Spring 2019
Dear Members of the Class of 2013,
Seeing many of you at our Homecoming reunion last fall was an absolute joy. We reconnected quickly and showed much shared pride shouting the L-U-T-H-E-R chant. I experienced quite the nostalgia as some of our more talented classmates sang To Luther a cappella.
If you missed our reunion, you can still catch the musical talent of current Luther students on tour this spring. Jazz Orchestra sets out April 12 for a tour that includes South Dakota and Minnesota (luther.edu/music/jazz-orchestra). Or consider attending the Des Moines Symphony featuring Nordic Choir on April 27 or 28 (dmsymphony.org/events).
This year, Luther hosted a number of events to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the college’s Black Student Union (luther.edu/black-student-union). Several alumni made it back to campus to speak throughout the year, including a couple classmates you may know from our time at Luther, Christie Owens ’16 and Maggie (Steinberg) Hagen ’15. Please consider a trip back to campus this spring for the culmination of the yearlong BSU commemoration, a community-wide celebration April 26-28. In addition to celebrating BSU founders, the event will offer a platform to discuss how Luther can best continue the work of establishing racial equity and inclusion across campus.
With spring comes new beginnings. The Class of 2019 ventures into a new chapter after Commencement on Sunday, May 26. And President Paula Carlson retires at the end of the school year.
Just as springtime promises renewal, its freshness encourages a practice of gratitude. I’m grateful for you and the rest of the Luther community. We hope to see you in Decorah soon.
In gratitude,
Clara Bergan & Jessie Zenchak
Clara Bergan
2013 Class Agent
1301 Locust Street, Apt. 202
Des Moines, IA 50309-2927
563-379-7174
[email protected]
Jessica Zenchak
2013 Class Agent
1425 East Bellows St. Apt. G10
Mount Pleasant, MI 48858-3660
708-837-6531
[email protected]
CLASS NOTES
Devan Benjamin earned a master’s degree in literacy education from Drake University; she is an instructional coach for the Des Moines (Iowa) Public Schools.
Andrew Bentz is a lab technician at DuPont Industrial Biosciences in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Emily (Banitt) Conery is an admissions coordinator and mental health practitioner at People Incorporated in St. Paul, Minn.
Anna DiCecco is community relations specialist for the National Hockey League’s Florida Panthers in Sunrise, Fla.
Sophia (Brown) Engelman earned a master of science degree in education from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. She received the 2018 CAS Academic Achievement Graduate Student Award and was the 2018 University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Graduate Student of the Year. Sophia is now assistant director and academic specialist at the Student Success Center at North Central University in Minneapolis.
Tyler Hagy is director of choral activities at Iowa City (Iowa) High School. He conducts the select concert choir, the 9-12 grade choir, and the varsity show choir “4th Avenue Jazz.” He also serves as the artistic lead for the biennial Masterworks concert.
Megan Hatfield of Durham, N.C., was one of 36 Duke University Health System nurses to win a 2018 Friends of Nursing Award, the Norma L. Harris Award for Excellence in Nursing Practice.
Phoebe Jan-McMahon earned a master of fine arts degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and is an art instructor at Clinton Community College in Clinton, Iowa. In October, her exhibit, “The Adjacent”, was on display at Luther in the Kristin Wigley-Fleming Fine Arts Gallery, in the Center for the Arts.
Adam Lapp is a project accountant at M.A. Mortenson Construction in Minneapolis.
Teddy Ortega of Grover Beach., Calif., is senior front end engineer for 1stdibs.com, Inc. in New York City.
Emily (Schneider) Stelken is a computed tomography technologist at Mercy Hospital in Dubuque, Iowa.
Katy (Lindstrom) Van Heest is an occupational therapist at the University of Minnesota Medical Center in Minneapolis.
Chelsea Wyman is an outreach librarian at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
Jessica Zenchak earned a master’s degree in neuroscience from Central Michigan University; she is a doctoral student in veterinary medicine at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich.
MARRIAGES
BETH KORLESKI and Cody Hardy, April 28, 2018
EMILY SCHNEIDER and Andy Stelken, Sept. 8, 2018
KELSEY TARBERT and Skyler Brantley, Aug. 11, 2018
BIRTHS
AMANDA (WIGER) and Brandon Leisinger welcomed a daughter, Ellie Jean, in November 2017.
If you missed our reunion, you can still catch the musical talent of current Luther students on tour this spring. Jazz Orchestra sets out April 12 for a tour that includes South Dakota and Minnesota (luther.edu/music/jazz-orchestra). Or consider attending the Des Moines Symphony featuring Nordic Choir on April 27 or 28 (dmsymphony.org/events).
