tried to use his funds. “Economics is a core social science, and having a pot of money like this allows us to integrate with the larger community better than we might otherwise. It allows us to promote economic thinking in lots of different contexts,” he says. Holland has put his endowment funds together with money from other departments to bring in speakers in marketing, ethics and public life, environmental studies, and more. This summer he hired a student researcher for a project focusing on what makes a community healthy. Ultimately, the results will be shared with the broader Decorah and Winneshiek communities.

Lise Kildegaard turned the spotlight on art in small packages as the Dennis M. Jones Distinguished Teaching Professorship in the Humanities 2013–16. “My special project is to work on things that are short shorts,” Kildegaard told Chips in fall 2015. “I am interested in literary flash fiction, micro fiction, short lyrics, poems, and art works that are small and quickly seen.” Through an array of projects, students learned to make prints, create art to illustrate short literature, design and create videos that express poems, produce and act in a play of 57 short scenes, and more.

Freeman’s research on ancient manuscripts at the national library of Ireland in Dublin each summer fuels his teaching each fall in the course The World of St. Patrick. “I’m always bringing in my own research, my own work, photographs of manuscripts,” he says. “It feeds directly into my teaching.” This summer he also used some of the funds to scout a future January Term trip to Ireland with students.

Perceptions of risk and well-being among youth in Ukraine was the focus of research by Maryna Bazylevych during her Nena Amundson ’56 Distinguished Professorship 2014–16. She involved a student in all steps of the research process, she says, “from the design part of it to fieldwork experience and analysis of data and writing a report to presenting it at the conference.” Bazlevych’s student assistant, Brittany Anderson ’16, accompanied her to Ukraine, helped conduct focus groups with Bazylevych, and conducted some interviews and ethnographic encounters on her own. Back at Luther, Bazylevych trained two other students, who received academic administrative assistantships from the Dean’s Office, to transcribe the conversations.

In spring 2016, as Bazylevych and Anderson were boarding a plane to go present their research findings at a Society for Applied Anthropology meeting, Anderson got an email saying she’d been accepted into the anthropology program at Iowa State University with a full tuition waiver and a generous stipend. Needless to say, both were thrilled!

Recognizing Luther’s influence

“We believe in Luther College, in the quality of its academic programs, and in supporting the talented faculty who dedicate their lives to empowering undergraduates to achieve. May this endowed chair be a lasting remembrance of the profound impact Luther College has had on our lives.”          —Dennis Birkestrand ’64

In creating the endowed chair in economics and business, Dennis ’64 and Suzanne Birkestrand say they hope to encourage and recognize the importance of free market–friendly perspectives on economic theory, private enterprise, and good business practices in classroom discussions.

Dennis spent 22 years in marketing and sales with the Maytag Corporation. In 1988, he and Suzanne started a distribution business for the Jenn-Air brand of appliances, headquartered in Kansas City. They then founded Factory Direct Appliance in 1993 and for 21 years offered a range of appliances to homebuilders and remodelers. They sold the business in 2014.

Appointments to the Birkestrand chair will be for three years and may be renewed at the discretion of the academic dean and president of the college. The first chair, announced at Opening Convocation on Sept. 1, is Tim Schweizer ’80.

To learn more about endowed chairs and professorships at Luther, visit luther.edu/academics/dean/
faculty/endowed-chairs and luther.edu/giving/gift-types.

Asking “why” leads Pema Lama from isolation to global education

Pema Lama left home at seven years old. “All I knew back then was that the only way to escape getting married at 12 was to become a nun,” she says. Lama grew up in the mountain region of Nepal, in a farming village with no electricity or running water, where food was scarce, literacy was rare, and arranged and kidnapped marriages were common. Her mother gave birth to 13 children, eight of whom died. Between herself and her older sister, seven died in a row.

When Lama, the 12th child, was six years old, her eldest brother visited the village after 15 years of living as a reincarnated monk. “I’d never seen him, only heard of him, and then he came for three months,” she recalls. “I was really surprised that all the villagers were coming to visit him and bringing fruits and all these delicious things that us kids would have to steal sometimes, like walnuts. He was so clean, and everything looked so new, and people were so happy to be around him. And I was like, why are people not treating me the same?” And so began Lama’s lifetime of questioning.

She continues, “If I asked, Can I eat rice tonight? my parents would start giving me this long lecture about how rice is so hard to get, while he, without asking, would get all these special things that we would wait for. And I was like, is it just because he’s a guy? I was asking all these questions, like why is my rice so limited? And I thought at that time, If I just follow the rules, I will never be satisfied.”

For a year after her brother’s visit, Lama badgered her parents constantly to let her join a nunnery. “Buddhism was the only thing I could imagine at the time to escape from the life I knew I would live if didn’t choose a different path,” she says. Finally, her parents relented and sent her down the mountain, to Kathmandu.

“I made that almost two-week journey without family members, just a friend of my father’s whom I had met two or three times. I was so happy I don’t even remember crying. I was like, Finally, I get what I wanted!” she smiles.

The duo walked eight or nine hours a day down a steep mountain trail, and when they arrived in Kathmandu, Lama saw her first bicycle, first bus. “At that time, the only place I knew was the mountain,” she says.

The founder of the nunnery, Thrangu Rinpoche, took one look at Lama and said, “Uh-uh—it’s a lifetime commitment, and you’re too young to make that choice now.” But he offered her an alternative: attend his Shree Mangal Dvip (SMD) School instead.

At the SMD School, Lama learned in Tibetan, Nepali, and English (she speaks these languages as well as Hindi and her native dialect of Tibetan). She took classes from nuns, monks, and a cadre of visiting global volunteers. After graduating, she became one of the six or seven students asked to stay on for a year of service and, if things went well, earn a chance to attend high school abroad.

During her year of service, Lama took on the formidable task of teaching sex ed—a taboo subject in Buddhism—to area nunneries, monasteries, and schools. Lama had volunteered in the SMD health clinic for years, so she was used to dealing straightforwardly with bodies—but that doesn’t mean teaching sex ed was easy.

“The first few days no one spoke,” she says. “The other teachers and I were like, This is called this—but it’s not us talking, it’s the book! But by the end of the week, everyone was shouting and having fun. That was eye-opening,” she reflects, “and I started questioning: Why do I just follow whatever my religion says without even questioning whether it’s right or wrong?”

After her year of service, Lama was selected to attend a United World Colleges school in Norway, where she had her first encounter with philosophy. She walked into the classroom 20 minutes late on the first day of class, and the professor asked, “Who are you?”

“I’m Pema. I’m from Nepal,” she answered.

“No, who are you? What makes you who you are?”

“And I was stuck,” Lama recalls. “Since then, I’ve been reflecting: Who am I? What makes me me? When I react to certain things, what makes me react that way? What has formed me to do that thing? That class really blew me up.”

It’s no surprise that when Lama came to Luther, she majored in philosophy. “You decide things every day, and it’s important to know where your decision-making is coming from and where your ideas come from and why you have those ideas,” she says. “Philosophy makes me see through things, see myself and understand myself, but by understanding myself, I get to understand others.”

Lama starts a master’s program in Buddhist studies at Naropa University in Boulder, Colo., this fall. “Every time I look back,” she says, “somehow my thoughts are guided by Buddhist ideals, but I still don’t know much about it. I want to see why I have those ideas, why I stand by what Buddha says.”

She’s also interested in learning more about gender in Buddhism. “It hurts me how some Buddhists say you have to be born as a man to become enlightened,” she says. “Why do men become the reincarnated one and women don’t? Where do I stand, and why do I follow that?”

Lama would like to return to Nepal someday and raise these questions with girls and women there. “If you don’t talk about it, you will never learn beyond it,” she says. “That’s one of my goals, to go back and tell people: Take initiative. Explore why you have certain values. Where are they coming from?”

—Kate Frentzel

Jenna Johnson learns to love research—and the little worm that makes it possible

Jenna Johnson can’t stop singing the praises of the tiny, transparent, E. coli–loving roundworms known officially as Caenorhabditis elegans.

“It’s an ideal model organism for doing research in developmental biology and neurology,” she says. “C. elegans has a very short life span, a lot of progeny, and a surprisingly similar genome to humans. They’re fascinating organisms.”

Johnson, a biology and history double major, was introduced to the microscopic worms while conducting research on the toxic gas hydrogen sulfide through the Amgen Scholars Program at the University of Washington in Seattle the summer after her sophomore year. It was a life-changing experience for the Stillwater, Minn., native and Phi Beta Kappa member, who also found time while at Luther to volunteer as a Spanish interpreter for the Decorah Free Clinic and a care companion with St. Croix Hospice. “I had no clue that I wanted to do research, but, after spending that summer at UW, I felt really drawn to it,” she says. “I learned how to troubleshoot problems—because most of the time what you do in the research lab doesn’t work—and how to fail gracefully. I also experienced the joy of success in the lab, and that’s a pretty cool feeling.”

Johnson continued doing research with C. elegans when she returned to Luther, joining the lab of Stephanie Fretham ’05, Luther assistant professor of biology, in fall 2014. There she used the microscopic organism to examine the connection between iron and disrupted protein homeostasis in Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. Johnson presented her work—which was supported by an R.J. McElroy Grant—at the National Conferences on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) last April. “I never expected to love the research process so much, but knowing that I am contributing to the body of scientific knowledge—and that at any moment in time I may be the only person in the world that knows this one particular thing—is very much a driving force for me,” says Johnson, who also spent the summer after her junior year conducting research, that time on protein and DNA interactions at the University of Iowa.

This summer Johnson moved to the East Coast, where she will spend the next year (or two) conducting research at the National Cancer Institute in Frederick, Md., as the recipient of a highly competitive Post-baccaulaureate Cancer Research Training Award. It’s the next step toward her ultimate goal—earning a joint M.D./Ph.D. degree and working as an academic physician at a large university. “During the summer I spent at the University of Iowa, I shadowed doctors who had the joint degree and realized that this is the career I wanted,” she says. “I love the idea that my experience as a doctor will inform my research, and I’m willing to put in the time—eight or nine more years of school—to make that happen.”

—Sara Friedl-Putnam

Laura Proescholdt connects issues of environment and social change

Nearly 10 years later, Laura Proescholdt recalls the exact moment she decided to pursue environmental studies.

“I was in seventh grade and had just finished watching the documentary An Inconvenient Truth,” she says. “It may sound cliché, but I felt compelled then and there to learn all I could about climate change, because I saw it as the defining issue my generation would have to tackle.”

Proescholdt did just that at Luther. In addition to earning induction into the Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society for excelling in her studies, she served as an academic research assistant for the college’s Environmental Studies Department. (A talented writer, Proescholdt wrote for Chips and the Luther Sustainability Office as well.)

