An Update from Erin Larsen
 Hi there!
I was just perusing PLU's website and came across the Gonyea
Fellows' page. What a great idea! ... I'd love to hear how
people that I worked with are doing now, and connect with new people
As for a brief bio/update from me:
I was a catering/Gonyea house manager in 2003 - 2004; one of
the lucky people that got to break in the schnazzy outfits it looks like you
all still get to wear today. It was a blast ... the work was always
rewarding, fun, and of course, tasty :)
I'm from Chisago Lakes, MN originally, but am now very happily living in Boston with my husband,
Bjorn Larsen ('03 PLU grad) and 1 1/2 year old border collie, Mia. I've
recently started an interior design business, Live Good Design, then realized
that in order to bridge my interests and further the business, I'd need
additional education. So, starting this fall, I'll begin a 5-year master
degree program in architecture at the Boston Architectural
College. Career
goal: to design senior housing communities.
We're headed to Bjorn's hometown of Treungen, Norway,
this Christmas & New Years ... if any Lutes are in the area, we'd love to
show them around one of the most beautiful places on earth!
This is my main email address: erin@livegooddesign.net.
Hope all is well there ... good luck to everyone on a new
school year!
All the best to everyone,
Erin
An Update from Mike Nelson
Mike is a former Grounds Manager, BS02, and is shown paragliding in Peru. The following is taken from a recent email.
I am still working for Chemonics and we have just recently one
another project in Mozambique. This project is to reduce mortality from
malaria by 50% country wide over three years. It is exactly the field I
want to be working in and I am really excited getting started. Although
I think my chances are low, they are sending out a start-up team in the
next two weeks and I really want to go.
Before that, I was chosen to go to Peru and create a local team
for an immunization project we are bidding on. It is to increase
measles and DPT3 vaccines rates to the minimal threshold for the
millennium development goals. I met a lot of people that had jobs that
I would really like to do. Because the road system is so bad they have
roving brigades of doctors and nurses that hike to the villages and
treat people, that's what I would really like to be doing. Although I
didn't make it outside of Lima, I did have some fun. I paraglided on
the ocean cliffs and swam with sea lions that where not at all
friendly. I also attached a picture of my ear after a snowboarding
accident this winter. It looks bad but it went away quickly.
Looking forward, I have my eye on an epidemiology program at the
University of Cape Town. Not only will this give me the opportunity to
get more hands on experience with the work I want to do, I am also
questioning the value of education in the states. I still might be
caught in the Peace Corps idealism but people talk more about the
networks and accreditation they will benefit from rather than what a
great opportunity studying in South Africa would be.
Greetings from Hawaii
 A-L0-HA!!
It was great to receive the Gonyea Fellows email. What
a great idea! I think the website will serve as a fantastic opportunity
to encourage future Gonyea Fellows and to celebrate the success of Gonyea
Alumni. Way to go!
Mary Oliver in April?!?! What! I saw her on the calendar--that is
crazy cool. I incorporated some of her poetry into my freshman writing
class last semester. I wish I could be at PLU to hear her speak.
It's encouraging to learn of all the wonderful opportunities PLU
continues to provide its students (and community).
(Adam Burke '04, MAE '05, Former Grounds Manager now teaching at Hawaii Pacific
University. Photo taken 10/12/2004)
An Update from Montana - Pat & Solveig Munson
The following are excerpts taken
from emails from both Pat '05, and Solveig '04. Slight edits have been made to
make them easier to read:
 (Pat) Hi! My name is Pat
Munson and I am a former member of both the grounds and catering crews of the
Gonyea House. My wife Solveig was also a Gonyea Fellow, serving time with
the catering group as one of the Catering Managers. Solveig graduated in
the winter of 2004 with an English degree and was a member of the Choir of the
West. I graduated Spring of 2005 with a health and fitness certificate
from the Physical Education department and participated as a member of the PLU
football team.
 (Solveig)
Pat just forwarded me the email MaryAnn sent about the Gonyea Fellows website... I was THRILLED to check it out and see what
people are up to. Many talented, intelligent, selfless and ambitious
people have served at the Gonyea House over the years. I know I truly enjoyed
being a part of it. It was my home away from home, most definitely.
Hearing about the goings on at PLU really made me miss it and all of you
as well.
(Pat) Currently we reside in Fort Benton, Montana. I
teach Health and PE in the Fort Benton School District,
am an assistant basketball coach, and head football coach for the past two
seasons. There are great kids to work with and our football teams have
been fortunate to finish in the Quarterfinals and Semifinals of the state
playoffs of the first two seasons that I have been the head coach.
Solveig teaches English in the Highwood School District, which is nearby, and
enjoys being the head speech and drama coach, and an assistant junior high
basketball coach. She had two students place at this year’s state meet
for speech and drama. Solveig also gives voice and piano lessons to
students nearby.
(Solveig)
I am truly enjoying teaching. I am finally to the point where I feel
comfortable and confident. My students are such great kids and being in
rural Montana
really gives me the opportunity, away from the distractions like drugs and
alcohol, to really connect with them and work with
them one-on-one. It's wonderful to have finally found
my calling.
I
was accepted into a teacher's workshop in Washington
DC on the Holocaust. I will
be traveling out there on the 6th for a short workshop for young teachers (5
years of experience or less) in rural areas in the Western States. I have
been to the museum several times, but am excited to learn more about how to
translate that knowledge and use it in the classroom. It will be such an
enlightening experience.
(Pat) We consider ourselves blessed
to have the opportunity to teach and coach in these great communities. We
run an independent contracted and licensed painting company, Munson Painting,
in the summer time and enjoy the wonderful outdoor opportunities that Montana
provides. We are grateful for the time we spent at PLU and have to
attribute much of what we learned to the experiences we had as being a part of
the PLU community. Photos were taken in 2004 while both Solveig and Pat worked at Gonyea.
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Alumni Around the World
The following alumni are currently traveling, living, studying, working or serving in other countries. Matt Kennedy, '07
Uganda
Visit Matt's Blog
Karin Johnson, '07
Argentina
Read Karin's Update
Laura Thompson, '06
India
Read Laura's Update
Visit Laura's Blog
Amy Ekrem Leino, '98, MAE '00
Finland
From Right to left: Amy, Maren Anderson '09, baby Lukas and Amy's Spouse Mika.
Former gonyea catering manager, Solveig (Berg) Munso
and former Gonyea Grounds Pat Munson at Gonyea in July 2008 for lunch!
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