Annual Wild Hope Award
The Center’s mission to gather people to promote human and ecological flourishing leads us each year to highlight an alumnus, alumna, or friend of the university who exemplifies this mission.
Mary Jo Larsen earned her 2002 BAE Secondary English with a Minor in Biology, 2004 MAE. Currently, she serves the university as Assistant Dean of the School of Education.
Next is the middle – David Deatherage-Larsen graduated in 2008 with majors in French and Global Studies with a minor in Anthropology. He loved PLU so much he went back to get his Masters of Education. He is currently a third grade teacher at Expedition Elementary in Bethel SD.
And the youngest, Andrew Larsen graduated in 2015 with Religion and Anthropology majors, Political Science minor. Following a stint in the Peace Corps, he is now an ordained Deacon of the ELCA and Program Manager of the Transformed Listeners Initiative (churchwide office).
Tono Sablan (PLU 2018) is the executive director for the Blue Zones Project in Parkland and Spanaway.
Rick Steves is an American travel writer and leader in social assistance to those struggling with poverty; view his presentation here.
Hannah Anderson (PLU 2015), one of the first Wild Hope Fellows, serves as a nurse in intensive care.
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