Her studies culminated in a yearlong senior honors research project on the Anthropocene, a term coined in 2000 to denote the period when human activities started to affect Earth’s geology and ecosystem significantly. “I examined why making the Anthropocene official matters to the scientific community and to academia more broadly and how it creates a dynamic space for rethinking relationships among science, politics, and activism,” says Proescholdt, who presented her research at the 2016 National Conferences on Undergraduate Research. “My main takeaway was that the Anthropocene is a fascinating tool to reimagine the human relationship with Earth.”

Her natural curiosity also led the Cumberland, Wis., native—sister of Anne Proescholdt ’12— far beyond Decorah. She spent January of her junior year in Hong Kong and Shanghai, China, studying street photography and the summer of her sophomore year working as an expressive arts intern with Northwest Passage, a Wisconsin-based organization that helps troubled teens through the arts and nature-based therapy. “That experience opened my eyes to the importance of nature as a healing force, because the time the teens spent outside connecting with nature was very healing for them,” she says. “It also inspired me to use my major less to address climate change or biodiversity directly but to work on solving systemic social problems, because I believe environmental problems have to be addressed in those efforts.”

Proescholdt put her words to action this summer when she began a yearlong Lutheran Volunteer Corps stint with the Minnesota Housing Partnership, a Twin Cities–based organization that works to build sustainable communities. “I’ve spent a lot of time learning about issues,” she says enthusiastically. “Now I’m ready to use that knowledge to make positive change.”

—Sara Friedl-Putnam

Fred Scaife documents the transformative power of music

Saturday mornings would have been an ideal time for Fred Scaife to catch up on sleep after a virtually non-stop weekday schedule.

But the Rushford, Minn., native decided to pursue a very different kind of rejuvenation, rising early every Saturday from October through December 2015 to engage elderly residents of the Gundersen Harmony Care Center in song.

“The main goal of the Voices in Harmony Memory Choir was to inspire seniors through music and instill a love of lifelong learning,” says Scaife, a music education major and former Nordic Choir president who now serves as the middle and high school choral director for Wapsie Valley Schools in Fairbank, Iowa. “It was inspiring to see the joy that music can bring to so many, including some who may not have much else in their lives.”

Randi Spencer-Berg ’87—longtime music lover and Harmony-based physician—got it all started when she asked Luther faculty member Jill Wilson if she knew any music education students who might be interested in working with a group of seniors, some with memory loss.

Scaife jumped at the chance. “Nursing homes and assisted living communities were familiar environments for me because, growing up, I visited them with my dad when he was doing pastoral work,” he says. “I knew I would enjoy being around—and learning from—the seniors at the care center in Harmony.”

The feeling was mutual. More than two dozen residents joined Scaife (and sometimes other music education students) each week for hour-long sessions during which they would sing familiar folk songs such as “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” and play jingle bells, chimes, and other simple percussion instruments.

The sessions also inspired Scaife’s senior research project, conducted with Sarah Bowman ’16, which investigated the transformative power of music among the elderly. “We filmed the sessions and then analyzed the film for behavioral changes in the participants from the beginning to the end of the program,” he says.

Their conclusion: The more engaged the residents were in the music, the more responsive and lively they became over the course of the program.

“It was amazing to see that transformation, to see how music positively impacts both the body and the mind, no matter one’s age,” Scaife says. “To be there and to witness that reminded me that a career in music education was, without a doubt, my calling.”

—Sara Friedl-Putnam

Blaise Schaeffer turns ideas into action, from helping a food pantry to an IBM project

Blaise Schaeffer learned early in life that Decorah is home to many people in need.

“I grew up across the street from the food pantry operated by First Lutheran Church so I saw how many people came there for help,” he says. “I’m very fortunate that I’ve never had to worry about where my next meal is coming from, but there are lots of people in and around Decorah who face hunger every day.”

That realization inspired him to create Dining Dollars for Decorah as his service project for the Launching Luther Leaders program. To turn his idea into reality, Schaeffer—son of Scot Schaeffer, Luther vice president for enrollment management—sought out the expertise of Wayne Tudor, dining services general manager. The two devised a plan to encourage Luther students to donate any excess dining dollars in their accounts to buy food that the pantry desperately needed. “We raised nearly $3,000, which bought two six-foot-tall pallets of rice, beans, oats, and pasta,” says Schaeffer, a computer science major and four-year member (goalie) of the Norse soccer team. “It was mind-blowing to realize that one simple idea could make such a big difference for so many people.”

That can-do attitude translated to success well beyond Luther (and Decorah) as well. Following his junior year, Schaeffer was one of five college students—including Michael Moore ’16—chosen by the Rochester (Minn.) office of IBM to develop an administrators’ console for its Watson Oncology Advisor program. “The console will help hospital administrators better understand how physicians are using the program in their clinics,” he says. Schaeffer spearheaded the project’s “back end” development, writing the source code needed for delivery of data to its “front end.” The project  took top honors in IBM’s national summer intern competition in August 2015. “We were confident in the work we had done, but there were a lot of other cool projects—including image-recognition projects created by graduate students—in the running,” he says. “We were a bit shocked to win the award.”

Not surprisingly, IBM extended Schaeffer a formal job offer to work as a software engineer on its Watson Health Project following graduation. He began his job—at the company’s Raleigh, N.C., site—in August after returning from a 3,900-mile summer cycling adventure that took him across the United States, from Anacortes, Wash., to Bar Harbor, Maine. “It’s a pretty nerdy thing to say, but I love computer programming,” he says with a smile. “I’ve had an interest in technology for as long as I can remember, and I love the challenge of designing algorithms to solve real-world problems.”

—Sara Friedl-Putnam 

Catherine Lewis explores how dance alumni use movement in their careers

Catherine Lewis has explored a few careers, but it’s her dance practice that’s shaping how she’d like to help people. 

“I’ve always known I wanted to be a helper or a healer or some profession in that realm,” says the amiable Minnesotan. “But I’ve spent a lot of time trying to figure out: if my fit’s not in nursing, where is it?”

As a first-year student, Lewis was drawn to nursing because it offered a guaranteed career, but her embodied experience—what she learned in her dance and yoga practices—left her, she says, “searching for ways to communicate what I practice and feel in my body.”

Lewis changed her major from nursing to psychology and dance, where she felt at home with professor Jane Hawley ’87 and the Movement Fundamentals (MF) curriculum, which teaches somatic practices rather than specific styles of dance. Still interested in health work, however, she spent the summer of 2015 interning in Minnesota at Northfield Hospital & Clinics, where she got to job shadow in every field, including occupational therapy.

“A lot of what they were doing felt similar to one of the paired principles of MF, which is range and efficiency,” Lewis says. “One patient broke both arms, and she had to learn to use her nondominant hand and regain mobility in her shoulder. The occupational therapist’s job was to give her tools to live comfortably until her range changed again. That creativity is compelling to me.”

Still, Lewis felt disheartened by the idea that the work was reactive rather than preventive. “You’re waiting until someone has a reason to come see you, and I think if we trained people to use their bodies more effectively in the first place, then a lot of rehabilitation work wouldn’t be needed,” she says. “And unfortunately, only a small percentage of the population can afford to receive occupational therapy, and that’s a problem for me too.”

Unclear about how she could use her embodiment practices in a future career, Lewis devised an ambitious project. She applied for and received a grant from Luther’s Career Center, funded by an anonymous donor, to invite back to campus six graduates of the MF program who use the concepts in their professional lives. The graduates, who range from a chiropractor to a freelance dancer to a cook, shared their stories with the Luther community last semester.

“The MF curriculum is producing really important individuals. It’s producing professional dancers, but also people who are going into health or healing,” she says. “I saw each of the alumni using the MF curriculum in a way that’s meaningful for them; they transfer what they’ve learned and help people live in their bodies physically, or use the body in a counseling practice. It was really comforting and affirming to see that.”

Lewis started an occupational therapy master’s program at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee this fall.

—Kate Frentzel

For Sheldon Smith, sports serve to connect with kids, define his path in life

Sheldon Smith lights up when he talks about wrestling. “What made me really get engaged in it was that I’m a fan of close-combat movies, and the moves and the flow, getting in the groove—I see it almost as a set of dance moves,” he says. He took up the sport in high school in Sunrise, Fla., and was recruited to Luther’s wrestling team after a friend sent in a tape of his matches.

One thing that Smith loves about the sport is the chance to hold himself accountable and improve on his mistakes, and that’s a lesson he carried into his academic life when he decided to join the TRIO program during J-term his first year at Luther. “I struggled with a couple of things, and my mindset wasn’t really ready for that college-level learning,” he says. “They were offering help, and they gave me the academic tools I needed for class. It really made me hold myself more accountable.”

Smith is the first person in his family to attend college, and it’s important to him to set an example for his siblings, in particular his younger sister. “She asks a lot of questions about college, and it’s cool to see she’s at least thinking about it at 15,” he says.

After deciding on a social work major his freshman year, Smith did two externships at the federal courthouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, once shadowing a court marshal and once a probation officer. But he approaches his future career much like a wrestler sizing up an opponent: with great care and deliberation.

During his summers at Luther, Smith worked as a counselor at Luther’s wrestling camps for middle and high school students. “The first year, I didn’t know what to expect or if kids would like me, but it turned out really well,” he says. “I had a good time, they had a good time, and after thinking some more, I decided that I wanted to work with kids, maybe troubled youth.”

So for his in-field practicum his senior year, Smith decided to work with Girls in the Game, a nonprofit that empowers girls in Chicago to lead healthy, positive, confident lives.

Smith worked with an afterschool program on Chicago’s South Side, coordinating sports and other activities and leading conversations about health and leadership. The experience reinforced that he’d like to work with kids in middle or early high school. “That age group strikes me because they’re beginning to think on their own,” he says. “I see the changes that they make while being involved in the program. It’s an awesome experience just observing some of those changes, and that’s where I can be most beneficial. That’s where I can make the most happen. That’s where I can help.”
Smith plans to spend a year gaining experience in a youth-oriented program before starting a master’s program in social work.

—Kate Frentzel

Jesse Hitz Graff credits family with helping to develop his strengths

Jesse Hitz Graff grew up with seven siblings across three households, and he gives credit to his family for setting him on the path to Luther and beyond.

“You feel loved when you come home,” he says. “All the siblings mob you at the door. I’d much rather have three houses where I’m accepted than one where I’m not. My family’s built me into the person I am.”

It’s easy to see how Hitz Graff’s family dynamics have influenced his Luther career. For one thing, it was his older brother, Isaac ’14, an Ultimate Frisbee player, who brought Jesse to Luther. “St. Olaf and Carleton didn’t have Isaac, and they didn’t have Isaac on an Ultimate team,” he jokes. He describes getting involved with Luther’s Ultimate B-team, Pound, which he captained for two years, as “the best decision I made at Luther. My first home here was Pound.”

