Where did you grow up, and what first got you interested in studying theology and ministry?
I was born and raised in Alexandria, Minnesota, a town of about 15,000 in the west-central part of the state. My family, my faith, and school were always the biggest three influences on my life while I grew up. I have always had a wide variety of interests, including in church, but doing ministry full time was not on my radar at all growing up.

What did you study as an undergraduate and where did you go?
I went to college at the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities, under the assumption that when I finally figured out what I wanted to do for a living, a large public school would have it as a major. Instead, God laughed and began to nudge me toward a call to Christian ministry. I spent most of my college years dabbling in ministry while trying to find an alternative plan for my life. Eventually I couldn’t deny God’s call any longer, and I was excited to find that there was an ELCA seminary less than a mile from my college campus. After a tour, it was clear that Luther Seminary and I were a match. I completed a psychology degree, but my summer as a bible camp counselor and time as a leader in the college marching band were much larger influences on my life during those years.

What degree program are you in at Luther Seminary, and what are you hoping to do with your seminary education?
Now at Luther, I am in my third year working toward an M.Div. degree. I’m studying full time with the intent to go into rostered parish ministry in the ELCA, most likely in a small town or rural area. I’m happy that I’ve been able to take the vast majority of my classes in person. For me, living in community with other seminarians and interacting with my professors and classmates outside of the classroom has been critical to my education.

What’s one thing people don’t know about you?
Something most people don’t know about me is that I am slowly writing a fiction novel and recording a rock album in my free time.