Let me introduce myself to you…

I’ve always been a regular reader of Life@Luther. I’m excited about the opportunity to share my thoughts on what life is like as a student at Luther Seminary.

I'm sure the main reasons I was asked to write are that I am a Master of Arts (M.A.) student and in the Children, Youth and Family Ministry program (CYF). But I am more than that.

I’m a wife. Next week, my husband Paul and I will celebrate our 15th anniversary. It hasn’t been easy. It hasn’t always been fun. But we’ve stuck it out and I wouldn’t be at Luther if I didn’t have such a wonderful man loving and supporting me.

I’m a mother. I have three children: Patrick, 13, and Hannah and Zoe (identical twins), 9. They are wonderful, frustrating, amazing, noisy examples of God’s creation. They are part of why I wanted to go into children and family ministry.

I’m an “older” student. Don’t ask, I’m not telling. But I did graduate from college in a previous decade. I had two careers before this: I was a newspaper writer right out of college for a while which lead directly to the next career, graphic design, which I have done for over 12 years (and still continue to do and love).

I’m a commuter student. I don’t live on campus which makes for a totally different experience. I’m rarely on campus after 5 p.m. and never on the weekends or holidays (unless I’m working). In fact, when I decided to return to school, my whole family moved in with my parents (intergenerational living is quite vogue right now!). My life does not center around the Luther community.

I’m a part-time student. I’m in the second year of what will probably be a four-year. I’ve had to watch my friends graduate. I have to be here longer and do things slower. My husband and I have to pay for classes mostly ourselves because I made the choice to split between career and family. Being part-time makes me ineligible for most financial aid opportunities.

I hope that I have interesting insights to share in future entries. Thanks for reading this!