Spring 2020

Dear Members of the Class of 2017,
 
Like colleges all over the country (and the world), 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.

Many of us are making adjustments, sometimes daily or even hourly, to these uncertain times but we wanted to connect with you and to send you Luigi's letter that he wrote to you, the Class of 2017, just weeks before we became immersed in the COVID-19 pandemic . We think you'll enjoy reading what he has to share, knowing, of course, that any events referenced may have been cancelled or postponed.
 
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 ,   I hope you will consider making a gift today.

We hope you and your loved ones are safe and healthy during these times. For updated information about Luther's response to the pandemic, visit luther.edu.

Many thanks for your steadfast love and support.
 
Mariah Bringer Smith ‘95
Director of Development, Current Gifts
Class of 2017!
 
“Promise me you will not spend so much time treading water and trying to keep your head above the waves that you forget, truly forget, how you have always loved to swim.”
- Tyler Knott Gregson
 
I often come back to these words in times of needed reflection or thought in my life. Life gets tiring and exhausting at times, whether we are at work or at home, and so I sincerely hope that each of you are doing things that bring you joy and fulfilment, or are in the continued journey to finding that which brings you happiness.
 
I recently had an opportunity to read Prof. Kelly Sharp’s article, Why All Of Us Need to Learn African-American History and in the article she offers a few reasons as to why she continues to teach the subject and how black history has affected our lives today. She speaks on “race as a social construct” and how that has a thousand implications for how it has shaped our country and world; she also references Beyonce, which is reason enough to give it a read! There is a poignant section at the end of her article when she speaks about her role as an educator and how she can make an impact “on how students view themselves and the world.” I think this is a great sentiment that speaks to me and I hope to many of you about the impact we get to make in the communities and environments we serve. Her article and many more from our Luther faculty, students, and staff can be found in the Ideas and Creations Blog section of the college website.
 
There are other exciting things happening at Luther, one of which is the launch of a new program of study focusing on global health , which will address health and health equity, as well as socioeconomic concerns of communities and environments around the world. This track is led by Maryna Bazylevych, Scott Carlson, Angela Kueny '02, Jon Lund, and Lori Stanley '80. I look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead for Luther students who begin to study in this area. 
 
The college had a successful fundraiser on Giving Day, and thank you to all in the class of 2017 who gave back to our school. I challenge us all to continue to think about the ways we can give back to Luther, and to consider the impact that we can create for current and future students of the college.
 
Continued best wishes on your journey onward.
 
Soli Deo Gloria!
Luigi Enriquez


2017 Class Agents:
‌
Luigi Enriquez
321 Camden Road
Iowa City, IA 52245
262-672-0039
Stephanie (Duregger) Olson
2614 Westview Lane NW
Rochester, MN 55901-2362
641-231-2013
Samantha Phillips
17135 Embers Ave
Farmington MN 55024
920-493-8746

Solveig Nelson
16580 Wild Plum Circle
Morrison, CO 80465
303-550-3275

CLASS NOTES
 
Shelby (Gebhardt) Ballard earned the ASCP board certification for Medical Laboratory Science, and is a medical laboratory scientist at UnityPoint St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
 
Makeda Barkley is assistant director at Moab Arts & Recreation Center in Moab, Utah.
 
Kierra Blackstad is a youth and family ministry director at Trinity Lutheran Church in San Pedro, Calif.
 
Mikayla Brockmeyer earned the MS degree in biomedical sciences from Des Moines (Iowa) University.
 
Sean Dempsey is a press secretary for the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C.
 
Betsy Fawcett is an assistant ESL teacher for Lutheran Volunteer Corps at Briya Public Charter School in Washington, D.C.
 
Kylie Hanschman is practice assistant-outpatient clinical practice at Nordic Consulting Partners in Sun Prairie, Wis.
 
Grant Holsinger is an administrative assistant for Stillman Valley (Ill.) High School.
 
Jorge Loyo Lopez is a certified clinical research coordinator at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
 
Paige Mangan is program director at Outlaw Ranch in Custer, S.D.
 
Madolyn Martini is a healthcare program training manager at Project For Pride in Living, a nonprofit in Minneapolis.
 
Cassie Peterson is a research technologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
 
Rachel Reimann earned a master’s degree in athletic training from A.T. Still University and is an athletic training resident at University of Iowa Health Care in Iowa City, Iowa.
 
Anna (Beamsley) and Zachary Rogers live in Waterloo, Iowa. Anna is a graduate assistant at the University of Northern Iowa, and Zachary is choir director at Holmes Junior High School.
 
Nicholas Thorp is an account executive at Zubie in Minneapolis.
 
Hunter Yrigoyen was named sports information director at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
 
 
MARRIAGES
 
LARA BACON and TYLER BREWER '13, Oct. 7, 2018
 
BERIT BREED and Jacob Rhody, Sept. 21, 2019
 
KILEIGH DUDEK and Reid Danielson, Aug. 31, 2019
 
STEPHANIE DUREGGER and Reid Olson, Sept. 21, 2019
 
*COLIN ERAL and SARAH RICKERTSEN, Nov. 25, 2019
 
AUBREY PEDERSEN and Markus Newton, Nov. 2, 2019
 
EMMA STIVERS and EVAN GARDNER '15, Aug. 10, 2019
 
ETHAN THONN and AMANDA GIELAU '18, July 17, 2019
 
COLTIN WELLMANN and SHELBY HEIM '19, Oct. 12, 2019

 
BIRTHS/ADOPTIONS

Theodore John, in January 2020, child of BEKAH (SANDGREN) and WILLY LEAFBLAD '14