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.
At the beginning of each school year, it is always good to see our returning students, but it is also exciting to meet our new students. This fall, though, we are also welcoming two new people to the ILC staff. Erin Franson will be joining us as the female mentor, and Lydia Buck is our new administrative assistant.
Erin is an Eau Claire native and member of Messiah Lutheran who attended Messiah for grade school and Immanuel Lutheran for high school. Erin also helps out at Messiah as part of the youth group committee. She currently works in tech support at Alegeus, a healthcare benefit company.
Female Mentor – Erin Franson
Though Erin may be new to the mentor position, she is a familiar face around campus. She has helped coach C-team volleyball and JV softball since 2023. In her coaching role, Erin has enjoyed getting to know and connecting with Immanuel students, and she sees her role as a mentor as an extension of these activities. Providing students guidance and encouragement is a critical role on our campus and presents unique challenges. Erin’s Christ-centered perspective and approach, coupled with her authentic empathy and welcoming nature, make her well-equipped as our female mentor.
Lydia (nee Strike) Buck is a native of Okabena, Minnesota. One of the pleasures Lydia recalls from growing up is having her mother, Lana, as her teacher and learning organizational importance and ability, as well as a “service with a smile” attitude from her. Lydia is also a familiar face around campus, having spent the last four years here in the high school. In fact, people may have seen her acting in one of our student theater productions, singing in the Tour Choir, or keeping the book for basketball and volleyball games. After graduation last summer, Lydia married Noah Buck. They reside here in Eau Claire and are both members at Messiah Lutheran.
ILC adminitrative assistant Lydia Buck and husband Noah
One of Lydia’s jobs during the day includes putting together the daily bulletin and keeping track of daily attendance. She also works as needed for the bookstore and occasionally has to do tasks at the odd whims of the ILC president. As one of the key lines of communication on the ILC campus, Lydia has quite the important role. She is often the person that parents, students, or customers come to first, so she has to have a lot of information at her fingertips to be able to answer questions or direct those questions to the correct staff.
Along with welcoming Erin and Lydia, we also want to acknowledge and thank those who formerly served in these positions. April Sydow served faithfully as the female mentor from 2021 to 2025. Jennifer Schaller served faithfully as the ILC administrative assistant since 2016.
Highlighting these two staff positions provides an opportunity to reflect on all the different people and all the different gifts it takes to run Immanuel. And it is also a good reminder that all these gifts are from the same gracious God: “There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.” (I Corinthians 12:4-6) What a miracle it is to see how God uses all the different gifts He provides us to work together for His good.
is President of Immanuel Lutheran College in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.