For Ethan Mallow MLC ’24, choosing MLC’s graduate program was an easy decision. In his words, it was a “slam dunk.”
A Ministry with Many Moving Parts: In May 2024 Ethan was assigned to serve as technology director and science instructor at Winnebago Lutheran Academy. Now in his second year there, he’s busy with all the moving parts of that position.
“Put simply, I am the onsite IT department,” he says.
He manages Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Securly, Bark, and Adobe, and coordinates the usage of student Chromebooks and faculty and staff laptops. He’s the point person for the school app and part of a small team who update the school website. He also runs all chapel and concert livestreams—everything except for athletic events—and assists with the theater tech.
He teaches too. The ninth-grade Introduction to Technology course is his, along with one other course. Next year it’ll be physics, which sounds ideal to him, since his bachelor’s at MLC was secondary physics education.
Like many called workers, Ethan is required to play a lot of roles. His duties fill many hours of the day—and often the evening too—but that hasn’t stopped him from adding one more important commitment to his schedule: a graduate program.
A Master’s Degree Matched to His Ministry: Though his undergraduate diploma is still fairly new, Ethan knew early on that he wanted to pursue a graduate degree. “It had always been an option in my mind,” he says. He learned the details of MLC’s program during the senior meetings the week before Call Day, and Professor Heath Dobberpuhl, who also earned his master’s at MLC, encouraged him to pursue a degree.
When Ethan explored the options, it quickly became clear that MLC’s MS in Educational Administration degree with a technology director emphasis was the best match for his ministry.
“When I found out that MLC had a master’s program that is basically for my exact position at WLA, it was a slam dunk decision.”
MLC’s program checked all the boxes, offering courses that would touch on all his roles: an instructor for both the students and faculty, an administrator who oversees tech infrastructure and management, and a leader with the critical thinking and leadership skills needed to guide an entire campus through a complicated and ever-changing technology landscape.
Ethan says he could not find this at any other university. And MLC’s program checks one more box: it’s focused on ministry. All this educational content and guidance in technology is presented in the context of a WELS teacher’s most important role: teaching everything from a gospel center, helping students grow not only academically but spiritually as well.
Ethan says there was one more factor that played a part in his decision: cost. MLC is not only one of the most affordable online master’s programs in the country, but the college also offers a 10% tuition discount to those who enroll within two years of their undergraduate graduation. That’s an offer that’s hard to pass up.
Next Ministry Challenges: Ethan is only three courses in, but what he’s learning is directly applicable to his call. And while he feels good about becoming an even better teacher for his ninth graders in Intro to Technology, becoming a better classroom teacher is not his primary goal for the program.
He’s more excited about becoming a stronger tech leader for the entire campus. That means coordinating professional development for the faculty, assisting them as they integrate ever-expanding technology options into their teaching. It also means learning more about networking equipment so he can make wise choices for WLA.
Becoming a strong tech leader for WLA will be imperative for Ethan as the federation ramps up the school’s ministry in a big way — with a brand-new campus. The 1955 facility on Merrill Avenue is landlocked, and the updates it requires are expensive, so the federation purchased 122 acres on Wisconsin State Highway 23 west of Fond du Lac.
As the new $50.5 million campus comes to life, Ethan is excited to assist with all the technology needs — hardware, software, infrastructure, connection. The prayer is that groundbreaking occurs later in 2026, and the building is completed in 2027.
That’s right when Ethan expects to finish his coursework and begin his capstone project. He hasn’t chosen his specific research area yet, but he knows he’ll plan a project that matches his ministry, one that benefits both him and Winnebago Lutheran Academy. Call it another slam dunk for ministry.
Meet Ethan Mallow
Family: “My parents have been retired for a few years and live in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. My father was an auditor for the IRS, having been a CPA. My mother was a physical therapist at Children’s Hospital and Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee. I have a younger brother who is a junior at UW-Whitewater. (There are no other called workers in my family.)”
Interests: “I like board games, D&D, video games, trumpet, some piano, choir, AV, 3D printing, physics, weight lifting, fishing with friends, and Formula 1. My go-to fun fact is that I obtained a black belt in Tae Kwon Do while I was in grade school.”
Article written by Laurie Gauger-Hested.
