From foster care to doctoral degree: Lizbett Benge’s educational journey
Lizbett Benge ’11 describes her educational journey as “a long and winding road.” It began with her immersion into foster care and deeply influenced her time at PLU, where she grappled with a set of life experiences few of her peers could understand. Benge felt…
Carson Bergstrom and Nate Sager start a podcast to showcase capstones of fellow 2020 graduates
Recent graduates Carson Bergstrom ‘20 and Nate Sager ‘20 struggled with quarantine boredom and the bittersweet end of the school year when they thought of a cathartic project to help share the capstone projects of their peers and burn some creative energy. The series, titled…
Tacoma Rescue Mission Executive Director and PLU alumnus Duke Paulson on adapting through the pandemic
Duke Paulson ‘93 graduated from PLU in 1993 with a major in biology and a minor in psychology. While at PLU, he was on the swim and rowing teams, played soccer for a bit, and was heavily involved in Young Life. Today, he’s executive director…
Special education teacher Erin Azama ’01, MAE ’06 discusses her distance learning transition
Erin Azama ’01, MAE ’06 is a special education teacher at Grant Center for the Expressive Arts, an arts-focused elementary school in Tacoma’s North End. She works with children from kindergarten to fifth-grade, so her work-from-home transition was not only a break from her routine…
Mark Hernández ’20 has been an advocate, storyteller and student leader at PLU
As a first-year student, the initial adjustment to life at PLU was challenging for Mark Hernández. They’d attended a high school that was over 90 percent students of color. PLU, which is around 40 percent, felt daunting. “I was so culture-shocked at not seeing people…
Andrew Miller ’14 leverages his PLU MBA to help Tulip Town adapt during COVID-19
Andrew Miller ‘14 and his partners at Mount Vernon’s Tulip Town were counting on a big haul in April. That’s when 350,000 tourists normally flock to the area to celebrate the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival and admire seas of colorful blooms. A graduate of PLU’s…
Aminda Cheney-Irgens ’20 on her chemistry and Hispanic studies double major, research in Puerto Rico, and preparing for graduate school
Aminda Cheney-Irgens is a smart, driven, and globally-minded Pacific Lutheran University senior who, like her peers, spent her spring adjusting to a new way of doing college. She’s learned to record Zoom lessons, sharpened her Google Docs skills, and misses the real-life campus interactions. She’s…
PLU senior Daniel Hachet leaves a legacy of green on campus
Daniel Hachet ‘20 might be graduating this spring, but his green initiatives will continue on at PLU. On-campus restaurants now recycle thousands of cereal bags—and are even getting paid to do so. Residence Halls now offer recycling during summer camps. Reusable dishes and compostable straws…
Answering the call: PLU nursing alum volunteers for COVID-19 testing unit transfer
TACOMA, WASH. (May 5, 2020) — After a lifetime devoted to care and service, Kathy (Welsh) Krogstad ‘85 wasn’t going to stand on the sidelines during the COVID-19 global health crisis if she could help it. “I just always wanted to be a nurse,” she…
The Trail Back to PLU: Alayna Linde ’10 on her path from undergrad to urban planning and environmental outreach
By ; TACOMA, WASH. (April 28, 2020) — Ten years after graduating, Alayna Linde ‘10 is back on Pacific Lutheran University’s campus — this time consulting with Pierce County Parks on an innovative new trail project to connect people, parks and PLU. The Parkland Community…