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April 16, 2026
Faculty Feminism Women

Dr. Ginger Morgan Announced as New Associate Professor and Program Director for Interreligious Chaplaincy

Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States, April 16, 2026 — United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities is thrilled to announce that Dr. Ginger Morgan will join its faculty as the new Associate Professor for Pastoral and Spiritual Care and Program Director for Interreligious Chaplaincy. Dr. Morgan will come to United from Madison, WI, where she is concluding her role at the Presbyterian Student Center Foundation as director of Candid and Community Initiatives. She is a highly qualified program director and chaplain with experience in healthcare, campus ministry, and higher education. With a PhD in Religion and Psychological Studies from Iliff School of Theology at the University of Denver, as well as a Master of Theological Studies (MTS) from Vanderbilt Divinity School, Dr. Morgan draws from her theological and multidisciplinary education in her work. Interreligious studies is one of United’s four pillars, and the Interreligious Chaplaincy (IRC) program—unique among peer institutions—constitutes the largest and fastest-growing of the seminary’s programs over the past five years. In alignment with United’s ethos, Dr. Morgan is a gifted scholar of religious pluralism, highly educated in progressive theological education, and foregrounds justice in chaplaincy and pastoral care. These values are evident in a chapter titled “Many Doors: Expanding Thresholds for Grace,” written by Dr. Morgan for the upcoming book Dispatches from Campus (Augsburg Fortress Press). Dr. Morgan’s career also reflects her personal experiences and identity. Writing to the search committee, she shared, “My formation includes reconciling my lesbian identity with my faith and living as a religious minority in India during high school, both of which shaped my intercultural perspective and vocational commitments.” She continued, “Throughout my career, I have sought to create inclusive spaces of belonging, whether supporting LGBTQIA+ students, young adults in recovery from addiction, or building programs attentive to justice and equity." Rev. Dr. Molly T. Marshall, President, reflects, “United welcomes Dr. Ginger Morgan with confidence and great enthusiasm. Her varied leadership roles, especially in chaplaincy, equip her uniquely to lead our robust IRC program and to teach pastoral and spiritual care.” In his announcement to the student body, Dr. Kyle Roberts—Dean and Vice President for Academic Affairs—noted that Dr. Morgan’s “career in chaplaincy spans hospital, hospice, and higher education contexts, and extensive program leadership experience.” He added, “I want to thank Dr. Demian Wheeler for leading this search process, especially during its formative stages during my sabbatical.” After participating in a months-long faculty search and on-site candidate lecture, being recommended by a unanimous faculty vote, and gaining approval from the Board of Trustees’ Academic Committee, Dr. Morgan will officially begin on July 1. Students, faculty, and staff are eager to welcome her to United for this exciting new chapter. For more information about United’s Interreligious Chaplaincy program, click here. About United Founded by the United Church of Christ (UCC) as a welcoming, ecumenical school that embraces all denominations and faith traditions, United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities has been on the creative edge of progressive theological thought and leadership since it was established in 1962. Today, United continues to educate leaders who, through the eyes of faith, engage in the dismantling of systems of oppression, exploring multi-faith spirituality, and pushing the boundaries of knowledge. Contact Nathanial Green (he/him) Director of Marketing and Communications press@unitedseminary.edu • (651) 255-6138 Admissions and Enrollment admissions@unitedseminary.edu

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March 1, 2026
Faculty Feminism Women

Rev. Dr. Carolyn Pressler Reflects on Women’s History Month

Dear Friends of United, The National Women’s History Alliance’s theme for the 2026 Women’s History Month, “Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future,” reverberates in very concrete, localized, and urgent ways in the context of ICE’s months-long, brutal occupation, a federal “reckoning and retribution” that savaged our immigrant neighbors and tested our resolve. Women—including numerous members of the United Community—have worked with men and gender fluid folk to sustain our state. Women leaders have sustained political resistance, organizing and showing up for large and small demonstrations, sit-ins, and vigils. As constitutional observers, women, along with people of all genders, have sought to sustain legal accountability. Minnesotan women have worked to sustain life, offering aid—groceries, medicines, rent money— to people with reason to be afraid to leave their homes. Medically trained women have made house calls. Women have sustained courage and connection, leading singing resistance pods in hard-hit areas, as a way of letting neighbors know that they are seen and that they matter. And immigrant mothers, aunties, grandmas, and friends, have sustained families, calming terrified children, holding the family together when members are disappeared. This Women’s History Month, let us honor the thousands of women and girls who, as their foremothers did in earlier occupations, stepped up to sustain political will, life, courage, and families. Carolyn Pressler is the Professor Emerita of Biblical Interpretation at United. Learn more about her here. >

