Joyce Ngandango is a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania and is pursuing an Th.M. at Luther Seminary so she can continue to serve and teach in the church. She often visits local churches and serves in many capacities on campus, including in the community’s worship life.
Student Spotlight: Ginny Jesser
Ginny Jesser grew up in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, gave her first sermon at the age of 10, and is pursuing an M.Div. so she can continue serving rural communities. As a distributed learner living in North Dakota and working full time, she says her student experience is “an exciting version of overwhelming.”
Student Spotlight: Coleman Carter
Coleman Carter grew up in the Baptist tradition and found his way to Lutheranism as an adolescent. He is a residential student who engages as much as he can with the on-campus community and the Christian public leaders from around the country who are students at the seminary.
Student Spotlight: Keturah Raabe
Keturah Raabe is an M.Div. student at Luther Seminary who grew up in North Carolina and attended North Carolina Central University. She’s a distributed learner who packs as much as she can into her Minnesota trips, even visiting peers on campus when she isn’t taking any classes.
Meet Shamani Shikwambi, Our New Dean of Students
Shamani Shikwambi, Luther Seminary’s new dean of students, began his career in education as a middle school teacher in his home country of Namibia, learning firsthand how access to education changes lives for individuals and entire communities. He is a life-long Lutheran and, over the years, has come to love Minnesota’s vibrant communities, beautiful lakes, and seasonal rhythms.
Student Spotlight: Saleem Akhtar
Saleem Akhtar grew up in Pakistan in a faith-oriented Christian family and earned an M.Div. in the Church of Pakistan. He is currently a residential Th.M student at Luther Seminary and is grateful for the rhythms of study, worship, service, and community he experiences here on campus. He is passionate about music and plays the tabla.
Student Spotlight: Kaylee Vance
Kaylee Vance was raised in a military family, has practiced as a licensed therapist, and was a professional Latin dancer. She’s pursuing an M.Div. at Luther and serves as a Synodically Authorized Minister. Her current call is to the Hearth, a worshiping community that meets in bars and breweries around Central Florida.
Student Spotlight: Kaitlyn Jedrzejowski
Even in high school, M.Div. student Kaitlyn Jedrzejowski felt nudges toward ministry but brushed them off. As an undergrad at Valparaiso University, the nudges became tugs, and she started paying closer attention to her call. She chose Luther for its academic rigor and openness to asking big questions.
Student Spotlight: Amy Boyer
As a youth in her congregation, Amy Boyer taught Sunday School, assisted with VBS, hand-washed glass communion cups wither her mom and grandmas, and repaired nursery chairs with her grandpa. Today, she’s finishing up work on a graduate certificate in leadership and looking to provide lay leadership in a rural area that needs more of it.
Student Spotlight: Eric Nelson
Eric Nelson is an M.Div. student at Luther Seminary and an intern with Lutheran Campus Ministry–Twin Cities. He lost a chunk of his undergraduate experience to the pandemic and, for a time, had buried any thoughts of pursuing theological education. He’s grateful for the beautiful path he took to get where God wanted him to go.