It was because he missed his younger siblings that Hitz Graff became a buddy in Luther’s PALS program, where he acted as a role model for an area student. “You take a lot of what you do in college for granted, you get tired often, so it’s cool to have the young, vibrant enthusiasm and the wonder of a child in your life,” he says.

You could say, too, that family dynamics helped Hitz Graff excel in math and science. “The only medals I have from childhood are three math competition medals. Especially when you have a household of eight siblings, you try to find the things that make you unique,” he says.

Last summer, Hitz Graff worked in the lab of Erin Flater ’01, associate professor of physics, to study the durability and longevity of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices, which are found in everything from cell phones to airbags. He focused on how silicon oxide wears on aluminum oxide, two common MEMS materials, to try to determine whether laws that govern the wear of surfaces of large objects also apply at the microscale (he concluded that they do not). Hitz Graff presented his research at the Midstates Consortium for Math and Science in Chicago last fall.

This fall, he begins a Ph.D. program in electrical engineering at the University of Minnesota. Growing up, his dad would have “lamp hours,” when the family would turn off overhead lights, so environmentalism was already in Hitz Graff’s mind when he took Luther’s J-term class Green Germany and Norway in 2015. Most of the renewable-energy experts the class learned from were working in electrical engineering, and that sealed the deal. “I don’t see myself as a volunteer or nonprofit worker,” he says, “but I can use whatever tools I get as an engineer to improve renewable energy and give back that way.”

—Kate Frentzel

Photos by Will Heller '16 and Madeline Miller '19

Erika Balk ’16 studied in Luther’s Malta Program in spring 2015. She shot this photo in Santorini, Greece, during spring break. “The white buildings clashed against the bright blue sky and were like unlike anything I'd ever seen before,” she says. “It was so fun to walk the canals through all these buildings and watch the community there interact.”

Johanna Beaupre ’18 traveled to Cuba during J-term 2016 with the course Language and Culture in the Spanish-Speaking World. She says: “I took this photo one afternoon on our way home to our casas particulares (host homes). It had rained much of the trip, and this hint of sunshine after the rain was the start to our beautiful final weekend in Cuba. I like this photo because it shows a typical Havana neighborhood with its criss-crossing wires and diverse architecture, along with the classic old car that everyone expects of Cuba.”

Andrew Braun ’18 took the course Language and Culture in the Spanish-Speaking World during J-term 2016. “On a relaxing Sunday afternoon, we had the opportunity to go horseback riding in the beautiful farming region just outside of Salamanca,” he says. “As our guides helped us get saddled up, the afternoon sun made things seem almost majestic.”

Emily Holm ’17 studied in Norway during summer 2015 as a participant in the Peace Scholars program. Holm’s group stopped only briefly at this small Norwegian town, but she says this photo became one of her favorite shots from the summer.

Erin Ellefsen ’17 got this shot while with the course Art and Cultural Perspectives: European Art History, Gothic, Renaissance, and the New Media Art, traveling in Italy and France during January Term 2016. Pictured is course instructor Richard Merritt, Luther professor of art, in the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris. Ellefsen says: “I took this photo because Monet’s Water Lilies is such a famous work that we got the privilege of seeing in person. It was an exciting moment for our whole trip.”

Aaron Fargo ’16 was part of the J-term 2016 Paideia 450 class Stability and Change in Vietnam. He shot this photo when the class was in the Mekong Delta and paddled in some of the traditional boats that traverse the delta’s canals.

Ryan Goos ’16 spent spring 2015 with the Spanish Studies Abroad program in Córdoba, Argentina. He got this shot during a trip that he took with friends to Los Glaciares National Park in El Chaltén, Argentina, in the Patagonia region. They traveled in the park for a week, doing day hikes to the bases of various mountains.

Kennedy Helberg ’18 was a part of the crew for the class Tales of the Sea on the windjammer Roseway during January Term 2016 in the Virgin Islands. While swimming, she took this photo of the Roseway in the distance.

Laura Johnson ’17 studied in Cape Town, South Africa, in fall 2015 with a Marquette University service-learning trip and took this photo at a walk to celebrate Women’s Day in South Africa. She says: “The NGO that I worked for, the South African Faith and Family Institute (SAFFI), played a major role in organizing the event. Over 8,000 people participated on this walk through downtown Cape Town in solidarity and in support of women all over the world. It was truly a surreal experience, walking hand in hand with women of all backgrounds and colors and beliefs. It was beautiful. My friends are holding the SAFFI banner on the far left, and the mountain in the back is called Devil’s Peak.”

Jacy Mahoney ’16 spent spring 2015 with the ISA (International Studies Abroad) Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic program. She took this photo at a park in the heart of Prague, where locals enjoy spending time and taking in the view of Prague Castle.

McKenna Campbell-Potter ’16 was part of the January Term 2016 class Environmental Implications of Eco-Adventure Growth in Central America. While in Hol Chan Marine Reserve, Ambergris Caye, Belize, she shot this underwater photo of a green sea turtle in a bed of sea grass.

Megan Oliver ’19 spent J-term 2016 in New Mexico with the Education 185 class doing observation in area schools. While exploring Red Rock Park in Church Rock, N.M., she says, “Some of us were very intrigued by this little narrow passageway between these huge red rocks.”

Olivia Heitz ’16 participated in the Associated Colleges of the Midwest’s London and Florence: Arts in Context program in spring 2015.  She was in Venice during the Carnevale and shot this photo of a participant. “This woman’s enthusiasm and joy for the Venice Carnevale is unmistakable. The colorful flowers surrounding her perfectly emulate the sense of wonder and happiness that fills the streets (and canals) in Venice,” Heitz says. 

Vicky Torillas ’17 was on Luther’s yearlong Nottingham Program in 2015–16 and shot this photo at the University of Nottingham. Writing from England, she says, “I took this picture because the weather here is completely different than in Decorah. Fog is something that’s interesting to me, and I felt that this picture symbolized my experience here in Nottingham, first being a bit lost and confused but then comes clarity.”

Tricia Serres ’16 traveled to Hawaii in May and June of 2015 with the course Practicing Embodiment. “We lived, learned, and worked on an eco-organic farm, Hale Akua Garden Farm,” Serres says. “All of the vegetables were organically grown, and organic, free range chickens supplied them with eggs. We helped work on the farm, planting, harvesting, and making compost.” Here, students create compost piles.

Abbey Syme ’16 studied in Norway during fall 2015 through a program sponsored by Volda University College. Here, two of Syme’s classmates, from England and Luxembourg, take a last deep breath of Norway’s sea air at the end of the semester. 

Aubree Tsurusaki ’17 spent January Term 2016 volunteering in Kathmandu, Nepal, with an organization called Projects Abroad. She participated in an independent study through Luther’s Education Department and taught English to a first-grade class in Nepal. She also helped rebuild a school that was damaged in the spring 2015 earthquakes, and spent a week working in a home for children living with HIV/AIDS.  Tsurusaki shot this photo after a sunrise hike in Pokhara, Nepal. “Nepal's air is pretty polluted, so it's a rare occurrence to see the Himalayas amid all the smog/fog during this time of the year!” she says.

Ivy Truong ’16 studied in Norway in spring 2015 through the University Studies Abroad Consortium.  She is shown here at Pulpit Rock (Preikestolen) in a photo taken by Australian classmate Gloria Liang. Truong says: “This breathtaking scenic point is 604 meters above the Lysefjord, and it took my friend and me about two hours of hiking to reach the place. It was really refreshing to be there and feel the closeness to nature, one of the Norwegian characteristics I learned of during my time there.” 

Olivia Heitz ’16 participated in the Associated Colleges of the Midwest’s London and Florence: Arts in Context program in spring 2015.  Traveling in Germany, she took this photo at the Sachsenhausen concentration camp in Oranienburg, 22 miles north of Berlin.  She says: “As I was facing the sunken doors of the gas chambers, I caught a glimpse of a ghostlike figure peering back at me. Soon after I jumped backward with a racing heart, I realized it was my own reflection in the dusty windows. The eerie sensation never left me as I finished walking the grounds of the camp.”

2000–2009 / 2010–2015

2000

Matthew Brant earned a master of theology degree from Dallas Theological Seminary. He is pastor at North Scott Baptist Church in Pardeeville, Wis.

Chris Kjonaas is the associate director of international engagement at San Diego State University.

Julie (Perrault) LaSota is a regional property manager for Lincoln Property Company in Brooklyn Park, Minn.

Becki (Mensing) LeGrant teaches science at Wonderful College Prep Academy in Delano, Calif.

Adam Richards is an agriculture industry specialist for Wells Fargo in Dodge Center, Minn. He was named to the Wells Fargo Great Lakes Region Circle of Stars.

Leah Rohlfsen is associate professor of sociology at St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y.

Jason Soland is a financial adviser with Ameriprise Financial Services in Decorah, and he earned the certified financial planner designation.

2001

Rebekah Gilmore is associate musician and director of the Cathedral Choir School at St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral in Seattle. She is the founder and artistic director of Ave Renaissance Women’s Choir and sings soprano with the Byrd Ensemble, Capella Romana, Intimate Baroque, and St. James Cathedral Cantorei.

Jessica (Turall) Stenz earned a master of business administration degree and graduate certificate of nonprofit management from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. She is the manager of administration for Kaztex Companies in Pewaukee, Wis.

2002

Roy Brown Sartin is director of operations and cofounder of Leave No Veteran Behind in Chicago.

Carl-Eric Gentes is the associate pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Rochester, Minn.

Molly Goodwin is stage manager for Troika Entertainment in Gaithersburg, Md. She works on the Wizard of Oz national tour.

Michael McGregor is a realtor at Coldwell Banker Burnet in Minneapolis.

Lisa Moe Meierkort is the adult services librarian for the Frankfort (Ill.) Public Library District.

David Pendergast is assistant general counsel for Hyperloop Technologies in Los Angeles.

Kelly Shinn earned a master of social work degree from the University of Denver. She is program and garden director for Earthlinks and co-facilitates several graduate-level classes in Denver.

Laura Zamzow Lynch is associate professor of music and the director of bands at University of Jamestown (N.D.).

2003

Jessica Aguilar and Anthony Pizer live in Sioux Falls, S.D. She is the enterprise executive director of Sanford Initiatives for Sanford Health Research. He is a recruiter for Thrivent Financial.

Jon Bengtson is a client service analyst for Mercer in Iowa City, Iowa.

Narren Brown is the associate director of the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment at Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa.

Emily Dreiling earned master’s and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Northern Colorado. She is a clinical psychologist at Clinical Psychology Services in Fairfax, Va.

Peter Eliason earned a master of science degree in predictive analytics from Northwestern University. He is a senior data scientist at Polaris Industries in Plymouth, Minn.

Tim Fink is director of research and policy analysis for the Supporters of Agricultural Research Foundation in Arlington, Va.

Liz (Langkamp) Gullick is high school choir director for the South Washington County Schools in White Bear Lake, Minn.