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January 22, 2026
Activism Civil Rights justice Lament

Statement by President Molly T. Marshall on Community Response Efforts

These are fraught days for us. Those who call the Twin Cities home persist under the pall of a federal occupation, bracing each day for word of a new atrocity. In the weeks since an ICE agent killed Renee Good, we have seen the good people of Minneapolis and St. Paul show up for one another as armed federal agents patrol our communities, violating due process and cruelly abducting thousands of people.  I think often of our friends and neighbors—including some members of the United community—as they live under the acute terror ICE has wrought on their neighborhoods. Many rely on the aid of a trusted few to meet their basic needs. Facing an oppressive force, our communities have turned outward with resilience, toward one another, embodying anew the command to “love your neighbor as yourself.” I have been deeply moved by the courage of my neighbors and, in particular, United’s students, alums, trustees, and faculty and staff. They model solidarity despite extreme cold, attending vigils, leading music, creating art, and keeping watch with whistles over their neighborhoods while ICE patrols their streets. Chaplains involved in interfaith organizations are supporting local demonstrations and assisting in de-escalation efforts. Lay leaders, prompted to care for their vulnerable neighbors, are picking up groceries, taking kids to school, and meeting material needs in a vast network of mutual aid. Indeed, this is servant leadership. This week, clergy and faith leaders of myriad traditions are answering MARCH’s call to resist this importunate occupation and bear witness to its harm. With members of our United community engaged in rapid response efforts, the seminary will be closed on Friday, January 23. And, in solidarity with fellow clergy and elected officials, I reaffirm my call that ICE must immediately end its terrorizing of the Twin Cities, leave Minnesota altogether, and bring to justice the agent who killed Ms. Good. Social transformation is one of United’s longstanding pillars, and we are seeing the real-world witness of faith and community leaders equipped for the work of justice and peace. In the words of Rev. Dr. Justin Sabia-Tanis, director of our Social Transformation Program, “Faith leaders are shaping Minnesota’s response to be highly ethical and effective.” The common good, though under grave threat, is in the committed stewardship of our very best. In the days ahead, may we be courageous in our convictions for the love and dignity of our neighbors. Rev. Molly T. Marshall, Phd President About United Founded by the United Church of Christ (UCC) as a welcoming, ecumenical school that embraces all denominations and faith traditions, United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities has been on the creative edge of progressive theological thought and leadership since it was established in 1962. Today, United continues to train leaders who, through the eyes of faith, engage in the dismantling systems of oppression, exploring multi-faith spirituality, and pushing the boundaries of knowledge. Media Contact Nathanial Green (he/him), Director of Marketing and Communications United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities press@unitedseminary.edu • 651-255-6138

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January 8, 2026
Activism Beliefs Community justice Lament

Statement by President Molly T. Marshall on the Killing of Renee Good

Dear Friends of United, We are reeling with horror, grief, and anger over the killing of Renee Good by a federal agent in Minneapolis. We hold Ms. Good’s loved ones in our hearts and remember them in our prayers as they navigate sudden, unimaginable loss. This tragedy was wholly preventable, yet it was the consequence of pernicious escalations made by a regime engaged in the systematic marginalization and oppression of immigrants. Since the onset of their operations in the Twin Cities, ICE has deliberately fomented unrest, waged a violent deportation campaign against our most vulnerable neighbors, violated residents' civil liberties, and killed an innocent woman. The government’s cruel actions, bolstered by propagandists, are abhorrent, and they demand our furious denunciation. I join my fellow clergy, our elected officials, and local organizers in calling for ICE to cease its terrorizing of our communities and leave Minnesota immediately. We are discerning additional ways to respond and offer proactive support. Today, over the lunch hour, a few of us gathered in the chapel to light candles of remembrance and intercession for so many feeling the threat of ICE’s actions. In the meantime, Monarca, a local rapid response line, has published freely downloadable resources in English, Spanish, and Somali. Additionally, they offer legal observer trainings throughout the metro area, the next of which will be held on January 15 in Golden Valley. Learn more here. United has, for decades, aspired to help bend the “arc of the moral universe” toward justice. We find courage in our calling, emboldened by the values we share as a community. We remember Renee Good, and we speak her name with clarity of conviction.May justice be done in her memory and for our vulnerable neighbors. Rev. Molly T. Marshall, PhD President

