Stacy Shrum

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Stacy MLC Grad Newsletter PicWhen you get to know Stacy (Scott) Shrum ’02, three words come to mind: energy, enthusiasm, and impact. And it’s clear that God uses these qualities to bless her life and ministry. Her energy and enthusiasm for sharing Christ’s love positively impacts those around her—her students, school, congregation, and husband.

Stacy has had a positive impact in a variety of settings. Upon graduation from Martin Luther College in 2002, she served Emanuel First Lutheran in Lansing MI as a preschool teacher, assistant childcare director, and part-time K-2 teacher. In 2006 she accepted a call to open and direct Key to Life Christian Childcare in Schofield WI. “This was an incredible outreach experience as we opened our doors in 2007 with seven students and a year later had 107 enrolled,” explained Stacy. “God is good!”

Stacy met her husband, Justin, through a Christian dating website when he was in the U.S. Navy. After a long-distance relationship, they married on June 20, 2008. While in the Navy, Justin had come to know God’s love as a result of his grandfather’s death. “Justin was pretty lost, and his chaplain got a hold of him and taught him about God’s love,” Stacy shared. “He couldn’t get enough of the gospel, and he experimented with many different Pentecostal and nondenominational churches, desperately searching to find ‘the truth.’” After their marriage, Justin entered a Baptist seminary, but was frustrated with what he was learning. “I continued to pray for him while he consulted with a WELS pastor and friend he knew.” Through her prayers and God’s Word, Justin was confirmed in a WELS congregation and is now studying for the pastoral ministry at MLC!

While he studies, Stacy is serving in Sleepy Eye MN. “My current ministry at St. John’s (Sleepy Eye MN) has given me great opportunities to use the gifts and talents God has given me in many different areas,” she says. She teaches 3- and 4-year-old preschool and Kindergarten. She’s also in charge of preschool through grade 8 music. “I love singing and music in general,” she says. “It’s certainly a blessing to be able to touch the lives of 3-year-olds and 13-year-olds alike!”

Stacy’s goal is to complete her master’s degree and walk the stage with Justin at MLC in 2013. With all she has going on, why did Stacy want a graduate degree? “I find wherever I serve, I always face the challenge of ‘Am I doing enough?’ I am constantly looking for ways to improve myself as a teacher, and to improve my program as well. I have always wanted to continue my education. I truly believe that a superior teacher never stops learning,” she answers.

And why Special Education? “There is such a need for Special Education, even in the WELS, as more and more children who have needs are enrolling in our schools. I hope to be able to support these students in order to give them the opportunity to develop academically in an environment where they can also learn about their Savior.”

Stacy is glad she enrolled in MLC’s master’s program even though her plate is already full. “This program serves as a wonderful way to fit a master’s degree into a busy lifestyle and to learn in a Christ-centered environment. I love that the classes are online, which works so well with my busy teaching schedule. I also love that I am able to connect with and learn from other Christian teachers from all over the globe.

“I can honestly say that I have taken something from each and every class, and can use what I have learned within my own classroom setting. This program has given me an opportunity to grow as a teacher and continue to better myself in the areas that God has blessed me. I am a better teacher because of the MLC Grad Studies program.”

Anne Starr

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AnneStarrIn 2011-2012, Anne Zietlow couldn’t wait to graduate, get married, and find a teaching job in the city where her fiancé, David Starr, would be a vicar. She deferred an assignment call but hoped that a public school job would be available. David was assigned to West Palm Beach, Florida, for his vicarship, but a teaching position for Anne did not materialize.

“I’d been looking forward to teaching (fresh out of school, gung-ho!), and I grew very discouraged. I was forgetting that my plans are not always God’s plans.”

She did find a great job as an administrative assistant to the director of a law office, and she got busy immediately in her husband’s church as a vocalist in the praise band, “Band of Hope.” And, though she did not yet have her own classroom, she decided to pursue her master’s degree.

“I’d been weighing the idea of graduate school since my sophomore year at MLC, but this idea converted to a goal during student teaching. I realized how much I loved learning, how much I loved teaching small groups of students (especially reflecting back to my junior clinical in a special education room), and how much I wanted to help students who deeply need a caring, patient, and loving teacher.”

She chose MLC for her graduate school and special education as her emphasis. “I chose MLC because all the other special education graduate programs I sought out could not prepare me for my greatest goal: to teach children with learning disabilities how much their God and Savior loves them. Beyond this, MLC offers an incredibly well-rounded and thorough education that appealed to my professional growth as much as other large universities.”

She also appreciated MLC’s flexibility. “The countless measures MLC takes to accommodate its students were impressive. Considering the relocating and new occupations I’ll experience in the next few years, the online graduate program was the best and most accommodating fit for my lifestyle.”

She admits, though, she was hesitant. “Will this education really help me that much? Is this program going to help me be a better teacher, beyond what my undergraduate program has already prepared me to do? And is the education worth the cost? Answers: Yes, yes, and yes. These concerns were all put to rest once I got started. Within the first week of my first online course, the knowledge and experiences shared by the members of my group demonstrated to me how I need to be more prepared to teach students in the way I dream of; that just as college is very different from high school, graduate work is very different from undergraduate work; that sharing ideas and discussing new journal articles with these peers will help me be a better teacher; and that it is worth the cost.”

