Summer 2020

Dear Members of the Class of 1995,
 
Many of us are making adjustments, sometimes daily or even hourly, to these uncertain times but we wanted to be sure to connect with you and to send you Jill's letter. We think you'll enjoy reading what she has written to your class.

Luther College has just wrapped up a spring semester like no other. Our students participated in remote learning, connecting with their professors and classmates online and on Sunday, May 24, we celebrated the Class of 2020 with a virtual commencement . It certainly wasn't the spring semester we imagined, but the Luther community responded with resiliency and creativity.

In the midst of the uncertainty of a worldwide pandemic, in the United States and at Luther, we also confront centuries of racism that has led to oppression, injustices, and inequities.
 
We must strive to make this world a better place for our neighbors who experience systemic oppression. Luther College is preparing to be a leader in the difficult and painful conversations that will take place over the coming months and years. I invite you to view President Ward's message regarding the college's initial action steps .

Especially now, gifts to the Luther Fund can make a big difference in supporting students as they navigate all that's ahead. If you can, please consider making a gift today.

We hope you and your loved ones are safe and healthy during these times.

Many thanks for your steadfast love and support.
 
Mariah Bringer Smith ‘95
Director of Development, Current Gifts
I am honored to write to you as your class agent, especially in the time leading up to our twenty-five year class reunion. Memories of our classes, conversations, and adventures have guided and influenced the last 25 years of my life. I get recharged by meeting up with you in person, reading about you in the alumni magazine, and staying in touch through social media. Hearing how Luther experiences and connections have propelled you continually reminds me how special our time together in Decorah was. PLEASE NOTE: Because the college will no longer be hosting an in-person Homecoming this fall, our twenty-five year class reunion has been moved to the weekend of May 28-30, 2021 .
 
If you haven’t already, you will hear from members of the reunion planning committee soon. I hope you will spend some time in the coming months jogging your memories by browsing yearbooks, finding photos, mementos, and mixed tapes from your time at Luther, and that the stories attached to those items will resurface for you. As we prepare to gather next year and reflect on what made our own Luther experiences fulfilling, you may be interested to compare some of the current offerings and how educational opportunities have evolved to meet current student and societal needs while staying true to Luther’s roots:

  • The Ideas and Creations blog is a space for faculty and students share their current research and activities.
  • A growing workforce need for social workers has lead to a recent partnership between Luther College and Northeast Iowa Community College.
  • In Fall 2020, Luther will launch a new interdisciplinary global health program.

Finally, I want to acknowledge the challenges of the coming weeks. Real talk – I started and restarted this letter a few times in early March, 2020. As COVID-19 grew to dominate headlines, and as the United States followed other parts of the world in drastic departures from business-as-usual to temper the impact of this threat, the tone of each draft seemed less and less appropriate in the rapidly changing reality. You have in your hands what I could muster by the deadline, and my apologies if it does not read well by the time you receive it. In recent days, seemingly every organization and business that has ever gotten a hold of my email address has shared their plans to keep community, employees, and clients safe. Among those communications, I found comfort in President Ward’s message to the community about Luther College’s response to the pandemic and will excerpt some of those words below. I share her view that our education and experiences at Luther are an asset in these times. Some of you will be on the frontlines in hospitals and health care settings, others caring for parents or children, others creating paths for connection and learning in this era of social distancing. Thank you for all you do.
 
We are living in an uncertain time and we don’t have answers to all the questions right now. But here are some things that I do know. I know that over these past weeks I have witnessed a profound testament to the power of a liberal arts education, as we have worked creatively together amidst ambiguity to find collaborative solutions. I know that our way of learning has equipped us to understand and confront a changing society, even one facing a pandemic. I know that we are called to challenge one another to learn in community and that as a community we will learn from this challenge. I know that our community is strong and committed to serving with distinction for the common good. And I know that our community will stay strong and committed during this time and beyond.
 
Wishing you connection and peace, 
Jill Ness


1995 Class Agents:
Jill Ness
1406 Wyldewood Drive
Madison, WI 53704-3851
608-516-9381

Kyle Jackson
281 Country Road
Stillwater, MN 55082-5570
651-246-8431
Brian Juchems
3534 Dawes Street
Madison, WI 53714-2361
608-235-5467


CLASS NOTES
 
Jenni (Amundson) Berger is a community resource coordinator at Inclusa in Neillsville, Wis.
 
Jennifer (Wendt) and Jay Bjorklund live in Westby, Wis. Jennifer is information and reporting specialist—equity department with Organic Valley. Jay is an imaging clinical manager at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center.
 
Kristen (Schoeb) Cheney teaches Pre-K for the Nampa (Idaho) Christian Schools.
 
Sarah (Wilt) Cichon is a licensed social worker and assistant manager for pre-admission screening at the Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging in North St. Paul, Minn.
 
Erik Columbus is head bus driver at Team WASP, LLC in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
 
Christine (Denehy) Enderle is lead studio art teacher at Williams College Children’s Center in Williamstown, Mass.
 