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December 17, 2025
Alums Community Entrepreneur

Lauren Busey (’07) Ministers to a New Beloved Community at Pickledilly Skokie

Lauren Busey (’07) grew up in the Lutheran church,  earned an undergraduate degree from Luther College, and thought she would probably attend a Lutheran seminary. Then, at a Luther College women’s retreat, Rev. Dr. Christie Cozad Nueger (’80)— Professor Emerita of Pastoral Counseling and Pastoral Theology (1992–2005)—was the featured speaker and knew Lauren’s campus pastor. “So,” Lauren remembers, “we just kind of got to talking, and within a couple of weeks, I was enrolled at United.”  United “was a good fit,” Lauren asserts. She found a welcoming community of fellow students and treasured professors. Those who had the greatest impact include Rev. Dr. Jann Cather Weaver (Associate Professor Emerita of Worship, and Theology and the Arts, 2001–2012), Dr. Marilyn Salmon† (Professor Emerita of New Testament Theology, 1989–2014), and Dr. Carolyn Pressler (Professor Emerita of Biblical Interpretation, 1990–2020).  After seminary, Lauren accepted a call back home in Evanston, Illinois, at the church where she grew up, Trinity Lutheran Church. Despite being a bit apprehensive about serving as the director of Faith Formation at her home church, Lauren found that the parishioners were warmly welcoming and supportive. She’s been there ever since and notes that the flexibility of the position allowed for a positive work-life balance. Lauren and her wife are raising two children. Just this year, however, Lauren, along with her wife and two business partners, embarked on a new venture—and in February 2025, the four co-owners opened a new state-of-the-art pickleball court in Skokie, Illinois. Dubbed Pickledilly Skokie, the new indoor space features 11.5 courts under high ceilings, lockers, a lounge area, and a pro shop. Plus, the venue is in the same complex as Sketchbook Brewing Company and has abundant free parking. So what happened? “I think my wife would say that I’ve always been the big idea person,” Lauren explains. Usually, she continues, Amy “nods and smiles and keeps on going,” but this time she agreed with the idea. Both Lauren and Amy are avid pickleball players, and Lauren says she found that the activity was much more of a “community-based sport.” Community was the key. As Lauren stated in a July 18, 2025, interview for Ryan Glatzhofer’s The Locals: Stories of Courageous Entrepreneurs, “One of the things that has always been a passion of mine is bringing people together.” Going a step further, she said more recently, “One of our pillars is that this is a safe space, and we are welcoming here.” How did United prepare Lauren for entrepreneurship? “United was really helpful to me in expanding my worldview and my understanding of diversity and not assuming you know where people are coming from.” As for the connection to ministry, Lauren asserts, “We’re still grounded in the same way of taking care of people,  and loving people, and meeting them where they are.” __________________________ † of blessed memory

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December 12, 2025
Advent Arts theology and the arts

Images of Hope: Advent in Art

Art has the tremendous power to restore us in a time when our world seems to make no sense and we need a moment of respite and encouragement from our daily struggles. A single photograph of a flower or a laughing child can buoy our spirit to carry on. In the Christian tradition, the season of Advent urges us to look for Hope, Peace, Joy and Love, and we’d like to open a space for you to share photos that speak to you in those ways. Add Your Image of Hope Throughout Advent, we published submissions received from United students, alums, faculty, and staff.  Pieces are published in the order in which they are received. Last updated: December 12, 2025. "Feed for the winter." by Ryan Currens (student, Institutional Major Gifts Officer) This picture from our family farm in Iowa of fall fields reminds me of the hope for plenty during the winter months to come. "Enduring Hope" by Rev. Dr. Cindi Beth Johnson (Vice President for Advancement) My nephew Erik took this photo in the late days of fall. The remaining beautiful red blossom, still holding court, is for me a sign of hope and determination. "Children's Creation" by April Knight (student) When I was growing up in church—a church I loved—children's art would have never been allowed front and center displayed as Peace Church in Duluth celebrates children! This is the "Hope" of my Advent season this year. "puddle no filter" by Mike Coyne (student) Neither the limits nor the beauty of a physical form can negate its essence, or capture its true nature. "Waterfall Cross" by Tami Glasbrenner (Accountant) Photo taken while hiking Hocking Hills Ohio State Park. "Tiny Tracks" by Sheryl Schwyhart (’20) "Chapel in the Trees" by Babs Allen (student) Sign as you enter into the Chapel in the Trees in Funk’s Grove, IL. "Annunciation (by Julia Barkley)" by Rev. Dr. Cindi Beth Johnson (Vice President for Advancement) During chapel, we were in a circle, and I realized I was facing The Annunciation. A reminder of hope in the Christian tradition. "The United Chapel during Advent" by Ryan Currens (student, Institutional Major Gifts Officer) I took this picture during the second week of Advent after the final chapel for this semester. "Sunrise Over Grand Meadow, Minnesota " by Dale Dobias (’89) 3x3 inches, found papers on canvas board   "Sixth of Sunwait, Welcome Solstice" by Brian Weis (’24) Photo collage: Altar with Sunwait candelabra. Candles for the first six runes are lit. Additional candles, goddess statues, festive greens, etc. are also present.

