Every other month we get an update on what’s been happening recently at our Immanuel Lutheran High School, College and Seminary in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Coming to Immanuel last year as the newly hired dorm parents was a wonderful, yet daunting experience. Though my wife and I had had several years’ experience supervising a dorm at the college level, coming into a high school setting had its definite nuances and challenges. Courtney and I appreciate all the support and prayers that we received from the faculty and staff at Immanuel, but especially from the parents of the young men and women that we are now absorbing into our family here in the dorms. What an awesome privilege and responsibility it is for us to care for and be role models to these young people! We know how precious they are to you, and to our heavenly Father above!
One of the blessings of being dorm parents is that often the same young men and women who live under our roof here at Immanuel end up applying for and becoming extremely helpful and effective resident assistants (RAs). Last year was our first year as dorm supervisors, and we were blessed to have had Kari Wales, Suraya Williams, Zachary Strike, and Sam Radermacher take on that role. They were ready, willing, and capable of assisting us in what was a very memorable year among this wonderful fellowship of believers at Immanuel.
This year, the four RAs who were hired to assist the dorm supervisors in the boys’ and girls’ dorms are almost a completely fresh crop of young men and women, but they are equally ready and able. Our single returning veteran is Suraya Williams, who brings with her a wealth of knowledge, having previously lived in the dorm at Immanuel for all four years of high school and being familiar with the duties of an RA from her service in the previous academic year. Kaylee Koenig was selected to the other position in South Hall and has already proven to be an invaluable addition to the loving, family-like culture that we strive to instill in the dorms here. Both Suraya and Kaylee are students in the college’s education program and plan to be teachers in one of our many Christian day schools around the country.
In the boys’ dorm (North Hall), Joel Bernthal and Daniel Hein were selected as RAs. Both young men are attending Immanuel Lutheran College. Joel is enrolled in the education program and Daniel in pre-theology. Some of the RAs’ duties, like stocking cleaning supplies and making sure the students’ jobs are getting done and rooms are being cleaned, may not sound too glamourous. But there are also behind-the-scenes roles, like saying goodnight at bed checks, being a solid Christian example, leading evening devotions, or listening to a fellow student who is struggling. This is what really makes a difference. What a blessing it is to have four responsible Christian men and women stepping forward into this role right on the heels of the excellent outgoing RAs from last year! Joel, Daniel, Kaylee, and Suraya all love the Lord and are willing to serve their fellow-believers in this capacity as they prepare for the public preaching and teaching ministry. God bless these RAs as they continue to grow in this role, and God bless the body of believers here at Immanuel and throughout the CLC.
and his wife Courtney are dormatory supervisors at Immanuel Lutheran College in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.