PEOPLE LISTENED
Sarah is a 2025 alum with a degree in electrical engineering. She works as a power systems engineer in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. Her sidekick and four-legged friend, Odin, was also well known within our campus ministry community, often providing stress relief for all the pet lovers missing their pets from home.
Sarah began her freshman year at South Dakota State University in the pandemic-laden fall of 2020. She remembers Pastor Cassandra, a familiar face from her hometown, texting her in January of 2021 to let her know that she had been called to serve the University Lutheran Center on campus and to invite her to the first worship service. Sarah was steeped in Lutheran tradition from her childhood, yet not naive enough to think every church was the same. Her college experience had her without a community, wondering where she fit in, and starting to think “religion wasn’t for me.”
Embracing her uncertainty and nerves, she showed up one time and then consistently for her whole college experience. It wasn't just a building; it was a judgment-free sanctuary where she could navigate the stresses of her electrical engineering degree and the complexities of young adulthood. “No matter what was happening in life, friendships, or classes,” Sarah says, “at the University Lutheran Center I could be myself.” She continues to be thankful for the community she formed here and the way they anchored her.
At the University Lutheran Center, Sarah learned that her voice mattered in the life of the church. Here she found her voice and claimed her own narrative. She fondly remembers the experience of sharing her senior sermon in our worship service. “I could share how my story impacted me as a person of faith,” Sarah said, “and people listened.” The people who listened weren’t strangers; they were Sarah’s friends, part of Sarah’s community. They were the people who helped her to recognize that there is a place for her in the community, that her voice matters, and that there are others who care deeply about her. This community helped Sarah deepen her faith and change her perspective. “Without this community,” Sarah says, “I don’t think I would be an active Lutheran today.”
We are so thankful for your support of the University Lutheran Center. For students like Sarah, your generosity makes it possible for college students to experience life-giving community, explore their faith, and tell their story. Thank you for being part of this shared ministry.