Anne lives by her daybook now. A normal day consists of a 6:00 am workout, a 9-to-5:30 job, and a 6:30 return home for dinner with her new husband. She then spends two hours every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday night on homework. Tuesday nights are for in-home Bible study groups and Thursday nights are for Band of Hope rehearsals.

It’s busy, but she knows where her motivation lies. “I know how badly I want my future students to have my best. And that motivation is my joy during those two hours each night. My goal is to reach each and every one of my students on their level, to share knowledge in whatever way will be most meaningful for each child. When a child learns from a teacher who deeply cares for them, loves them unconditionally, loves teaching them, and loves learning, amazing things happen. And my faithful studies now are preparing me to do just that.”

 

All About Anne

MLC Graduation: 2012 – Elementary Education

Hometown: Montello, Wisconsin

Family: Married to David Starr (MLC ’10), “the most wonderful friend and companion.” Dad teaches at St. John, Montello, and Mom is an Clinical Nurse Educator at a nearby hospital. Older brother, Ben, is at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary; younger brother, Jake, is a first-year at MLC; and younger sister, Katie, is a junior at Luther Prep. “Our God blessed me with a supportive, loving, and selfless family. They support my goals and dreams, and they are such a solid Christian support system. God is so good to me.”

Favorites: Children’s literature (like The Giving Tree and Harold and the Purple Crayon), classical music, movies (like The Green Mile—and thank goodness the Redbox is only a two-minute walk from home)

Hobbies: Helping people, running a few days of the week, baking cupcakes for every and any reason, starting a Saturday afternoon with a good Jodi Picoult novel, or coming across a new journal topic about Asperger’s

Her advice to those considering an MLC master’s program: First, do your research; make sure the program fits what you’re looking for. You shouldn’t be surprised to find MLC’s program and institution’s accommodations exceed that of many popular and praised programs found elsewhere. Second, talk to your resources and peers: Professor John Meyer (director of graduate studies—he’s so down to earth and full of good guidance), undergraduate professors who can provide direction and suggestions, family, friends, possibly older students. And finally, pray. Prayer is so powerful, and having a heart-to-heart with your Savior about his plans for you may be all the encouragement you need.

(Article written by Laurie Gauger)

Lori (Soloviyov) Wetterau

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lori soloviLori Soloviyov teaches PK/K at St. John-Sleepy Eye, Minnesota. She is also a single mother of four children: Tatyana (15), Yuri (11), Aleksei (8), and Katya (6). As if that weren’t enough to fill her time, she’s pursuing her master’s degree at MLC with an emphasis in special education. She hadn’t actually signed up for the master’s program herself. Her husband signed her up – shortly before he died.

We’ll let her tell you the story.

While at D/MLC in the 90s, I took a year off of school to follow my family to Kiev, Ukraine. I met my husband, Georgiy Soloviyov, during that year. I returned to D/MLC, graduated in 1996, and received a one-year call to Brillion, Wisconsin. I was married the day after Thanksgiving that year.

I went back to the Call Committee and was called to teach grade 1 in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, where I taught four years, and then I was called to be the preschool director at Abiding Word in Houston, Texas. I taught there six years until my husband, who worked for Union Pacific railroad, was transferred to Iowa. 

There were no WELS schools around us in Iowa, so I worked as a para-educator for one year at the local public school, South Hamilton. When the special ed position became available, my husband encouraged me to apply, and they hired me. I did that four years. 

During that time, my husband signed me up for the master’s program. He had heard me encourage the children to attend MLC, and he knew it was the best fit for me. He told me I was the smart one and I should do this. 

In the summer of 2012, my husband was killed in a work-related accident. I remember getting the news and wondering what I was going to do. I couldn’t focus. Then my children made me focus. One of them said, “Papa had to be the first at everything. Now he is the first in heaven.” With those words, I woke up. My children have been my strength. They speak such words of faith. 

My pastor then encouraged me to begin work in the church again. In March 2013, I received the call to teach PreK/K at St. John’s in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota. It has been wonderful teaching God’s Word to all the children there. One little girl said to my daughter, “I hope you are not mad, but my mom told me what happened to your dad. Don’t be sad – you will see him again in heaven.” Again, the words of encouragement from a little child!

I have never been angry at God. I know he works for the good of those that love him. I know he has a plan for me and my children. I see his hand every day guiding me.

While at South Hamilton, Lori fell in love with special ed. She enjoys using different techniques to teach children who learn in different ways. “I enjoy watching a child’s face light up because he/she finally understands something! It is an amazing feeling helping someone succeed – going from a non-reader to reading over 100 words a minute! You can’t explain how that makes you feel.”

Lori’s story is full of gratitude. She is thankful for the proximity of her parents, Pastor Melvin and Elizabeth Schwark; her seven scattered siblings who keep in touch through technology; and her children, who are her strength.

She’s also overwhelmed at the kindness of the St. John’s faculty and the MLC graduate faculty. Dr. Alan Spurgin has been especially helpful. He told her getting into the master’s program would be good for her, even though her life had been turned upside down, and he continues to support her.

Most of all, she is grateful to God. “Sometimes there are days when I think I can’t possibly do this! But then the Lord sends some encouragement: a phone call from a friend, a text saying, ‘Thinking of you,’ a WELS devotion that speaks to my heart, one of my children telling me, “You can do this!” Something always happens to push me through the day.