Where did you grow up and what drew you to theological education and church ministries?

I grew up in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. I was active in the church from my high school days on. I worked at the Churchwide office for 10 years, took a side trip through evangelicalism and back again. Theology has been fascinating for me all along. I love working in theological education because we have conversations that do not happen anywhere else!

How long have you lived in Minnesota and where else have you lived?

I grew up here, spent 10 years in Chicago, and am now back again.

Do you speak Ojibwe? How and why did you learn?

I do not speak Ojibwe….well, not much. I took a year of Ojibwe Language and Culture classes at the U of MN because it sounded interesting to get to know the original inhabitants of this land a bit better. If you want me to say important Ojibwe words such as coffee or blueberry pie, I will be happy to indulge you.

Tell us about your public service work and why this is important to you?

It was really an experience of not wanting to be on the sidelines of the process any longer. I always felt free to complain or argue about what was wrong in the world, but actually putting my money where my mouth was and getting into the game of changing things became important to me. I will probably never be president or senator, but I can certainly listen to the needs of my community and make it better in small ways through my work on city council.

If you could give an incoming student one piece of advice about interacting with the registrar, what would it be?

I would say ask early and ask often. If you make your needs known early it is more likely that we will be able to help you find a solution. Accreditors, policies, and denominations are complicated. We are happy to help you navigate those systems and help you find solutions.