Jana (Chmelar) Klauke is vice president of human resources and talent management for DivvyDose in Rock Island, Ill.

Kelly Shomper is a teacher in the Minneapolis Public Schools.

Joe Sievers is talent acquisition consultant for Glanbia Performance Nutrition in Downers Grove, Ill.

Joel Sommers is an estate planning, trust, and legal consultant for Fiduciary Counseling in St. Paul, Minn.

Josh Visser is a senior sales support specialist for Kronos in Bloomington, Minn.

Beth Willer earned a doctor of musical arts degree in choral conducting from Boston University. She is assistant professor of music and director of choral activities at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pa., and founder and artistic director of Lorelei Ensemble. In 2014, Willer received the prestigious Louis Botto Award for Innovative Action and Entrepreneurial Zeal, and Boston University’s Kahn Career Entry Award.

2004

Courtney Allensworth of Minneapolis is an attorney and adviser for the Office of the Solicitor for the Unites States Department of the Interior.

Carrie (Christiansen) Binnie is pastor at Community United Methodist Church in Monticello, Minn.

Bridget Boehmer is a therapist in the intensive outpatient program at Genesis Medical Center in Davenport, Iowa.

Barry Bosacker is principal at C.P. Squires Elementary School in North Las Vegas, Nev.

Kim Christensen earned a master’s degree in oriental medicine from Northwestern Health Sciences University. She is a licensed acupuncturist and owner of Constellation Acupuncture and Healing Arts in Minneapolis.

Cassie (Mack) Fehlen is the owner and aesthetician of Skin MPLS in Edina, Minn.

James Gregg is the owner and director of operations of Renters Warehouse in Kansas City, Mo.

Tyler Hesseltine of Bloomington, Minn., is a consulting arborist for Davey Tree Expert Company.

Annie Hibbs and Erik Ulness live in Minneapolis. She is the senior wellness coach of Optum. He is operations manager of Ulness Health Insurance and Wellness.

Kari Karsnick is the director of the Business Unit Controls Office in the Operations Division for Allianz Life Financial Services in Minneapolis.

Jessica (Jansen) Nicoletti is adjunct math instructor at Governors State University in University Park, Ill.

Anthony Nunez earned two master’s degrees from Las Vegas College: one in curriculum and instruction and the other in instructional leadership. He is principal at Jacob E. Manch Elementary School in Las Vegas, Nev.

Rachel Peterson is chief program and marketing officer for Norway House in Minneapolis and a committee member of the Norway House Minnesota Peace Initiative.

Becky (Knott) Porter is a therapy consultant for Medtronic in Bettendorf, Iowa.

Michael Toso is malaria program officer at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs in Baltimore.

Joshua Wrolstad earned a master of social work degree from Portland (Ore.) State University. He is a truancy prevention case manager for Northwest Family Services in Portland.

Salahuddin Yusuf is first officer A-310 for Pakistan International Airline in Islamabad.

2005

Bonnie (Audino) and Matt Cessna ’06 live in Coralville, Iowa. She earned a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene from Minnesota State University and is a dental hygienist at North Liberty Dental. He earned a doctor of physical therapy degree from the University of Iowa, and an orthopedic specialist certificate from the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties. He is a physical therapist at Progressive Rehabilitation Associates in Iowa City, Iowa.

Andrea Dean is assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine in the Department of Pediatric Hospital Medicine in Houston.

2006

Liz Boehmke earned a master’s degree in early childhood special education from the University of St. Thomas. She is an early childhood family education and school readiness teacher for Pine Island (Minn.) School District.

Jess Burgstahler earned a master’s degree in healthcare administration from Capella University. She is a dietitian for the Minneapolis VA Health Care System.

Brad Dickey is director and CEO of Jackson Hole Behavioral Services in Jackson, Wyo.

Jen (Miller Meyer) Donovan completed a family medicine psychiatry residency at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. She is a faculty physician for the Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Medical Education Foundation.

Nathan Evans is marketing director at Kodet Architectural Group in Minneapolis and the owner and creative director of Middle Child Ink.

Tyler Forsythe teaches music at Inver Grove Heights (Minn.) Middle School.

Amy (Hartmann) Frith is a registered nurse at Fairview Ridges Hospital in Burnsville, Minn.

Jillian (Riley) Gluesenkamp is a registered nurse at the University of Minnesota Medical Center in Minneapolis.

Solomon Gould of Maple Grove, Minn., earned a master of business administration degree in healthcare management from Southern New Hampshire University. He is an optometrist and director of professional relations at Vision Group Holdings in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Claire (Brenton) and Aaron Haedike live in Richfield, Minn. Claire earned a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from Argosy University and a doctor of psychology degree in counseling psychology from the University of St. Thomas. She is a marriage and family therapist at Lakeville Behavioral Health. Aaron earned a master’s degree in business administration from the University of St. Thomas. He is a currency teller at the Federal Reserve Bank.

Kirsten Halverson is executive director of Buy Fresh Buy Local Hampton Roads in Norfolk, Va.

Christine (Paulu) Handler of Houghton, Mich., is environmental coordinator for the U.S. Forest Service.

Elizabeth Harig is a registered nurse for the University of California–Davis Medical Group in Sacramento.

Jocelyn (Jansen) Herby is a teacher for the Hopkins (Minn.) Public Schools.

Katie (Willenborg) Johnston is an instructional coach for the Dallas Center–Grimes (Iowa) Community Schools.

Katie (Striegel) Josephson is a Chinese medicine practitioner for Ventura County Acupuncture and Herbs in Westlake Village, Calif.

Jeff Kost is a special education associate for the Marion (Iowa) Independent School District.

Michelle Krantz is hemophilia nurse coordinator for the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.

Jana Lelm is fleet vehicle manager and OneCard program coordinator at Carleton College in Northfield, Minn.

Laura (Gray) Mack teaches Spanish for the Coatesville (Pa.) School District.

Elizabeth Matzen is operations manager for Alliant Employee Benefits in Seattle.

Katie (Gherty) McCabe is recruiting manager at GleasonDale Search Consultants in St. Paul, Minn.

Dan Milis is a chemist for Medtronic in St. Paul, Minn.

Michelle Monson Klisanich is partner, founder, and lead financial consultant for the West End Office of Thrivent Financial in St. Louis Park, Minn.

Seth Moucka is director of EAB performance technologies at the Advisory Board Company in Washington, D.C.

Aaron Murphy is owner of Spruced Up Staging in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In January 2016 he filmed a pilot for an HGTV show about his life as a real estate stager. HGTV will continue to film the first season in May.

Andy Nelson is a financial securities planner for Foster Klima in Minneapolis.

Laura (Elliott) Nelson teaches grades 5–12 instrumental music at St. Albert Catholic High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Ben Nemec of Rochester, Minn., is a senior software engineer at Red Hat.

Kevin Oppermann owns and farms Highland Spring Farm in Oregon, Wis., which provides pasture-raised eggs and meats (chicken, pork, and signature Scottish Highland beef) direct to consumer and to Madison-area restaurants.

Justin Papka is supervisor of contracts operations for Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute in Washington, D.C.

Kyle Petersen is senior consultant for Nordic Consulting Partners in Madison, Wis.

Laura Schnack is associate dean of students at Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill.

Tiffany Schulte is account manager for the American Red Cross in St. Paul, Minn.

John Sill is registrar and customer outreach specialist for the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis.

Laura (Hanson) Spilde of Calmar, Iowa, is the author of 200 Day Biblical Classical Curriculum, available on Amazon.com. She also writes two blogs, raggedycottagegarden.blogspot.com and hens-and-chicks.blogspot.com.

Brad Stuart is the president and financial adviser at WPF Wealth Management in Clinton, Iowa.

Christina (Alderson) Vanderbeek is a crisis counselor at Summit Stone Health Partners in Fort Collins, Colo.

T.J. Webb is an environmental specialist for Michael Foods in Minnetonka, Minn.

Kirsten (Plahn) White is a hospitalist at Fairview Southdale Hospital in Edina, Minn.

Elissa (Wiger) Yaw earned a master of science degree from Winona State University. She is a nurse practitioner at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

2007

Derek Broman earned a master’s degree in wildlife ecology from the University of New Hampshire. He is the carnivore and furbearer coordinator for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife in Salem.

Johanna Crock earned a master’s degree in nursing with specialization as an adult and geriatric nurse practitioner from the University of Colorado. She is a nurse practitioner in the Cancer Center at the University of Colorado Hospital in Denver.

Bjorn Hanson earned a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the Illinois Institute of Technology. He is a psychologist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Allison (Kruger) and Daniel Herman ’06 live in Boone, Iowa. She is an occupational therapist and OT director at 21st Century Rehab in Nevada, Iowa. He earned a master’s degree in diplomacy with an emphasis on international terrorism from Norwich University.

Jamie (Holmberg) and Steven Kain live in Maple Grove, Minn. Jamie earned a master’s degree in physician assistant studies from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She is a physician assistant at Twin Cities Orthopedics. Steven earned a master’s degree in business administration from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. He works in business development for Medtronic.

Rachel (Giese) Kellogg is a self-employed licensed massage therapist at Ogema Massage in Ogema, Wis.

Ben Kissling is student success coach at Inver Grove Heights (Minn.) Middle School.

Daniel Le Guen-Schmidt works in human resources and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory in Lexington, Mass.

Garrett McAllister is lead mechanic at the Cycling House in Missoula, Mont.

Anna (Amundson) Oksnevad of Crystal, Minn., is a customer team marketing manager at Duracell.

Tyler Strand is marketing coordinator for the University of Iowa Alumni Association in Iowa City.

Anna (Winter) and Adam Tlougan ’06 live in Apple Valley, Minn. She is an early childhood teacher for Hastings Public Schools. He is facility and safety manager for Werner Electric.

Sarah (Warner) Warbuck of St. Louis Park, Minn., is associate manager of digital marketing for Wiley.

Alyssa Wehr is a day treatment child and family therapist at Washburn Center for Children in Minneapolis.

Allan Welter-Frost earned a master’s degree in public health from Boston University and a medical doctorate from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. He is a physician at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.

Julia Zaffarano is homeless programs coordinator for the Colorado Department of Local Affairs–Division of Housing in Denver.

2008

Kate Andersen works in the English Language Center for Koç Universitesi in Istanbul.

Jesse Angelo earned a master’s degree in acting from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He is an actor in London, England.

Danielle (Stork) Bruflodt is director of strategy at the Inner Wild Creative Company in Madison, Wis.

Nina Catterall is an HR/ER specialist at Nordic Consulting Partners in Madison, Wis.

Amy Christenson is senior manager of organizational development and internal communications at KFC Thailand in Bangkok.

Hilary (Young) Dolan earned a doctor of physical therapy degree from Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. She is a physical therapist for TRIA Orthopaedics in Minneapolis.

