Page 57 • (2,213 results in 0.02 seconds)

  • Ian Lindhartsen entered PLU with a plan. The 253 PLU Bound scholarship recipient from the Key Peninsula began his first year with plans to major in music education. But best-laid plans often go awry. Lindhartsen soon realized that wasn’t the path for him. He knew…

    before, but on a professional level,”  Lindhartsen said.  In just the 30-year history of the individualized major, PLU students have designed degrees in digital media, Indigenous studies, global health, and environmental education. To do this, students draw from PLU courses and develop their expertise through extensive and rigorous conversations and planning with a committee of faculty who support and guide them. “You take courses from all around the university, as well as experiential learning, like

  • Nick Etzell ‘23 is a double major in psychology and environmental studies at Pacific Lutheran University, with minors in philosophy, business, and innovation studies. In his time at PLU, he has been involved with the Wild Hope Center for Vocation as both a vocation intern…

    vocation.“Not only is Nick a smart and invested student, he also has a compelling and compassionate personality which draws others to him,” says Hay. “When you’re with Nick, don’t expect small talk. He will ask you big and provocative questions that make you think, learn more about yourself, and want to keep the conversation going.”  Etzell says his involvement in Wild Hope has taught him to embrace the joy of learning as a college student. “Prior to joining Wild Hope, I didn’t know if I wanted to

  • Pacific Lutheran University’s Master of Business Administration program was ranked the second best MBA program in Washington state , and tops in the state among programs at private universities in U.S. News and World Report ’s 2023 guide to the best graduate schools in the…

    after their PLU MBA in business, nonprofit and governmental leadership.” PLU’s AACSB-accredited MBA program is founded on the cornerstones of leadership, creative innovation, global awareness and ethical responsibility. It is led by a dynamic team of faculty members who combine industry experience and educational expertise in the classroom and incorporate real-world examples and service learning experiences.The program offers optional emphasis areas in healthcare management, technology and

  • April Rose Nguyen ’19, ’21 has a plan. A political science and communication double major who recently earned an MBA at PLU, Nguyen followed the advice of a career adviser into a series of contract jobs in human resources. Not because she has career aspirations…

    runs its course. Eventually, she’d like to serve as a diversity officer or work in diversity marketing for a large corporation like Amazon. For now, she’s learning, growing and preparing for whatever’s next. It’s all going according to plan. EDITOR’S UPDATE: After this article was published April Rose accepted a full-time manager role at Amazon! Her official title is now Applicant Services Manager and she is now managing the applicant services recruiters (contractors) that get hired to work with

  • From an early age, Tom Chontofalsky ‘03 always thought he’d be a wildlife biologist. He’d pore over issues of National Geographic and One World magazines his dad purchased, studying photos and text of exotic animals. Chontofalsky is now an environmental scientist with the City of…

    sense of pride from graduating from PLU.”   PLU’s biology team primed Chontofalsky for success, particularly Professor Emeritus of Biology Angelia Alexander and the late Tom Carlson, also a professor emeritus of biology. “Students learned cool things from people who knew what they were talking about,” recalls Chontofalsky. “You could trust what they were teaching wasn’t just what they learned out of a book but from experience.” Chontofalsky still craves learning new things through hands-on

  • Kristen (Vold) Jaudon ’94 likes to keep her options open. “I say ‘yes’ to different possibilities,” she says. “I like trying new things.” That kind of thinking helped her segue from jobs in art education and publishing to public education communications. As senior director for…

    replaced monthly in-person meetings, eliminating travel time for administrators from throughout a five-county area in southwest Washington. “There’s not the urgency that there was two years ago,” Jaudon says. “But we continue to meet as a region. People keep showing up and they continue to see value in networking with each other.” A legacy Lute whose parents graduated in 1969, Jaudon learned from them that higher education isn’t just about learning job skills. “My dad told me not to worry about a

  • PLU alumna Becca Anderson ‘19, ‘22 is in her first year teaching biology to ninth graders at Sammamish High School in Bellevue. Her classroom consists of a diverse population of students — something her recent completion of the Culturally Sustaining STEM Teacher Program at Pacific…

    way, and that she is part of it. “This program really prepares teachers to walk in on their first day prepared to be a part of those conversations,” she said. She joined Sammamish High School’s Racial Equity Inclusion Team and also participates with the Student Wellbeing Team. She said the program instilled a lot of self-awareness. For example, she realized several students have trouble learning because they are hungry. She keeps a box of healthy snacks, like granola bars, so hunger is not a

  • For Venice Jakowchuk ’23, a single general education class sparked a passion that has since taken her—literally and/or metaphorically—from Herefordshire, England and Aberdeen, Scotland to the central highlands of Mexico and back to the lands of the Nisqually peoples. Originally from Arizona, Jakowchuk entered PLU…

    Arthur’s Stone, a Neolithic chambered tomb.“It was an amazing experience, and it really solidified my love for archeology,” Jakowchuk said. “I knew I liked archeology in the classroom, learning about the theory, the reading and writing. Then getting this hands-on experience gave me that same joy. It was just super exciting.” Because Jakowchuk was a sophomore when COVID hit, her initial plans to study abroad were canceled. But the PLUS Year, a tuition-free fifth year, allowed her to return to the U.K

  • Franklin Pierce School District (FPS) announces it is joining the innovative Seed Teachers program , a transformative initiative developed by Tacoma-based nonprofit Degrees of Change in partnership with Pacific Lutheran University (PLU). “The Seed Teachers program is a perfect fit for our district. It creates…

    Degrees of Change.  “This collaboration represents a shared commitment to nurturing educators who will inspire and shape the future. Together, we aspire to cultivate a thriving learning environment for students, fostering growth and empowerment in every classroom,” concluded Dixon. Seed Teachers is a collaborative program by Degrees of Change, Tacoma Public Schools, Franklin Pierce School District, and Pacific Lutheran University. (Photo by Ron Storer) The Seed Teacher program provides Pierce County

  • After graduating from Emerald Ridge High School in Puyallup, Raphi Crenshaw ’24 enrolled at PLU with plans to major in biology. “I was going to become a dermatologist, but when I started taking the classes, well, I wasn’t a fan of it,” Crenshaw remembers. By…

    attorneys to put them into the proper legal clinic and get them the support they need. “It’s really cool learning to work with different kinds of people, see what they’re going through, and guide them through the process.” Crenshaw says that, time and time again, he’s seen clients walk through the organization’s front door “broken and defeated,” but by the time they leave, “they realize there is help for them, and that weight gets lifted off their shoulders.” Crenshaw hopes to attend law school at