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December 11, 2025
Academics Activism Black Liberation Theology Community

Alex Sánchez Rodriguez Finds Vocational Inspiration at United

Alex Sánchez Rodriguez, who plans to graduate from United in 2026 with an MA in Religion and Theology, was initially drawn to the seminary’s Interreligious Chaplaincy program. Since taking more classes, engaging with his professors, becoming involved in the Student Leadership Collective, and taking on other extracurricular activities, he has settled on a new calling. “I discovered,” Alex shares, “that I have a natural affinity toward academics.” In fact, he admits, “I want to be like my professors.” Before coming to United, Alex was a substitute teacher in Puerto Rico. Since he moved to Minnesota, he has been working in student development and promoting student success. The priority of student success is the throughline, Alex perceives, from his current role and an academic career. “If I am to go into academia,” he explains, “part of my success as a teacher, professor, and researcher depends on the success of my future students.”  Alex also credits United professors for embodying the kind of academician he hopes to become. Dr. Demian Wheeler and Rev. Dr. Andrew Packman, he notes, “as academics and how they engage with their students…[are] very inspiring to…future academics.” The fact that United faculty are “so accessible and so approachable and so likeable,” Alex continues, made him realize that an academic career does not have to take place in some secluded and inaccessible “ivory tower.”  United’s emphasis on interreligious engagement was another piece of Alex’s transformation. “I grew up in a very Christian environment where everything that wasn’t Christian was considered bad,” Alex recounts. After encountering the diverse faith communities of United’s students and faculty, he suggests, “it made me realize that there’s not just one path toward spirituality and divinity.” Ultimately, Alex hopes that his future work as a theologian can help fellow Puerto Ricans emerge from the shadow of colonization. “I think doing the work of theology is a way to help ’regular people’ realize that they don’t have to live as colonized individuals anymore. They have the opportunity to define who they want to be.”  As Alex stated earlier this year, “While I could have chosen a different specialty or a different seminary, theology and religious studies have brought a sense of wonder that I have not experienced in any other discipline that I have studied, and United has given me more than I can name.”