Luke Fier is senior financial analyst for Tennant Company NV in Berchem, Belgium.

Rebecca (Mehl) Gamble earned a master of divinity from Luther Seminary and is the pastor of outreach and care ministries at Shepherd of the Lake Lutheran Church in Prior Lake, Minn.

Becky (Frederick) Jordan teaches special education for the Roseville (Minn.) Area Schools.

Kevin Kooienga earned a professional counselor license from the Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy and is an upper elementary counselor for the International School of Beijing in China.

Kalli Ledel is a pharmacist for University of Minnesota Cancer Care in Minneapolis.

Rachel (Donahoe) and Michael Marquardt live in North Liberty, Iowa. Rachel earned a juris doctor degree from the University of Iowa College of Law. She is an associate attorney at Lynch, Michael, and Raiber. Michael earned a medical doctorate and master’s degree in public health from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. He is a resident physician in radiation oncology at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

Laura (Hockley) McKain teaches English at Rock River (Wyo.) High School.

Bryan Mullen of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is a traveling registered nurse for Fusion Medical Staffing.

Kelsey (O’Connell) Nelson is a recruiter for U.S. Bank in Richfield, Minn.

John Schroeher is a business banker for Decorah Bank and Trust in Decorah.

Thomas Sines is an associate at Paul Hastings in New York.

Amanda Weber is a doctoral student in conducting at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. She is also the founder and conductor for the Voices of Hope singers behind the walls of the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Shakopee, leading a group of inmates in a spirited prison outreach choir and bringing U of M student choir members there to commingle talents.

Sebrinia (Madsen) Welch is the GEAR UP grant manager for the Denver (Colo.) Public Schools.

2009

Alison Brandell-Douglas earned a juris doctor degree from the University of St. Thomas School of Law in St. Paul, Minn. She is an immigration attorney for the Federal Immigration Court in Minneapolis. Last year she was a long-term volunteer at the Nature Conservancy in Lima, Peru, and returned in April 2016.

Zach Busch is director of worship and music at University Lutheran Church of Hope in Minneapolis.

Kristine Dennis earned a master’s degree in public health, global epidemiology, from Emory University. She is center administrator for HERCULES: Health and Exposome Research Center: Understanding Lifetime Exposure at Emory University in Atlanta.

Emily Ewing is pastor for Trinity Fellowship (ELCA) and First Presbyterian Church in Rushford, Minn.

Jessica (Watson) Hazelton is catering sales manager for Slalom Consulting in Minneapolis.

Blake Humpal is associate product line manager for JELD-WEN Windows and Doors and the global sourcing manager at JELD-WEN in Charlotte, N.C.

Jerry Jaeger is executive resolution specialist for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage in Des Moines, Iowa.

Cade Loven is working on two short films as part of the graduate degree program at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. He is the producer of Plea, a film that follows someone who has been in foster care in Los Angeles but is put into juvenile detention after a woman files rape charges against him. He is also the screenwriter for Manners of Dying, a film based on a short story written by Yann Martel, the author of Life of Pi. Loven held a screening of several short films produced by his peers at T-Bocks Upstairs in Decorah last December.

Chad Nelson works in business development at Schwob Building Company in Dallas.

Thomas Orser earned a master’s degree in accountancy from Texas Christian University. He is a tax manager at Fitts, Roberts, and Company in Houston.

Eric Schultz is a compliance consultant for Wells Fargo Bank in Minneapolis.

Katie (Sackett) Stadheim is an HR generalist for CRST International in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Kristin Swedlund is a membership specialist for Wisconsin Public Television in Madison.

2010

Carson Christen is a team coach and sport scientist at Cycling Academy Pro Cycling Team in Lucca, Italy.

Danielle (Berg) and Josiah Collins live in Thornton, Colo. Danielle earned a master’s degree in education from Concordia University of Nebraska. She teaches third grade at the Pinnacle Charter School in Denver. Josiah is a healthcare IT consultant for Hayes Management Consulting.

Nyssa Crompton earned a Ph.D. in environmental chemistry from Princeton University and is a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis.

Kelsey (Mans) and Michael Crusinberry live in St. Paul, Minn. She is the youth specialist at Trinity Lutheran Church in St. Paul. He is a data analyst for the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.

Brad Foresman earned a Ph.D. in crop sciences from the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign. He is a soybean plant breeder for Dow AgroSciences in Olivia, Minn.

Erin Green is a travel designer for Pique Travel Design in Excelsior, Minn.

Rachel Haug Root of Bloomington, Minn., earned a doctor of musical arts degree in flute performance from Ohio State University.

Mark Knowles received a paralegal certificate from Rasmussen College. He is a paralegal and executive closer at Executive Title of Minnesota in Golden Valley.

Julia (Santi) Kohls is a staffing consultant at Express Employment Professionals in Crystal Lake, Ill.

Eric Krueger is enterprise account executive at SPS Commerce in Minneapolis. He was awarded the 2015 President’s Club Outstanding Productivity Award from SPS Commerce for the third consecutive year.

Kim Lambert of Minneapolis is a physical therapist for Fairview Health Services in Minneapolis. She is also a softball performance coach for Mayo Clinic and coaches fast-pitch softball for Fastpitch Pitching Instruction.

Sarah Luloff teaches first grade at Dayton’s Bluff Achievement Plus Elementary School in St. Paul, Minn.

Meg McCormick is a public relations specialist at Faegre Baker Daniels in Minneapolis.

Ashley (Henderson) Miller teaches special education for the Orcutt (Calif.) Union School District.

Jeff Riddle of Waupaca, Wis., is an oncology nurse at St. Joseph’s Hospital. He participated in a mission trip to Guatemala last January with St. Paul and Immanuel Guatemala Missions.

Alec Schumacher earned a doctor of physical therapy degree from the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse. He is a physical therapist at Courage Kenny Sports and Physical Therapy in Shoreview, Minn.

Aaron Shatzer is an actuarial analyst for PacificSource Health Plans in Springfield, Ore.

Molly (Weber) and Eric St. Clair live in Ankeny, Iowa. She is a nurse for UnityPoint Health. He is a consultant for the Iowa Department of Education.

Brianne Thicke earned a master’s degree in biological studies from South Dakota State University in 2015. She is a research technologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Aaron Zander is the development assistant in alumni relations and development at the University of Chicago and the assistant men’s and women’s swimming coach at Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago.

Sara Zanussi is founder and executive programming director for ComMUSICation in St. Paul, Minn. Zanussi’s work was featured in a Chorus America article, “El Sistema for Choruses,” in the winter 2015/16 edition of The Voice. ComMUSICation’s choral programs draw more than 50 students who live in the area served by the St. Paul Promise Neighborhood initiative, a federal program that takes a community-based approach to improving outcomes for children.

2011

Hannah (Wiles) Anderson is a doctor of chiropractic in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She launched Well Labs, an eastern Iowa-based wellness company, along with chiropractor Calla Kleene and nutritionist Alexa Schirm, to combat what they see as an American healthcare crisis. “Nutrition is perhaps the single most important factor in disease prevention,” says Anderson, who serves as the company’s chief product officer. Well Labs is an e-commerce business that delivers allergen-free, physician-grade nutritional supplements to their customers’ doors.

Kelsey Anderson is assistant director for prospect development at the University of Iowa in Iowa City.

Courtney Brown is a senior claims professional at CUNA Mutual Group in Waverly, Iowa.

Katie Campbell is education and events specialist for Mississippi Market Natural Foods Co-op in St. Paul, Minn.

Katie Deaver is director of music ministries at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Des Plaines, Ill.

Abby Herman earned a master’s degree in education from the University of Minnesota. She teaches kindergarten at Independent School District 196 in Rosemount, Minn.

Kimberly Horner is the co-coordinator of Tackling Obstacles and Raising College Hopes (TORCH) at Northfield (Minn.) High School.

Amanda (Eckhardt) and Cody Hyland ’10 live in Holmen, Wis. She earned a doctor of dental surgery degree from the University of Iowa Dental College and is a dentist at River Town Dental. He works for Transamerica.

Krist Kietzmann is a self-employed real estate agent in Phoenix, Ariz.

Ryan Kitchen earned a master of fine arts degree from the Maryland Institute College of Art Hoffberger School of Painting in Baltimore.

Zach Kotz works for Green Iowa AmeriCorps at the University of Northern Iowa’s Center for Energy and Environmental Education in Cedar Falls.

Adam Kruse is a flight instructor at Hillsboro (Ore.) Aviation Academy.

Mac Latham Grundmeyer and Kyle Grundmeyer ’09 live in Ankeny, Iowa. Mac is a team leader at Sammons Financial Group. Kyle is a chiropractor and owner of the Health Clinic.

J.J. Lillibridge earned a master of science degree in recreation, sport, and tourism from the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign. He is recreation coordinator for the city of Round Rock, Texas.

Nicole Littlejohn earned a doctorate in pharmacology from the University of Iowa in Iowa City.

Beckie Lovell Dillahunty is a buyer for Target Corporation in St. Paul, Minn.

Erik Mortens earned a doctor of osteopathic medicine degree from Des Moines University. He is a physician at UnityPoint Health in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Michael Olson is account executive at CCC Technologies in Wood Dale, Ill.

Samantha (Murry) Pilsner teaches Spanish for the Waunakee (Wis.) Community School District.

Jason Pyle earned a master of education degree in sports management from Wichita State University. He is event manager in the Athletic Department at Iowa State University in Ames.

Ryan Ruggiero earned the certified public accountant designation and is senior financial analyst for Best Buy in Richfield, Minn.

Collin Thompson is farm manager and program instructor at Michigan State University in Chatham.

Justin Tigerman is pastor at Faith Lutheran Church in Caldwell, Idaho.

Rachel (Albert) Yim teaches biology and biochemistry at the Missouri Military Academy in Mexico, Mo.

2012

Allyson Batis is a preschool literary tutor for the Minnesota Reading Corps in Minneapolis and an administrative team member at Whole Foods Market in St. Paul, Minn.

Derek Broin is a software developer for HomeSpotter in Minneapolis.

Matthew Christoffersen of Des Moines, Iowa, is an audit analyst for Global Atlantic Financial Group. He also announced his candidacy for the Iowa House of Representatives for District 31.

Thomas Gerber earned a master’s degree in choral conducting from University of Cincinnati. He is the music director and glee club moderator, and he teaches music history and theory at Bishop England High School in Charleston, S.C. He also sings bass-baritone in VAE of Cincinnati, Taylor Festival Choir, and is the cantor at Cathedral of St. John the Baptist.

Erik Hageness is a senior relocation counselor at Plus Relocation Services in Minneapolis.

Carah (Claflin) Hart earned a master’s degree in teaching from Drake University. She is the elementary vocal music specialist for the Hopkins Public School in Minnetonka, Minn.

Kelly Hyland is a research historian at Musco Sports Lighting in Oskalooska, Iowa.