Becki (Grinstead) Ernst of Memphis, Tenn., is quality assurance coordinator for the State of Tennessee.
 
Cynthia Farrell is the owner and principal of 110 West Group LLC, a talent and organizational development consulting firm in Broomfield, Colo.
 
Reed Fisher is project manager at Hills Bank and Trust Company in Hills, Iowa.
 
Liz (Bitner) Fitzgerald is program director, grants and services for the Arts and Science Council in Charlotte, N.C.
 
Megan (Lind) Fox is a piano instructor at Megan Fox Piano Studio in Omaha, Neb.
 
Joanna Foy of Wetherford, Texas, retired as associate professor of clinical psychology at Argosy University.
 
Steven Gauerke is product owner at ITA Group, Inc. in West Des Moines, Iowa.
 
Jennifer (Hayen) Giesking is the McNair Scholars Program coordinator for the University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, Wis.
 
Nichole (Schrupp) Greene is choir director at Massapequa (N.Y.) High School and conducts the Lyric Ensemble for the Long Island Children’s Choir.
 
Lisa (Kuennen) and Scott Hagen live in Oregon, Wis. Lisa is principal, O2C solutions at Esker and Scott is a technology business partner at Compeer Financial.
 
Scott Hamman is vice president of human resources at Vista Prairie Communities in Brooklyn Park, Minn.
 
Wendy (Weness) Helm is senior business analyst and project manager at Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, Minn.
 
Ruth (Leet) and Bill Hoekstra ‘94 live in Northfield, Minn., Ruth teaches piano and is a substitute teacher. Bill is a clinical psychologist with Allina Health.
 
Heidi (Waxenberg) Huff is senior director, Red Oval Partnerships, at IGA, USA in Chicago.
 
Carla Hughes is vice president of wealth management administration, compliance & trust at First American Bank in Clive, Iowa.
 
Kurt Jensen earned a doctor of ministry degree from Western Theological Seminary and is lead pastor at Immanuel Lutheran in Story City, Iowa.
 
Jeff Ketchum of St. Paul, Minn., is an operations analyst at Wells Fargo.
 
Shawna Kirby-Eckstein is a clinical claim review nurse at Optum in Downers Grove, Ill.
 
Kimberly (Hall) and Bruce Kolling ‘94 live in Birmingham, Ala. Kimberly earned a master’s degree in education with math from Morningside college and teaches math at Briarwood Christian High School. Bruce earned an MBA from the University of Iowa and is an IT project manager for John Deere.
 
Jennifer (Johnston) and Kris Kovarik live in Waukon, Iowa. Jennifer is registrar and youth educator at Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum, and Kris is a probation officer for the State of Iowa.
 
Kristen Larsen-Schmidt is a chaplain at Hospice of the Red River Valley in Grand Forks, N.D.
 
Lisa (Cerniglia) Lusk is director of programs and operations at 360 Communities in Burnsville, Minn.
 
Jennifer McKay is a corporate medical information officer at Avera Health in Sioux Falls, S.D.
 
Diane (Borneman) and Dan McWilliams ‘93 live in Lancaster, Wis., Diane teaches kindergarten in the Lancaster Community Schools, Dan is county director at Crawford County Human Services.
 
Elisabeth Motlong is a licensed clinical social worker for Motlong Therapy and parent educator at North Seattle College in Seattle.
 
Angie (Gawron) Nelson is a clinical psychologist at Dr. Angela Nelson PsyD, LLC in Wayzata, Minn.
 
Rashmi (Sharma) and Daniel Nenneman ‘92 live in Lakeville, Minn. Rashmi is a research analyst at Health Partners, and Daniel is an information technology specialist for the State of Minnesota.
 
Andrew Olson is senior manager, procurement at Kimberly-Clark in Neenah, Wis.
 
 
Rachael Peterson is the mental health clinician for the Wellness Unit at Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office in Minneapolis. She also serves several agencies in police and fire departments as their mental health provider through her private practice, Peterson Counseling and Consulting.
 
Karla Rasmussen is an occupational therapy assistant at Humboldt County (Iowa) Memorial Hospital.
 
Christine (Haas) Ruth is a pastor and a marriage and family therapist at Niwot Family Counseling in Niwot, Colo.
 
Stephanie (Ao-As) Salisbury is principal clinical research specialist at Medtronic in Minneapolis.
 
Amy (Morse) Sears is senior software quality analyst at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
 
Jennifer (Araujo) Sidenstecker is a franchise owner of The Cleaning Authority in Henderson, Nev.
 
Stacey (Sokol) and Garrett Struessel ‘93 live in Longmont, Colo. She is principal at St. Vrain Valley Schools and he is senior pastor at First Lutheran Church.
 
Kimberly (Anderson) Thole is an elementary literacy coach for the Onalaska School District.
 
Amy Vollendorf is dean of students for the Wayzata (Minn.) Public Schools.
 
Rachel Wangen-Hoch is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Burlington, Wash. She also volunteers as a financial educator in local schools, congregations, for senior groups, and area non-profit organizations in the community.