Where did you grow up, and what first got you interested in studying theology and ministry?
I grew up in Naperville, Illinois, about an hour outside the city of Chicago. In high school, I was very involved in my church’s youth group, attending all our weekly meetings, going on retreats and mission trips, and volunteering with our worship teams and middle school students. My church became my home, where I made lifelong friends and memories, and my faith became the lens through which I processed my formative years. With this involvement came an awareness of a growing rift in our congregation—as our head pastor grew his influence, he stoked conflict with beloved staff and faithful members. One by one, I watched my mentors leave our church in frustration. For a church that claimed to welcome all, there was a growing and painfully obvious blocklist, and I began to develop stronger theological opinions in response.

What did you study as an undergraduate?
I graduated from North Central College here in Naperville. I majored in Business Management, though I enjoyed my minors in Psychology and Religious Studies more. My favorite professors were experts in Christian Ethics and Hebrew Bible, and they welcomed my wrestling with my faith. I am most proud of my time attending and leading Focus, our campus’s interdenominational worship service. Focus kindled my hope for Christian community as I wavered in my resolve to stay involved with congregational life. It also helped me process the pandemic that took a chunk out of my undergraduate experience, sent my church further into discord and decline, and awakened my sense for adventure.

What led you to pursuing theological education here at Luther Seminary?
After the pandemic, travel was first on my mind, and I buried any thoughts of theological education beneath my decision to leave my church. For my last semester, I explored local churches, took a travel course to Greece, and prepared to live and work in Glacier National Park, Montana. While I was there, I led worship with A Christian Ministry in the National Parks, an interdenominational organization that began in Yellowstone almost 75 years ago. I gave Montana three summers and one very lonely winter, and it changed my life. But to the extent I tried to avoid my sense of call, it didn’t work out. I worked for a healthy congregation back home whose pastors pushed me to apply for seminary. I am thankful for the beautiful path I took to get where God wanted me to go.

What degree program are you in at Luther Seminary, and what are you hoping to do with your seminary education?
I just completed the first year of my Masters of Divinity degree, and I’ve finally found a vocation that blends my seemingly disparate interests in literary interpretation, ancient history, and practicing care. Although I’ve had a good experience as a distributed learner, I’ve been wanting to engage more with the campus community. This academic year, I’m taking an internship with Lutheran Campus Ministry–Twin Cities so I can attend classes in-person. I’ve grown used to taking life one season at a time, so I look forward to seeing how God moves this year and where my eventual degree will be put to work.

What’s one thing people don’t know about you?
In social circles where my faith is a given, I’m known for being a huge Star Wars nerd. I never stopped playing with action figures or building Lego sets, except now they’re more intricate and expensive display pieces. Revenge of the Sith is my favorite of the movies, and I highly recommend those new to the franchise watch “Andor” for a well-written series about rebellion against fascism.

In the photo. This summer, I had the opportunity to visit Türkiye as part of professor Matthew Skinner’s travel course Early Church and Empire. I love Greco-Roman history, and I’ll never pass up a trip to the Mediterranean. In the photo (l-r) are Matt Skinner, Christa Garcia, me, and Karla Leitzman.