Chelsi (Hammon) and Cassie Jahn ’14 live in Spirit Lake, Iowa. Chelsi earned a master of social work degree from Minnesota State University–Mankato and is an outpatient therapist at Seasons Center for Behavioral Health. Cassie is program director for Lutheran Lakeside Camp.

Hannah Janaky of Lafayette, Colo., is a resident adviser at Rocky Mountain Pathways Ranch.

Eric Johnson of Mendota Heights, Minn., is a financial representative with Northwestern Mutual. He also participates with Team in Training for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Danielle Koch is a project/program coordinator and freelance booking agent at GIGS (Gaining Insight Growing Self) in Minneapolis, and is a writing workshop coordinator intern at Mid-Continent Oceanographic Institute.

Katelyn (Bottem) and Justin Marschall live in Madison, Wis. Justin earned a master’s degree in psychology and a certificate in quantitative psychology from Iowa State University. He is the customer satisfaction data analyst for D.M. Services in Monroe, Wis.

Erik Mattson is an account manager at TCS Basys Controls in Middleton, Wis.

Anna Murray is an admissions counselor for 2U in Denver.

Meghan Pedersen is a vacations sales agent for MLT Vacations in Edina, Minn., and assistant store manager at Caribou Coffee.

Amy Sandager is a bench jeweler at Spirit Lake Silver and Gold in Spirit Lake, Iowa.

Haylie (Fercho) Schmit is a property and casualty support specialist for M3 Insurance in Madison, Wis.

Greg Siems earned a master’s degree in political science from the University of Notre Dame. He is director of Vision 2020 in Austin, Minn.

Erin (Eggum) Spanczak is a senior financial analyst at Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

2013

Katie Baratto earned a master’s degree in library and information science from St. Catherine’s University. She is a library assistant at the University of Minnesota Law Library in Minneapolis.

Emma Benson teaches kindergarten for the Winona (Minn.) Area Public Schools.

Jordan Burkhart is a graduate assistant at Iowa State University in Ames.

Shannon Curtis is the grades 6–8 band director at Zimmerman (Minn.) Middle and High School.

Emily Davis earned a master’s degree in vocal performance from Southern Illinois University–Carbondale. She is an adjunct voice faculty member at Silver Lake College in Manitowoc, Wis.

Anna DiCecco earned a master’s degree in sports administration from Northwestern University. She is account executive for Camelback Ranch Baseball in Phoenix, Ariz.

Mara Dobervich of Sacramento, Calif., is a job coach at Community Integrated Work Program.

Mark Gisleson is a quality control entomologist analyst at Valent Biosciences in Osage, Iowa.

Melanie Grangaard is copy editor for the Vail Daily in Avon, Colo.

Eric Hild is a digital press operator for Sigler Printing in Ames, Iowa.

Zach Hruska is a software developer for MEDITECH in Minnetonka, Minn.

Nicole Kivo is an account associate for News America Marketing in Minneapolis.

Hannah Krystosek is a registered nurse at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and also a competitive bodybuilder.

Jess Landgraf is an instructor at Voyageur Outward Bound School in St. Paul, Minn.

Michelle Lursen is an independent business accountant at SuperValu in Eden Prairie, Minn.

Quinn Meyer earned an Ed.S. degree from the University of Northern Colorado. She is a school psychologist for Hiawatha Valley Education District in Winona, Minn., and a program coordinator at Camp Knutson.

Paxton Molinari is assistant men’s basketball coach at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Thabiso Monyakane is in the graduate student program at Deloitte in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Hannah Myott is a freelance writer and translator in New Zealand.

Kennedy Reed is a school psychologist at Southern Door County Schools in Brussels, Wis.

Kimmy Rooney is a teaching assistant at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Anthony Smith is a claims specialist I in MD Central Services at Nationwide Insurance in Des Moines, Iowa.

Kathleen Towell teaches English at Parnassus Preparatory School in Maple Grove, Minn.

Ryan Turnacliff is a post-closing reviewer at Venture Bank in Golden Valley, Minn.

2014

Jessa Anderson-Reitz is a faith relations assistant with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity in St. Paul, Minn., and an intake manager at Prepare + Prosper.

Caitlin Auer is a professional dog trainer and the training coordinator at Dogwoods Lodge in Grimes, Iowa.

Hannah Axt is library supervisor of the residence hall libraries at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign.

James Ayer is a market account manager at Best Buy in Richfield, Minn.

Ellen Behrens is state program administrator for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture in St. Paul.

Hans Dosland is the outreach case manager for Oasis for Youth in Bloomington, Minn. He is also the Ultimate Frisbee coach for Bloomington High School.

Megan Gress is a loan processor and closer at Colorado Enterprise Fund in Denver.

Callie Mabry works for Congregational Outreach Support for Faith in Place in Chicago through Lutheran Volunteer Corps.

Aubrey McElmeel is a children’s lead at Barnes and Noble in Madison, Wis.

Noelia Pereira is an environmental engineer for Timor Gap in Dili, Timor-Leste.

Evan Ruchotzke of Lowden, Iowa, is an E-4 in the U.S. Army.

Erin Schmidt is a staff nurse at the Children’s Hospital and Medical Center in Omaha, Neb.

Isaac Skelton is a web analytics analyst for Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Katherine Stremel teaches grades 4–8 music at Glendale (Ariz.) Elementary School.

Ashley Urspringer teaches English at Ecole Saint-Corentin in Quimper, France.

Katie Van Winkle is an anatomy and pathology intern and master’s student at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, and a freelance artist and sculptor.

Sam Wettach is an operations program associate for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in Madison.

Matt Yan is editor of the Northbrook (Ill.) Tower Newspaper.

2015

Corinne Benzinger is a registered nurse at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Claudia Calderon Machicado is a research and knowledge management consultant at Ashoka, an associate consultant at i-intelligence, and a global health policy intern at Center for Global Development in Washington, D.C.

Rudie Desravines is an IT business analyst at Fastenal Company in Winona, Minn.

Jessica Dorsey is a foundation intern at Presence Health in Chicago.

Sami Eilers is director of vocal music at Peet Junior High School in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Emily England is an independent collections contractor at the Smithsonian Institute’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

Zena Fantaye works with Wells Fargo Card Services in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Sarah Fox is a leasing consultant at Peak Campus in Minneapolis.

Taylor Graydon is a rehabilitation counselor for Transitional Resources in Seattle through Lutheran Volunteer Corps.

Marlon Henriquez is the kindergarten Spanish immersion teacher at Gage Elementary School in Rochester, Minn. He was named the Rochester Post-Bulletin’s teacher of the month for November.

Lonn Iwashita is a personal trainer at Fitness Together in Maple Grove and Edina, Minn.

Amanda Johnson is an EBD teacher for the Rochester (Minn.) Public Schools.

Sarah King is a PR account coordinator for Broadhead and Company in Minneapolis.

Alex Kokkinen is a junior web developer at Media Junction in St. Paul, Minn.

Brandon Lafferty is a psychiatric technician at Albertina Kerr Centers in Portland, Ore.

Kaymi Lang is a registered nurse at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Andrea Malek is a teacher with the Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Community Schools.

Victoria Peters is a graduate student in management and library and information science at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. She works in technical services at the university’s Golda Meir Library.

Scott Raftshol is a technical consultant for SAP America in Newtown Square, Pa.

Emily (Stoneking) Seiler is a certified athletic trainer for Mayo Clinic in Albert Lea, Minn.

Maggie Steinberg is a program fellow for Access to Justice in the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, in Baltimore, through Lutheran Volunteer Corps.

Emily Stumpf is a communication and outreach associate for the Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition through Lutheran Volunteer Corps.

John Werner is a development and policy associate for the Minnesota Housing Partnership in Minneapolis through Lutheran Volunteer Corps.

Holly Williams of Burnsville, Minn., is a sales and marketing assistant at CytoSport.

Margaret Yapp is a refugee resettlement case manager for Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, in Minneapolis, through Lutheran Volunteer Corps. 

1943–1949 / 1950–1959 / 1960–1969 / 1970–1979 / 1980–1989 / 1990–1999

1943

Albert Nassen of Dallas celebrated 70 years of ordination last September.

1952

Harold Peterson sings in the ALC Celebration Choir and in SATB and TTBB quartets, plays in the ALC Bell Choir, and narrates the Sun City Concert Band and West Valley Pops Band. He preaches three Sundays per year at Sunflower RV Park and serves on the executive resident board at Royal Oak Life Care Community in Sun City, Ariz.

1959

Linda (Switzer) Lasota of Athens, Ala., sings with the Huntsville Community Chorus.

1961

Jake Bostrom of Menomonie, Wis., was inducted into the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Hall of Champions, becoming the first person from Wisconsin to receive the honor. Others in the five-member 2015 class included Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of evangelist Billy Graham, and NBA star Bobby Jones.

Tom Haugen of Decorah was selected from nominees in Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan to be honored by the National Federation of State High School Associations for his distinguished service to American high school music programs. He is a music education student teacher supervisor at Luther College. Prior to his current position, he was a high school band director for 38 years in Minnesota and Iowa. His concert and jazz bands received top ratings in all state, regional, and national contests from 1968 to 1998 and made six appearances at the IBA and MMEA conventions in Iowa and Minnesota.

James Ringlien is retired in Maumee, Ohio.

Cynthia (Vasey) Smith of Steuben, Wis., writes a weekly column, “Kickapoo Ramblings,” for mwnews.net.

1963

James Ricketts retired as director of the Virginia Beach (Va.) Convention and Visitors Bureau, capping a 42-year career with the city.

1965

Thomas Kruse is retired and narrates audiobooks and commercials for Tom Kruse Voice Over in Brookfield, Wis.

Paul Olsen is professor of English and men’s cross-country and track and field head coach at Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill. Olsen was featured in an article in Runner’s World for coaching cross-country at Augustana for 50 years last November. In March, Olsen was the keynote speaker at the annual Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Norse Awards at Luther College and honored as the inaugural recipient of the Alumni Coach of the Year Award.

Gary Peer of Spring Hill, Kan., is a professional wildlife photographer. His photos can be found at westernimagesphotography.zenfolio.com.

1966

John Bodensteiner is professor of neurology and pediatrics and consultant in child and adolescent neurology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

1968

Richard Boyum teaches at Senior College in Asheville, N.C.

1970

Shirley (Ellingson) Schroeder of Caledonia, Minn., is retired.

1971

Tim Becker teaches at Southern Oregon University in Ashland.

Barbara (Tidball) Fonkert of Roseville, Minn., is retired.

Sheryl Hansen of Columbus, Ohio, is retired.

1972

Stan Brandt of Ridgeway, Iowa, is retired.

Gail Heffner-Charles is the president of the Columbus Damenchor, a women’s chorus in German Village, Columbus, Ohio.

Karl Jacobsen is an investment adviser for Jacobsen’s Complete in Decorah.

