Summer 2020

Dear Members of the Class of 2014,
 
Many of us are making adjustments, sometimes daily or even hourly, to these uncertain times and, for a variety of reasons, a few Class Agents were unable to write their class letters this spring. We look forward to sending you a letter from your agent this fall, but, in the meantime, we wanted to send you an update from the college and your class notes.

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 and I invite you to view Pres. Ward's message regarding the college's 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
College Updates:



  • ICYMI (in case you missed it): the second issue of Norse Notes is available!

  • Luther is now a Bee Campus USA affiliate, recognizing the benefit to pollinators that Luther has been providing through our sustainability and land stewardship efforts over the years.

  • Luther's Ideas and Creations blog is an excellent way to keep up with what we're talking about in our community. The latest post, What is Juneteenth, by Professor of Religion, Guy Nave, is timely and informative.


  • Luther College and Northeast Iowa Community College are partnering in an effort to meet growing workforce needs in the social work field. The two institutions partnered to create an A.A. to B.A. Social Work Transfer Pathway. This agreement will provide students the opportunity to complete an A.A. at NICC with credits that directly transfer to Luther, allowing them to obtain their B.A. in social work in only two additional years.

  • Beginning in the fall of 2020, Luther College will offer a program to equip students with the knowledge and skills to improve the health and wellness of people worldwide. The new program, global health, is an interdisciplinary field that addresses health, health equity, and socioeconomic concerns of people around the world. Students will be trained to understand the complex interactions among social, political, environmental and cultural forces that shape the health status of populations across the globe.They will be encouraged to understand the implications of inequalities domestically and globally and begin to take steps toward positive change. After students graduate from Luther with a degree in global health, they will be qualified for careers such as health program coordinators or policy analysts in a variety of domestic and international health organizations. They will also be prepared to pursue a master's degree in public health, global health or another health-related field, and have the option to gain further expertise through a doctoral program.

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 CLASS NOTES

Hannah Axt is youth services librarian at the Arlington County (Va.) Public Library.

Talia Barber is data insights analyst-finance operations at C.H. Robinson in Eden Prairie, Minn.

Jaimie (Rasmussen) and Aaron Burk '12 live in Minneapolis. She is account supervisor at Epsilon Agency. He is principal technologist at Object Partners, Inc.

Becca (Dugdale) and Jim Cochrane live in Chicago. She is a consultant at SALO, LLC, and he is a student at McCormick Seminary.

Jayne Cole earned a master’s degree in art history from the University of St. Thomas, and is a doctoral student and graduate teaching assistant at the University of Oregon in Eugene.

Alex Dallman is RedCard engagement consultant at Target in Minneapolis.

Molly Eversoll earned the M.Div. degree from The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. She is associate pastor at Messiah Lutheran Church in Marquette, Mich.

Daniel Gallagher earned the DMA degree from Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.

Allison Gieswein teaches fourth grade dual language at West Liberty (Iowa) Elementary School.

Marissa (Satern) Hoelscher of Ankeny, Iowa, earned the MS degree in genetic counseling from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

Alex Kalal is a payment operations analyst at DailyPay, Inc. in Minneapolis.

Terra Kruger earned a PhD in pharmaceutics from the University of Iowa and is a scientist in clinical pharmacology for Johnson & Johnson in Raritan, N.J.

Carson Lilly is a lab assistant for the Department of Chemistry at Minnesota State University in Mankato, Minn.

Clara Lind is manager of donor experience at Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative in St. Paul, Minn.

Joel Martin is a research analyst at Central Lakes College in Brainerd, Minn.

Courtney Meyer is a financial reporter for Black Creek Group in Denver.

Brittney (Leemon) Mitchell is the regional membership program manager at Minnesota Public Radio in St. Paul, Minn.

Nathan Nicolaisen earned the MBA degree from Marquette University. He is commodity manager at Clarios in Milwaukee.

Joe Novak earned the medical doctorate from the University of Minnesota Medical School. He is a family medicine resident at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

Megan (Wichmann) and Logan Ramer live in Rochester, Minn. Megan teaches special education at the Kasson-Mantorville Schools, and Logan is an advisor/general agent at Ramer Retirement Resources.

Naomi Sandgren earned an MEd degree in curriculum and instruction from Concordia University in St. Paul, Minn. She is reading intervention teacher at the Wayzata (Minn.) Public Schools.

Kelsey Smith earned the MM degree in cello performance from the University of North Texas. She is a doctoral student in cello performance at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colo.

Rachel Stenhaug is audit manager at Deloitte & Touche, LLP. in Minneapolis.

Maria (Ellingson) Thom is the digital marketing coordinator in Jackson, Minn., for C&C Operations, a John Deere dealer with 37 locations in Iowa, Idaho, Minn., Mont., S.D., and Wyo.


MARRIAGES

ALEX DALLMAN and DYLAN ESSING, Sept. 21, 2019

BECCA DUGDALE and JIM COCHRANE, Aug. 10, 2019

MARIA ELLINGSON and Dustin Thom, Aug. 17, 2019

JORDAN JENSEN and BEN JARVIS '13, Oct. 5, 2018

CARSON LILLY and Zachery Meier, Nov. 2, 2019

JONATHAN NERDIG and Megan Fitzpatrick, Dec. 29, 2018

ZACHARY PEARSON and KRISTEN SYVERUD '15, Sept. 29, 2018

MAGGIE PIERSON and Anders Bowman, Dec. 31, 2018

MARISSA SATERN and Stephen Hoelscher, April 28, 2018

ANNA SHOWERS and Eric Hagen, Oct. 19, 2019


BIRTHS/ADOPTIONS

David, in February 2019, child of MARISSA (SATERN) and Stephen Hoelscher

Theodore John, in January 2020, child of REBEKAH (SANDGREN) '17 and WILLY LEAFBLAD