This year, Luther hosted a number of events to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the college’s Black Student Union (luther.edu/black-student-union). Several alumni made it back to campus to speak throughout the year, including a couple classmates you may know from our time at Luther, Christie Owens ’16 and Maggie (Steinberg) Hagen ’15. Please consider a trip back to campus this spring for the culmination of the yearlong BSU commemoration, a community-wide celebration April 26-28. In addition to celebrating BSU founders, the event will offer a platform to discuss how Luther can best continue the work of establishing racial equity and inclusion across campus.
With spring comes new beginnings. The Class of 2019 ventures into a new chapter after Commencement on Sunday, May 26. And President Paula Carlson retires at the end of the school year.
Just as springtime promises renewal, its freshness encourages a practice of gratitude. I’m grateful for you and the rest of the Luther community. We hope to see you in Decorah soon.
In gratitude,
Clara Bergan & Jessie Zenchak
Clara Bergan
2013 Class Agent
1301 Locust Street, Apt. 202
Des Moines, IA 50309-2927
563-379-7174
[email protected]
Jessica Zenchak
2013 Class Agent
1425 East Bellows St. Apt. G10
Mount Pleasant, MI 48858-3660
708-837-6531
[email protected]
CLASS NOTES
Devan Benjamin earned a master’s degree in literacy education from Drake University; she is an instructional coach for the Des Moines (Iowa) Public Schools.
Andrew Bentz is a lab technician at DuPont Industrial Biosciences in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Emily (Banitt) Conery is an admissions coordinator and mental health practitioner at People Incorporated in St. Paul, Minn.
Anna DiCecco is community relations specialist for the National Hockey League’s Florida Panthers in Sunrise, Fla.
Sophia (Brown) Engelman earned a master of science degree in education from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. She received the 2018 CAS Academic Achievement Graduate Student Award and was the 2018 University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Graduate Student of the Year. Sophia is now assistant director and academic specialist at the Student Success Center at North Central University in Minneapolis.
Tyler Hagy is director of choral activities at Iowa City (Iowa) High School. He conducts the select concert choir, the 9-12 grade choir, and the varsity show choir “4th Avenue Jazz.” He also serves as the artistic lead for the biennial Masterworks concert.
Megan Hatfield of Durham, N.C., was one of 36 Duke University Health System nurses to win a 2018 Friends of Nursing Award, the Norma L. Harris Award for Excellence in Nursing Practice.
Phoebe Jan-McMahon earned a master of fine arts degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and is an art instructor at Clinton Community College in Clinton, Iowa. In October, her exhibit, “The Adjacent”, was on display at Luther in the Kristin Wigley-Fleming Fine Arts Gallery, in the Center for the Arts.
Adam Lapp is a project accountant at M.A. Mortenson Construction in Minneapolis.
Teddy Ortega of Grover Beach., Calif., is senior front end engineer for 1stdibs.com, Inc. in New York City.
Emily (Schneider) Stelken is a computed tomography technologist at Mercy Hospital in Dubuque, Iowa.
Katy (Lindstrom) Van Heest is an occupational therapist at the University of Minnesota Medical Center in Minneapolis.
Chelsea Wyman is an outreach librarian at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
Jessica Zenchak earned a master’s degree in neuroscience from Central Michigan University; she is a doctoral student in veterinary medicine at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich.
MARRIAGES
BETH KORLESKI and Cody Hardy, April 28, 2018
EMILY SCHNEIDER and Andy Stelken, Sept. 8, 2018
KELSEY TARBERT and Skyler Brantley, Aug. 11, 2018
BIRTHS
AMANDA (WIGER) and Brandon Leisinger welcomed a daughter, Ellie Jean, in November 2017.
| We are pleased to announce Dr. Jenifer K. Ward as the 11th president of Luther College! For more information about President-elect Ward, visit luther.edu/headlines |
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As you may remember from your Fall 2018 Class Agent letter, Luther has recently completed an extensive brand strategy research process.
As a result of our research and in collaboration with members of the Luther community, we have developed several statements that will guide future communications. We know that you, our alumni, are often asked about your alma mater. What you say to prospective students and their families about Luther College can have a huge impact on their decisions to visit campus, apply and, hopefully, enroll. You know Luther well. You matter to us and we’re interested in hearing from you. We invite you to take a few minutes to preview some of our new statements and share your thoughts. The example statements, as well as a response survey, are available online: luther.edu/alumni/brandsurvey Many thanks! If you have any questions please email Catherine Dyer, Brand and Marketing Director at [email protected] |