1973

John Holt is a pastor at First Lutheran Church in Albert Lea, Minn. He is a chairman of the National Board of Directors for the Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society and a member of the Good Samaritan Society’s Board of Directors.

David Morrison of Hudson, Wis., is retired.

Bill Nordmark retired after 35 years as an ELCA pastor. He is now a literacy tutor for St. Paul (Minn.) Public Schools with Experience Corps.

1974

Angie (Geilfuss) Swetland of Eagan, Minn., is retired.

1975

Beth (Thompson) Benvenuti of Palm Beach, Fla., retired as magnet programs coordinator and International Baccalaureate Programme coordinator at Suncoast High School. She and her husband, Dino, are forming Life’s Changes, a 501c3 nonprofit organization, to provide wigs and other items to cancer patients. Beth will serve as director.

Tom Dahle is the sound supervisor, designer, and member of the board of directors for the Phipps Center for the Arts in Hudson, Wis., for theatrical productions and live sound reinforcement and mixing. He has directed the Phipps Festival Chorus for 25 years, including two performances at the Wisconsin Choral Directors Convention. He has directed the Phipps Choral Society for more than 20 years. He sings in the adult choir at Trinity Lutheran Church and formerly sang with the Minnesota Chorale and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra Chorale.

Marilyn Johnson is senior investment writer for Wells Fargo Asset Management in Menomonee Falls, Wis.

1976

Terry (Young) Arons is a retired social worker in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Susan Anderson Arthur is an accountant at CJBS in Northbrook, Ill.

Bradford Braley is pastor and head of staff at First Presbyterian Church in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Kim Brunssen of Westmont, Ill., is retired from choral directing at Andrew High School in Tinley Park, Ill.
Dan Canton is city administrator for the city of Monona, Iowa.

Anne Clotfelter is a nurse practitioner in breast oncology for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Tom Coon is vice president of agricultural programs for Oklahoma State University in Stillwater.

Geri (Grimm) Dirth of Ruskin, Fla., was inducted into the Minnesota High School Track and Field Coaches Hall of Fame.

Dan England is a licensed clinical social worker and clinical director of Lee Memorial Behavioral Health Center in Fort Myers, Fla.

Dan Hanger is manager of applications and surveillance at Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.

Patricia Hauslein of St. Cloud, Minn., is retired.

Alan Henningsgaard is a self-employed consultant in Minnetonka, Minn.

Rick Ironside is executive director of Linn Mar Community Schools in Marion, Iowa.

Bill Johnson is a retired social worker in Lino Lakes, Minn.

Marilyn (Bruss) Lee is a self-employed piano and voice teacher and a receiving clerk at SSE Music in La Crosse, Wis.

Susan Linner of Lakewood, Colo., is retired.

Kurt Meyer of Edina, Minn., was elected to the board of trustees for the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum and Heritage Center.

Julia Natvig is an occupational health nurse at Archer Daniels Midland in Clinton, Iowa.

Norma (Steadham) Ostlie is a registered nurse clinical manager at Robland Home Health Care in St. Paul, Minn.

Tina (Allen) Rasmussen is teaching pastor at Zion Lutheran Church in Des Moines, Iowa.

Mark Schori is a sales representative for Midwest Hardwood Corporation in Maple Grove, Minn.

Ross Sutter of Minneapolis performed in the show Julglädje at the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis in December.

Randy Teymer is dean of students for Pleasant Valley School District in Bettendorf, Iowa.

Betsy (Penrod) Thompson is the owner and manager of Thompson’s Fresh Produce and Wares in Sterling City, Texas.

Andy Whitford Holey is a professor of computer science at St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minn., and the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, Minn.

1977

Mark and Lois (Dunleavy) Finanger of Decorah attended the 11th Annual Kent Finanger ’54 Golf Classic in Goodyear, Ariz., in March.

Jim Fowler is senior pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Vermillion, S.D., and secretary of the board of directors for Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago.

John Kalkwarf is professor of advanced English for the Global Medical English Program at Sungshin Women’s University in Seoul, South Korea, and the chief academic officer for Global Academic Learning Environments in Seoul.

Douglas Lohafer is a health physicist at New World Environmental in Livermore, Calif.

1978

Larry Reis of Fort Atkinson, Iowa, is a naturalist for the Winneshiek County Conservation Board. He received the 2015 Aldo Leopold Award from the Iowa Association of Naturalists and the Iowa Conservation Education Coalition for his excellence and leadership in environmental education.

Deb (Olson) and Gordon Sellers’76 live in Hawarden, Iowa. She is a clinical consultant for McKesson Connected Care and Analytics/Extended Care Solutions. He is supply and distribution manager for Center Fresh.

Keith Williams is the senior vice president of human resources at WPS Health Solutions in Madison, Wis.

1979

Hans Brattskar was appointed Norway’s ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva, Switzerland.

Amy (Waalen) Hansen of Amery, Wis., is retired from education. She works part time for Target Corporation and spent the summer of 2015 working in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Paul Morlock is the vice president of human resources at the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters Health System in Norfolk, Va.

1980

Tom Maakestad is the owner and artist at Maakestad Studio in Marine on St. Croix, Minn. His St. Croix River paintings are on display at the Groveland Gallery in Minneapolis.

Bill Musser was elected treasurer for the national board of the Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries, the leading professional organization in the field of botanical and horticultural information services. He is the research librarian for Seed Savers in Decorah.

Gladys Noll Alvarez is the trauma informed care project coordinator at Orchard Place Child Guidance Center in Des Moines, Iowa. She received her master of social work degree from the University of Iowa, is an Iowa licensed independent social worker, and is involved in two yearlong learning collaboratives through the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. Alvarez is a member of the CAN Prevention Council, Professional Consultation Team, Steering Committee for the Regional Child Protection Center, Model Court Team in Polk County, Zero to Three Safe Babies Court Team in Polk County, and she is an active member of United Methodist Women and her church, focusing on children’s issues. She won the Al Schulte Award in 2000, the Voice for Children award in 2008, and the Michele A. Moore Award of Distinction in 2011. In 2015, she published Grandma Mary Says Things Happen, a guide to help children who experienced trauma, published by Xulon Press. She is also organizing the sixth annual Psychological Trauma and Juvenile Justice Conference for Orchard Place, and she manages the Trauma Informed Care project website.

Bill St. Angelo of Flower Mound, Texas, produced the documentary Back in Brooklyn with August Sky Films.

Joe Whitters is executive partner at Frazier Healthcare Partners in Menlo Park, Calif.

1981

Wendy (Mueller) Barton is a pediatrician for ThedaCare in Appleton, Wis.

Brian Bergum is pastor at Lord of the Valley Lutheran Church in Granby, Colo.

Beth Gardner is senior publications editor for Dictionary of American Regional English in Madison, Wis. She directs the vocal choir at Covenant Lutheran Church, is one of the directors of the Stoughton (Wis.) Festival Choir, and plays trumpet in the Stoughton City Band.

Wendy (Erickson) Gay is a registered nurse clinical research supervisor for Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Jenny (Antony) Haun of Sparta, Wis., is an on-call assistant for Edward D. Jones and Co.

Gregg Hemish of Apple Valley, Minn., is the tech lead for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota.

Laurie Heyer is senior vice president and chief operating officer of Blue Cross of Idaho in Meridian.

Scott Kramer is pastor for Lakeridge Lutheran Church in Seattle.

Sharon (Jerdee) Marker of Clive, Iowa, is retired.

Brenda (Trott) Nomeland is a registered nurse at Avera Clinic in Milbank, S.D.

Gary Nordmoe is senior purchases associate for Sunny Delight Beverages Co. in Cincinnati.

Mary (Tangen) Peterson teaches special education at West Delaware High School in Manchester, Iowa.

Dan Ploenzke is account executive for Precision Press, Taylor Label Division, in Savage, Minn.

Kathryn (Onda) Tart is founding dean and professor at University of Houston in Sugar Land, Texas.

Ruth (Hanson) Thom is advanced academics coordinator at DaVinci Academy of Arts and Science in Blaine, Minn.

Erik Torkelson of New Lenox, Ill., is retired.

David Vohsman of Colorado Springs, Colo., is senior staff software engineer for Blackhawk Network.

Sharon (Kugel) Zimmerman was awarded the 2013 Tennis Family of the Year by United States Tennis Association–Missouri Valley. She is retired in Towanda, Kan.

1982

Lynn Mickelsen Dwyer was named 2016 Educator Partner of the Year for New London–Spicer School to Career Opportunities Partnership Endeavor. She is the school social worker at New London–Spicer (Minn.) Schools.

Ian Mizzi is the director of Mizzi Organization in Blata, Malta. The organization has acquired 50 percent of local IT Consultancy, InFusion Solutions Ltd., making this the first venture into the IT and digital work for the Mizzi Organization.

Cindy (Vanderford) Penney earned a doctorate of nursing practice from the University of Iowa. She is vice president of nursing at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City, Iowa.

Dick Plummer is chief financial officer for Lake Elmo Bank in Lake Elmo, Minn.

1983

Dorothy Baumgartner is director of the Student Success Center at the University of Washington in Bothell.

Gregory Hager is director of the Computational Interaction and Robotics Lab, the deputy director of the NSF Engineering Research Center for Computer-Integrated Surgical Systems and Technology, and the Mandell Bellmore Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Johns Hopkins University. Last fall, Hager testified before the congressional Research and Technology Subcommittee about a report written by a working group he co-chaired for the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

Robin (Friedrichsen) and Scott Hanson ’81 live in Farmington, Minn. She is finance director for the city of Farmington, and he is a development lead and Kforce consultant for US Bank.

Kent Savre is a major general in the U.S. Army and commander of Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri.

Morten Warland is director and CEO at Stavanger Symfoniorkester in Stavanger, Norway.

1984

Sara (Baumgardner) Vaughn teaches math at Northwest Middle School in Greensboro, N.C. She is a 2015 North Carolina state finalist for the Presidential Award of Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, administered by the National Science Foundation on behalf of the White House.

1985

Khouanlakhone Phouthakesone is a sales associate for Home Depot in San Diego.

Ronnie Raju is counsel for Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP in Washington, D.C.

1986

Mari Danielson was inducted into the 2015–16 NAPW VIP Woman of the Year Circle by the National Association of Professional Women. She was recognized for her leadership in agriculture and food production. Danielson is sales manager for J&J Family of Farms in Nogales, Ariz.

Michael Dorner earned a Ph.D. in higher education administration from the University of Minnesota. He is vice president for finance and chief financial officer at Concordia University in St. Paul, Minn.

Karen (Schmidt) Schlindwein of Waukesha, Wis., is executive director of Chosen Inc. and is coauthor, with her daughter, Amalie Bowling, of Dear Lois: Our Adoption Journey. The book takes a unique perspective on adoption through letters written to the birth mother that chronicle the life of the daughter as she grows up, taking readers on an emotional journey from the heartache of infertility and miscarriage to the joy of a family created through adoption.