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November 26, 2025
VOICES

Jonathan Morgan (’00), Wilson Yates, & the Legacy of a Friendship

There are few, if any, alums in United’s 63 years that can claim to have occupied the office of the presidency before graduating. So it is with Jonathan Morgan (’00), whose connections to the seminary span decades and run the gamut from alum to donor, trustee, and interim President—though not in that order. The son and grandson of prominent Twin Cities attorneys, both of whom he greatly admired, Jonathan spent his early years in tension between two paths.  “When I was in college, I was torn between going to law school and theological seminary.” Jonathan ultimately chose law school. An alum of Harvard University and Harvard Law School, Jonathan began his career as an attorney on solid footing. In an interview with Mendota Heights Living Magazine, Jonathan is cited as having followed his tenure at his father’s firm in the Twin Cities—Briggs and Morgan, P.A. (now Taft Law), where he met his wife, Martha—by working in the Minnesota Attorney General’s office. Still, the deeper he waded into legal work, the stronger the pull toward seminary became. Jonathan’s foray into theological education began in his role as a trustee. “It was in the 1970s, ” he recalls, “that Virginia Brooks on the United board was responsible for inviting me to serve on the board of directors, which I was very happy to do.” He began serving as a trustee in 1988, and in 1994, he stepped away from practicing law and answered the call to enroll at United.  “One day,” Jonathan remembers from his time as a student, “President Ben Griffin called me into his office: ‘Would you be willing to serve as Interim President upon my departure?’” With the stipulation that it was indeed temporary, Jonathan graciously accepted and served as Interim President from 1995 to 1996. “I had that wonderful year in that capacity,” Jonathan reflects, “And of course, at that time, I got to know Wilson Yates very well.” In 1996, after Rev. Dr. Wilson Yates was named President, he asked Jonathan to serve as Vice President of Development. “I was very happy to do that,” Jonathan shares.  He graduated from United in 2000 while also serving as  Vice President.“ For the ensuing nine years, I served as Vice President of Development and Stewardship, and Wilson served as President.” Jonathan fondly recalls that the pair became quite close—“not only in our work for the seminary, but also as great friends.” As a team, they were highly effective, sharing meals with countless donors, successfully raising support for two capital campaigns, not only advancing the seminary’s mission, but also enjoying “the journey as friends who were able to be inspired to do what we did.” The closer they became, the more Jonathan’s esteem for Wilson grew. “I came to admire Wilson not only as a theologian, but as a scholar and a teacher.” Thus, when the announcement was made that a chair was to be endowed in Wilson’s name, it was—for Jonathan and Martha—an enthusiastic yes. Alongside other faithful friends and alums, the Morgans pledged money to help establish the Wilson Yates Chair in Theology and the Arts. They also wrote United into their will, ensuring that the legacy of their friendship and Wilson’s impact on Jonathan extends far into the future. Jonathan celebrates Wilson as a “pioneer” in the field of theology and the arts, and its application for churches and religious life. In Jonathan’s view, Wilson “stands as the founder and the foremost advocate and illuminator of the relationship between religion and the arts.” He contends, “That has been a blessing not only for the seminary, but for the wider religious community.”  Jonathan’s commitment to United and support for this new Chair reflect his belief in the relevance of progressive theological education. “[United] and its graduates are in an excellent position to be a force for good in a nation which is struggling for renewed hope and direction.” It is Jonathan’s “hope and prayer that United will continue to reflect God’s summons that we may be a force for concern and love for those whom we are privileged to serve.”  We give thanks for Jonathan and Martha’s enduring legacy of support for and involvement with theological education at United.

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November 21, 2025
Arts Methodist Studies ministry

Yolanda Williams (’20) Merges Music, Scholarship, and Ministry

From an early age, Rev. Dr. Yolanda Williams’ (’20) life revolved around making music. “I've been taking piano lessons since second grade,” she shares, “and I started to play violin in seventh grade.” She also has a well-developed talent for singing (soprano and mezzo soprano). At Hamline University, one of her majors was music, and at the University of Minnesota, Yolanda earned a master's in Vocal Performance. So, how did Yolanda earn an MDiv and become the pastor at Fridley United Methodist Church? That seed was also planted early on. Finding Religion  Yolanda explains that she doesn’t come from a religious family; in fact, her father was opposed to organized religion. Still, her parents sent the children to Sunday school at the neighborhood church, John’s Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod). By age 16, Yolanda explains, there was a big change when she became a professed Christian after three pastors broke away from the Lutheran church and started a house church that became Agape Christian Ministries, which is still in operation. In this charismatic environment, Yolanda found the space to develop a personal relationship with God because, unlike her experience at John’s Lutheran Church, a relationship with God was prioritized. That was when Yolanda committed to God that she would become a preacher in gratitude for her changed life. At Hamline University, Yolanda pursued a double major—music and religion. After earning her master’s degree, she went on to tackle a PhD (also at the University of Minnesota) in Education with a graduate minor in African Diasporic Studies. At the conclusion of her dissertation, Yolanda asserts, “The Lord reminded me that I had made a commitment to be a preacher.” Deciding on United The day after her PhD dissertation was accepted, Yolanda was looking for a local seminary because of God’s reminder. Because she owned a house in Minneapolis, she couldn’t imagine pulling up roots to attend seminary elsewhere. As a worship accompanist and leader, Yolanda had been involved with several Lutheran churches and had even played at Luther Seminary services. She had also heard about United. She approached Luther Seminary first and was told to visit the website. The contact at United invited Yolanda to visit the New Brighton campus and meet with staff and faculty. “It was beautiful,” she remembers, “like an oasis from the congestion and chaos of the city.” She also appreciated the eco-friendly aspects of the space, including the rain gardens and native plantings. This led her to choose United over other Twin Cities seminaries. While working full-time, Yolanda embarked on earning her MDiv in Methodist Studies at United. Because she was so busy with work and school, and more focused on theological scholarship, she did not find much time to socialize with other students. Since graduating, though, Yolanda says she’s maintained contact with other United alums. Reflecting on the Journey “From David on,” Yolanda asserts, “music has had a way of speaking to people beyond words.” It can evoke emotion, negative or positive, and has a unique power. It’s also an intrinsic facet of worship and church services.  She credits preachers from her teens for modeling how to be a caring pastor and apt preacher. Dr. Demian Wheeler, though, she exclaims, “had a huge impact on my life!” He is not just a scholar; he is “really an excellent teacher.” Yolanda explains that he organized classes so that he could both impart knowledge and collaborate with students in real time. He also challenged students to think critically about theological precepts. Yolanda is also grateful that United is such a religiously diverse community. “Having people from so many different backgrounds and spiritualities,” she observes, “gave me a broader idea of who might come through the door at my church.”  After years of deep scholarship, teaching, and musical performance, Yolanda is happy to be serving as the pastor at Fridley United Methodist Church. Though she gains much joy and satisfaction from the experiences of theatrical vocal performances at home and abroad, she can now admit, “There’s nothing like standing in a pulpit and seeing the hunger that’s before you and seeing the little light bulbs go off as God feeds the people through you.”

