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to become acclimated to the intellectual rigor associated with classes at PLU. “It was a little daunting at first, reading the book and knowing you had to find your academic voice and be prepared to think critically at the university level, but it turned out to be a great warm-up for school,” Dufault said. That is exactly the point, said Amber Baillon, associate director of Student Involvement and Leadership, and co-director of the Common Reading Program. She sees the program as a great – and fun

advice for aspiring writers? Keep at it, and take time to develop your voice and learn story arc and structure. “So many writers just rush into it,” she said. “Be patient, and give it time.” Other advice she gave to young writers: Make sure you’re writing the best thing you’re capable of writing. Find trusted critics. And finally, believe in yourself, and your dreams. Read Previous Life-Changing Connections Across Time and Continents Read Next Lute Cycling Cross-Country to Bring Awareness to Hunger

could get advice on our own careers. I was definitely inspired to hear from all these awesome people. 3. What excites you about serving on the ASPLU? I am so grateful for being here in that I can tangibly make a difference that I wanted to make when I first came to campus. I feel like with the nature of the smallness of the PLU student body I feel my voice can actually be heard. My favorite thing from last year was learning that I am not alone in that. There was an amazing influx of freshmen who

had really worked on connecting with students and making the school a safe space where students could express themselves, find friendships and make mistakes, because it was okay at the end of the day. What is an aspect of your PLU education that you hope to emulate in your future classroom? I have really appreciated PLU’s mindset of accepting all perspectives on different things — something I would love to incorporate into my future teaching. Ensuring everyone’s voice is heard and students have a

the strengths of the PLU choral program? The students and the faculty collectively are the strengths of the PLU choral program. I have found that PLU music has a tradition of holding high standards of excellence. Many of the vocalists are music majors who take lessons from a tremendously talented voice faculty. The choral program at PLU is strong because the educators and collaborative artists who are developing these voices are good at what they do. Also, the students who participate in the

Nostalgia”—presented along with her peers’ capstones in the wider exhibition, “Pastiche”—examines the musical and cultural influences in what she describes as “my journey through embodying what I have envisioned for myself.”  For Thompson, each exhibit comes with the assurance that she’s in the right place. “I know I am doing everything I’m meant to be doing,” she says. “Everything is meant to be the way that it is, and I am taking baby steps and am not afraid to voice myself.” Read Previous Universal

felt a calling, and as a person of faith, she needed to heed the voice telling her, “You’re supposed to be a nurse.” Right before COVID-19 began, she approached her husband and told him what she was thinking. “He said, ‘You’d be a terrific nurse! You should go for it,’” Rosenlund recalls. She didn’t have any illusions about the difficulties of nursing school, especially an accelerated program like PLU’s ABSN. Rosenlund said she drew encouragement from another difficult time in her life, when she

. And, maybe most of all, an impact that will last well beyond 25 years. Here are the stories: “The Women’s Center has made me a leader of my own life! It also has given me the courage to create my dreams and live them. It’s given me a voice and the passion to speak for those who cannot. It made me see the world differently, always asking myself, ‘How can I do more? How can I inspire more change?’ It’s made me that woman I am today … a business owner, empowering women to take ownership and control

that vision. A Tiny Desk Concert-esque stage and a mic stand are on one side, and hundreds of books around the walls and comfortable furniture evoke endless possibilities for intellectual and creative expression.   “Bringing back live music, that’s something I really want to have,” Gore said. “I’d like to bring in jazz bands, some hip-hop groups, some alt-rock. I like to be diverse, not focus on one music type. I love music.”   His dreams don’t stop there. An avid chess player, Gore wants to host a

these fields so we could get advice on our own careers. I was definitely inspired to hear from all these awesome people. What excites you about serving on the ASPLU? I am so grateful for being here in that I can tangibly make a difference that I wanted to make when I first came to campus. I feel like with the nature of the smallness of the PLU student body I feel my voice can actually be heard. My favorite thing from last year was learning that I am not alone in that. There was an amazing influx of