IN THE PIPELINE
This series profiles the men and women who are in their final year of preparation for the public teaching or preaching ministry at our Immanuel Lutheran College and Seminary in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Mikkela Janay Hammond
Age: 21
Program: Education
Year in School: Senior
Where were you born?
Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Eau Claire and then in Bloomer, a small town about thirty miles north of Eau Claire. I’ve never lived outside of that relatively small radius!
Married? Unmarried? Tell us about your family.
I’m not married. I have a younger brother, Jacob, and a younger sister, Megan. I’m very close with both of them, and with my parents.
What hobbies, sports or extracurriculars interest you?
I’m a very avid reader. I also enjoy knitting, karate, and playing Dungeons and Dragons.
Tell us one thing about yourself that most people don’t know.
I once spent almost a whole year learning Klingon, though I don’t remember much of it now.
Which academic subjects especially interest you?
I enjoy history and reading/English. I wasn’t much of a fan of math as a student, but in the course of my student teaching I’ve found that I enjoy teaching math.
How did you first come to consider the public teaching or preaching ministry as a career?
It sounds a little cheesy, but I’ve pretty much always wanted to become a teacher. Even as a kid, my main question was just what kind of teacher I’d like to be. Art teacher? Music teacher? Elementary school teacher? High school teacher? About the only kind of teacher I never specifically considered being was a P.E. teacher! In my junior and senior years of high school, I finally determined that I would go to ILC and become a Christian grade school teacher in the CLC. The further I’ve gotten in this major, the more confident I’ve become that this is the path God is calling me down. I really can’t wait to get out there and teach!
What have you appreciated most about
your time at ILC?
I really have enjoyed the atmosphere of ILC. That Christ is the center of everything is a huge part of that. It’s wonderful to have daily chapels and talk about God in every class, and I really feel like being here strengthened my faith. I also have always loved Tour Choir. I’ve been on Tour for most of my years at ILC and I always had an absolute blast. I love singing and being a part of the choir and most of my traveling has been done via Tour.
What qualities do you think will most be needed
by the future leaders of the church?
Perseverance. As individuals and as a church body we face all sorts of challenges from all directions—from within ourselves and from the world around us. At times it can be easy to be overwhelmed, but God is by our side. He has given us the strength we need to persevere and even overcome any amount of trials. Exodus 15:2 “The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.”