Guided Studies from the Ground Up

When Kirsten Gullerud’s principal at St. Paul in Appleton, Wisconsin, asked her to help him create a Guided Studies program, she was a little hesitant. She was working as an aide in the first-grade classroom at the time, and she really didn’t know much about special education. But she did have a broad teaching background. […]

Ben Carlovsky Finds Deep Content to Match Deep Passion

Ben Carlovsky MLC ’03 was originally enrolled in MLC’s Master of Science in Educational Administration program. As an elementary school principal at Abiding Word-Houston, that made sense. But when he accepted a call to teach religion at Wisconsin Lutheran High School, he switched programs midstream. Now he’s a 2023 graduate of our Master of Arts […]

The Best Time for a Master’s Degree—Now!

Dana Raasch Explains Why When Dana (Pietrzyk) Raasch graduated from Martin Luther College with her bachelor’s degree in 2021, it didn’t take her long to realize that the best time to pursue a master’s degree was immediately. So after just one year in front of the classroom, she became a student again—in MLC’s graduate program. […]

“Still So Much to Learn”

Why One MLC Grad Started Her Master’s Program Right After Graduation Tassia-Channel Wolf, assistant principal at Grace Lutheran School in St. George, Grenada, calls it a heart story. It began when a student with special needs enrolled at Grace a few years ago. Tassia did a deep dive into instruction and assessments, and then put […]

Jarred Beduze: Principal in the Making

Strong Lutheran schools need strong principals. Leaders who set the bar high for student achievement. Who create a Christ-centered culture. Who cast longterm visions for the future of their school and simultaneously handle the day-to-day details. Who supervise instruction, create a budget, and implement a marketing plan—all while maintaining meaningful relationships with faculty, parents, and […]

A Master’s Degree that Fits His Ministry Needs—Today and Tomorrow

When Donovan Waege MLC ’21 began his ministry last summer at Christ Lutheran School in Eagle River, Wisconsin, his duties expanded quickly. In addition to teaching grades 5-8, as assigned, he also found himself in the unofficial role of technology director. Using his own natural interest in technology, coupled with the training he’d received in […]

Theology Is For Everyone

Why would a professor with her PhD in math go back to school and pursue another degree . . . a degree outside her field . . . a degree in theology? We wondered too. So we talked to Dr. Kristi Meyer (pictured), a calculus professor at Wisconsin Lutheran College. Dr. Meyer is a WLC […]

Meet Chelsee Earley: Finding the Right Fit at MLC

Chelsee Earley knew what she was looking for. As she researched online master’s programs, she wanted a personal experience, one where she could really interact with the professors. Her friends had told her that their programs were impersonal—just a matter of “checking boxes.” She wanted a relationship with her professors and peers. She also wanted […]

Eric Wolf: Because the Word Works!

Eric Wolf ’13 knows the Word of God works, and he’s committed to leading, pulling, and pushing the middle schoolers he teaches deeper into that Word. So he recently decided he wants to go deeper into Scripture himself—through MLC’s Master of Arts in Theological Studies (MATS).

A Passion for Leadership in ECE

The children at the WELS preschool in Raleigh, North Carolina, would never guess that Mrs. Kiecker, the teacher they love so much, never planned on teaching preschool. But early childhood education  (ECE)—and becoming a leader in ECE—is now her passion.

Nicole Lehman

Even as an upper-level math instructor, Nicole Lehman ’10 sees the need to increase and improve her teaching techniques for students with learning difficulties. That’s what led her to the special education emphasis in MLC’s Master of Science in Education program.

Meet Graduate Student Andrea Van Sice ’14

In May 2014 you might not have chosen Andrea (Biedenbender) Van Sice as the most likely person to enroll in MLC’s master’s program. She’d just wrapped up her undergrad papers and exams, accepted her diploma, and turned her tassel. She’d just been assigned to Nebraska LHS. She was engaged to be married the next summer. Because […]

Kyle Bender — Principal Track

Taking His Leadership to the Next Level Kyle Bender DMLC ’93 is taking his school leadership to the next level. Though Kyle’s resume is already impressive, his experience in MLC’s new MS in Educational Administration program is giving him new tools he can use immediately in his ministry. “MLC is challenging me to grow professionally […]

Lynn Jungen – Early Childhood Director

“I’ve Been Waiting for This” Lynn Jungen Is Enjoying MLC’s New MS-Educational Administration “I believe my job is to help children use and develop their God-given abilities to serve their Lord, their family, their neighbors, and their congregation.” So says Lynn Craker Jungen DMLC ’80 of St. Peter-Mishicot, Wisconsin. As the sole faculty member—both teacher and […]

Gretl

Gretl—her English name—is one of the newest students in our master’s program, and she takes the prize for a couple firsts. She is our first student taking courses from her home in China, and she is also the first student—and likely the only one ever—with an undergraduate degree in veterinary medicine. After earning her degree […]

Coral Cady

International students are not new at MLC, but Coral Cady is certainly the first WELS teacher from Vietnam to  join our master’s program. A 1985 graduate of DMLC, she taught at California Lutheran High School for one year and St. Paul-New Ulm MN for 13 years. Then her life changed drastically, as she took a […]

Chris Hintz

As one listens to Chris Hintz (Emmaus-Phoenix) talk about graduate studies at MLC, it’s easy to see that a big benefit of the master’s program has been the opportunity to reflect—to reflect on the gifts God has given him and the opportunities to use those gifts. At his 2004 graduation, Chris was assigned to Zion-Denver […]

Rendy Koeppel

New Master’s Program at MLC: Training for Principals and ECE Directors Rendy Koeppel DMLC ’81 is leaving the MLC Master of Science in Education program. As principal at St. Paul-First in North Hollywood, Koeppel enjoyed the courses, noting the online flexibility and the knowledge-sharing with other WELS teachers. He saw benefits to his ministry, “particularly […]

Peter Mathwig

A grade 2-3 teacher at St. Peter-Weyauwega WI, Peter Mathwig chose the Instruction emphasis, noting, “I wanted to learn new ways of becoming a better teacher in the classroom.” Although he’s only taken one class so far, he can already see the blessings: “The courses are very applicable to the teaching ministry in our WELS […]

Stacy Shrum

When 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 […]

Anne Starr

In 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 […]

Lori (Soloviyov) Wetterau

Lori 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 […]