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November 13, 2025
Activism Community Relationships UUA VOICES

Student Cas Burr Gains Inspiration from United’s Gifted Faculty & Relational Ethos

Cas Burr, who is just four classes away from graduating with an MDiv in UU Studies, traces his first spiritual nudge back to high school. “I was on my Unitarian Universalist church’s Boston pilgrimage, and I fell in love with the history and lineage of the religion and tradition,” he recalls. The ministers on the trip, notes Cas, “noticed a spark, and encouraged me to think about ministry and church work” as a possible vocation.  After high school, Cas attended Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, where he majored in English and earned a teaching license. “I wasn’t set on ministry through college,” Cas admits, but I always had it in the back of my mind as a possibility.” Nonetheless, he spent a year after college in New York City earning an Advanced Certificate in Social Justice from Union Theological Seminary of New York. “I had a great year…and learned so much from my classmates and professors,” he says, “but I was ready to come back home and…learn in my home community.”  When it came time to accept his call to seminary, Cas was grateful to find United in the Twin Cities. An alum of St. Paul Academy and Summit School, Cas calls St. Paul home and was glad to find an option nearby. While proximity is important, he was also impressed by the seminary’s ethos of building meaningful relationships. “United appealed to me because of how the faculty and staff communicated with me right from the start.… [I]t was clear that great relationships were at the forefront of United’s mission.”  Professors and CPE Inspire Cas fervently believes that faith communities are uniquely positioned to effect “positive social change,” and was eager to expand his knowledge. United professors, without exception, he asserts, have not only been excellent teachers, but wonderful sources of connection and inspiration. “I have been blessed,” he observes, to take classes “from the amazing Unitarian Universalist professors at United, some of whom I have known for many years.”  Deep scriptural study has been another blessing. “I can’t say enough about both my New Testament and Hebrew Bible courses,” Cas exclaims. “Immersing myself in scripture is something that I feel so lucky to have been able to do,” he adds, “and it allowed me to form some of my own thoughts about these ancient texts. I am forever grateful for that.”  As he works toward becoming a fellowshipped UU minister, Cas has also gained transformational insight from a Social Justice Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), led by Rev. Dr. Laura Thelander and Rev. Dr. Sue Allers Hatlie (’85, ’04). “My clinical placement was at the Volunteers of America (VOA) High School in northeast Minneapolis,” he notes, “where I provided spiritual care to students and staff.” His learning cohort, however, met within Stillwater prison. Cas reveals, “I was in class with both free and incarcerated folks. It was a life-changing experience for me.”  Flexibility Empowers and Funding Supports Though Cas lives in the area, he appreciates the opportunity to take classes on campus or from other locations. “The flexibility to attend class either in person or online has been great for me,” he attests. He also enjoys the ability to make community connections on campus and participate in chapel services.  United scholarships offer great support, too. For Cas, his scholarship “has made achieving my dreams and calling much more accessible, and I am so thankful to United for all that they offer.” In fact, he declares, “it feels great to be at a place where the institution…financially support[s] so many of its students. What a beautiful thing.”

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