Polly (Anderson) Wiebke is administrative assistant at Trinity Lutheran Church in Owatonna, Minn.

1987

Darren Anderson is commercial credit manager for Wells Fargo Bank in St. Paul, Minn.

Juli (Villesvik) Baecker is dean of aligned learning at Hill–Murray School in Maplewood, Minn.

Jean Daywitt earned certification in special education from Upper Iowa University. She is a special education instructor for Howard–Winneshiek Schools in Cresco, Iowa.

Christopher Hansen is technical lead for GreatAmerica Leasing Corp. in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and was the recipient of GreatAmerica’s Outstanding Achiever Award.

Jill (Gandrud) and Mark Peterson ’88 live in Bothell, Wash. Mark is a wealth manager for Thrivent Financial.

Mark Ries of Andover, Minn., is a software engineer for Infor in New York.

1988

DeeAnne (Schultz) Marlow is senior vice president of human resources for Grief Inc. in Delaware, Ohio.

Alessandro Raniolo is representative director for Ralph Lauren Corporation Japan in Tokyo.

Anne (Hendryx) Scafuri is a human resources business partner for ARAG in Des Moines, Iowa.

Beth Ylvisaker is a piano teacher and accompanist for Ivanhoe (Australia) Grammar School.

1989

Amy (Schroeder) Fisher teaches biology and is assistant athletic director at Faith Lutheran High School in Las Vegas. She also coaches girls’ volleyball and was named the Nevada State Coach of the Year for the fourth consecutive year. Her teams have gone 125-46 overall and 48-0 in conference play the last four years.

Paul Reimann is a business development consultant for Sun and Fun Motorsports in Iowa City, Iowa.

1990

Bergetta (Berkland) Beardsley is director of development for Mercy Medical Center Foundation Office in Des Moines, Iowa.

Lynda (Rothe) Eckheart teaches middle school art for Glenwood (Iowa) Community Schools.

Lisa (Lensing) Hart is quality control reviewer for the state of Iowa in Des Moines.

Bradley Kadel is assistant professor of history at Fayetteville (N.C.) State University. He is the author of Drink and Culture in Nineteenth-Century Ireland: The Alcohol Trade and the Politics of the Irish Public House.

Sara (Eckheart) Morton is director of development at Genesis Development Employment Services of Central Iowa in Boone.

Cheri (Koenig) and Thomas Satre live in Sauk Rapids, Minn. Cheri does display work for local organizations and sells artwork on Etsy at etsy.com/shop/Cjksatre. Thomas is program director of the University of Minnesota St. Cloud Hospital Family Medicine Residency. He is also editor in chief of the Help Desk Answer Project for Family Physicians Inquiries Network.

Sara White earned an administrative license from the University of St. Thomas and an education specialist degree in curriculum and instruction from Capella University. She is director of teacher development for the Minnetonka (Minn.) School District.

1991

Jorgen Andersson of Loddekopinge, Sweden, is CEO of Solera Group, a large Nordic drinks distributor.

Cynthia Bane is professor of psychology at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa.

Matt Evenson is sales representative for Henry Schein Dental in Winona, Minn.

Kristie (Fjelstad) Falk is a family and consumer science educator at Rio Community School District in Rio, Wis.

Derrik Gagliardi of Minneapolis had an exhibition of his paintings in Java John’s Coffeehouse in Decorah through February.

Ellaina Gordon is a marketing manager at Elcon Associates in Portland, Ore.

Kristin Gosselink is an associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Texas–El Paso.

Jon-David Hague is director of client services and partnerships for Cerego in San Francisco.

Lora (Lorenzen) Hefty is a perioperative surgical nurse at Sartori Memorial Hospital in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Wendy (Lohmann) Holsapple is the owner and artist of Laughing Mule Press in Hamilton, Mont.

Laura (Paulson) Landau is founder of Excellence Through Balance Group in Bellevue, Wash.

Kathy (Butterbrodt) Metcalf is a home educator and co-op teacher in Hudson, Wis.

Mavis (Gizzi) Palmer is a patient educator at University Hospitals Portage Medical Center in Ravenna, Ohio.

Rob Pietz is a civil engineering technician at ISG in Mankato, Minn.

Catherine Preus is copy editor for the Minneapolis Star and Tribune Company. Her article about her family trip to India, “Seeing India through Children’s Eyes,” was featured in the Nov. 1, 2015, edition of the Star Tribune.

Michael White is an education training specialist at Tierney Brothers in Minneapolis.

Steven Yates is a tax, audit, and quality control manager at Cukierski and Kowal in Schaumburg, Ill.

1992

Scott Bemus is a physician at OB-GYN Associates in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Wendy (Jaycox) Davidson is president of U.S. Special Channels at Kellogg Company in Elmhurst, Ill., and was named the board chair of the Women’s Foodservice Forum.

Suzanne Greene of Plymouth, Minn., is enterprise account executive at VMTurbo.

Kristin (Hohnbaum) Klein earned a master’s degree in teaching from National Louis University. She teaches science at Matthews Middle School in Island Lake, Ill.

Kirsten (Rydeen) Lewis earned a master’s degree in education from Viterbo University. She is operations coordinator at ChildServe in Johnston, Iowa.

Jodi (Sisson) Picou of Wasilla, Alaska, works for Matanuska–Susitna Borough School District.

Jennifer Weuve is associate professor of epidemiology at Boston University School of Public Health.

1993

Michele Davis of Eatontown, N.J., is the owner of HUE Design and Marketing and vice president of communications for the American Marketing Association of New Jersey.

Kelly (McGrew) Irlmeier is a controller at Albaugh in Ankeny, Iowa.

Chad Ketcher of Red Wing, Minn., is a freelance writer and media developer for Ketcher Communications and Generation Bridge Media. Ketcher Communications helps small businesses develop a mixed-media marketing strategy, and Generation Bridge Media interviews elderly persons and captures their life stories in print and video as an heirloom for their families to enjoy.

Peter Olson is the president, owner, and operator of Change Your View in Dubuque, Iowa.

Scot Schwark teaches elementary music K–5 and middle school band 6–8 for Lincoln K–8 Choice School in Rochester, Minn.

Marc Wallman is vice president for information technology at North Dakota State University in Fargo.

1994

Neil Blackmore is assistant director of new issue strategic information for Northwestern Mutual in Milwaukee.

Heather Clefisch is vice president and division general counsel for Spectrum Brands in Madison, Wis. She is also on the executive leadership team for the American Heart Association-Madison Go Red.

Laurie Lower is a braille transcriber for National Braille Press in Boston.

Matt Rebro is vice president of business development at HKS in Chicago.

Susan (Kreager) Wallager is pastor for spiritual care at Zion Lutheran Church in Anoka, Minn.

Astri Wee of Reston, Va., is event coordinator for SOAR Train-the-Trainer program.

1995

Doug Grimm is vice president and general manager at Collabrance in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Amy Raddatz is emergency services dispatch supervisor for Fort Collins (Colo.) 9-1-1.

Jodi Schlender Dabrowski is the director of special programs for the YMCA at Pabst Farms in Oconomowoc, Wis.

Carol (Ihde) Vande Velden is an accountant for Patrick A. Kvitek CPA Accounting and Tax Services in Denmark, Wis.

Rebecca (Williams) Welch of Summerville, S.C., earned a master of science degree in health informatics from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is a registered nurse and clinical analyst at the Medical University of South Carolina.

1996

Dee Brown is the head cross-country coach at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge. The men’s cross-country team won back-to-back national titles, and the women’s team was national runner-up. Brown was named the USTFCCA men’s and women’s Regional Coach of the Year and the men’s National Coach of the Year.

Tony Rogers of Topsfield, Mass., is a supervisory special agent for the FBI.

Monica (Peterson) Rotsaert is a family practice physician at Cedarloo UnityPoint Clinic in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Eric Schubert is pastor at Greenfield (Iowa) United Methodist Church.

Joe Segilia is an attorney and partner at Robinson Brog in New York City.

Andrea (Levin) Wackerfuss teaches preschool at Christ Victorious Early Childhood Center in Chaska, Minn.

1997

Alina (Sabatke) Bailey earned a master of science degree in nursing from Benedictine University in Lisle, Ill. She is a clinical care improvement manager for the Hospital Care Ring at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, and a Minnesota section leader for the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses.

Sarah (Smith) Bauer is a dental hygienist at Dr. Swett: Family, Cosmetic, Implant, and Laser Dentistry in Johnston, Iowa.

Karen (Olson) Crews is an analytical chemistry scientist at Aerie Pharmaceuticals in Durham, N.C.

Karin (Robeck) Mayo is a pediatric cardiac ICU nurse at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital. She is a medical volunteer with Children’s Heartlink to First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University in Kunming, China, and a PICU nurse consultant with Minnesota International Medicine at King Saud Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Amie (Schroeder) and Chris Mitchell live in Brooklyn, Wis. She earned school social work licensure from the University of Wisconsin in Madison and is the school social worker for the Mount Horeb (Wis.) Area School District. He teaches science and is the head boys’ soccer coach for Sun Prairie (Wis.) High School.

Emily O’Banion is senior vice president of integrated health care delivery at Rochester (N.Y.) Regional Health.

Susan (Dennison) Patist is a business systems analyst for Millennium Health in San Diego.

Ella Rothgangel is associate registrar and TMS administrator at the St. Louis Art Museum
in St. Louis.

Peter Zamborsky is a senior lecturer in international business at University of Auckland in Auckland, New Zealand. He published the e-book International Business and Global Strategy.

1998

Jason Habeck of Hayden, Idaho, is field trainer for the Toro Company.

Mary (Weis) and Magnus Hellmark live in White Bear Lake, Minn. She earned a master’s degree of computer information systems in technology management from Regis University and teaches Spanish at South Washington County (Minn.) Schools. He is an information systems supervisor for the 3M Medical Department.

Jessica (Hudson) McAndrews is vice president of programs, services, and operations at USO of Metropolitan New York.

Doug Nalean-Carlson is store director at the Depot Outlet in Decorah.

Brandon Sampson was awarded the 2015 Mayor’s Medal of Honor for innovation in industry with his company Limb Lab in Rochester, Minn. He was also named Rochester’s Arts Person of the Year for his accomplishments with his musical group, Six Mile Grove.

Sarah (Pohlson) Smith is program and communications manager in the Office of Community Enhancement and Engagement at Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa.

Jarrad Walter of Decorah is senior manager of Inside Sales for MarketShare at Neustar in Sterling, Va.

1999

J.D. Burton is an attorney and director of state relations for the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Aaron Judisch of Heidelberg, Germany, is a freelance opera singer.

Jami Severson teaches Spanish for the Rochester (Minn.) Public Schools.