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2025 Martin Luther College graduates

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To see Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary’s graduates, visit forwardinchrist.net/2025-wls-graduates.

MLC grad photos

Assignments

Teachers

Aden, Joshua W., to Christ the Lord, Brookfield, Wis.
Affeldt, Stephanie M., to Atonement, Milwaukee, Wis.
Aguilar, Kassidy A., to Divine Savior Academy, Delray Beach, Fla.
Arndt, Zachary J., to Christ–St. John’s, West Salem, Wis.
Bain, Hannah M., to Crown of Life, Hubertus, Wis.
Bauer, Carolyn A., to Our Savior, Grafton, Wis.
Behnke, Morgan K., to Divine Savior Academy–Santa Rita Ranch, Liberty Hill, Texas
Berg, Emma M., to Great Plains Lutheran High School, Watertown, S.D.
Bieberitz, Josephine D., to Shepherd of the Valley, Westminster, Colo.
Bilitz, Anna G., to Divine Savior Academy–Sienna, Missouri City, Texas
Blaine, Lauren A., to St. John, Hemlock, Mich.
Blaine, Meghan A., to Kenosha Lutheran Academy, Kenosha, Wis.
Bourman, Madeline G., to Carlsbad Christian Academy, Carlsbad, Calif.
Broehm, Caitlin A., to Grace Lutheran Child Learning Center, Sahuarita, Ariz.
Busch, Anna E., to Michigan Lutheran High School, Saint Joseph, Mich.
Butler, Kaitlin F., to Star of Bethlehem, New Berlin, Wis.
Cole, Rebekah L., to Divine Savior Academy–Sienna, Missouri City, Texas
Curtis, Matthew R., to St. John, Libertyville, Ill.
Deyo, Corey S., to Samuel, Marshall, Minn.
Doble, Kennedy E., to Grace, Saint Joseph, Mich.
Doering, Kyle M., to Calvary, Dallas, Texas
Dorn, Emma J., to St. Paul’s, New Ulm, Minn.
Ehlke, Joseph D., to Luther Preparatory School, Watertown, Wis.
Escalona, Diana A., to Divine Savior Academy, Doral, Fla.
Foxen, Alison G., to Michigan Lutheran Seminary, Saginaw, Mich.
Gibson, Grace R., to Beautiful Savior, Grove City, Ohio
Grass, Samantha J., to Risen Savior, Milwaukee, Wis.
Hagedorn, Emmaline E., to St. John, Caledonia, Minn.
Hahm, Adia, to Our Savior, Brookings, S.D.
Hahm, Lydia E., to Kingdom Prep Lutheran High School, Wauwatosa, Wis.
Hallman, Julia R., to St. Lucas, Milwaukee, Wis.
Heichelbech, Maya G., to Risen Savior, Milwaukee, Wis.
Helwig, Nathan G., to Divine Savior Academy–Sienna, Missouri City, Texas
Hirsch, David H., to St. Mark’s, Watertown, Wis.
Hoffe, Sarah J., to Wisconsin Lutheran High School, Milwaukee, Wis.
Holzen, Emma I., to St. John’s, Pardeeville, Wis.
Huebner, Rachel P., to St. John’s Little Lambs Learning Center, Montello, Wis.
Hueske, Natalie R., to Divine Savior Academy–Sienna, Missouri City, Texas
Kesting, Abigail B., to First German, Manitowoc, Wis.
Kieselhorst, Grace E., to St. Paul, Lake Mills, Wis.
Koehler, Jenna R., to St. Paul Lutheran Child Center, Winneconne, Wis.
Krenke, Lydia J., to St. Mark, Citrus Heights, Calif.
Krueger, Colin J., to Bloomington, Bloomington, Minn.
LaGalo, Grace M., to Bethany Lutheran School, Hustisford, Wis.
Lamb, Corianna R., to Salem, Milwaukee, Wis.
Lewis, Alyssa T., to St. Lucas, Kewaskum, Wis.
Loersch, Isaiah J., to Star of Bethlehem, New Berlin, Wis.
Luebke, Natalie G., to St. John, Wrightstown, Wis.
Marohn, Ty R., to Illinois Lutheran Schools–High School, Crete, Ill.
Mears, William H., to California Lutheran High School, Wildomar, Calif.
Menges, Margaret K., to Grace, Kenai, Alaska
Mensching, Katelyn E., to Bethlehem, Menomonee Falls, Wis.
Miller, Nathan D., to Lakeside Lutheran High School, Lake Mills, Wis.
Mindock, Emmalee E., to St. Matthew, Spokane, Wash.
Monday, Isabel E., to Christ–St. Peter, Milwaukee, Wis.
Olsen, Abbee E., to Holy Trinity, Wyoming, Mich.
Ott, Hannah F., to Shepherd of the Valley, Menasha, Wis.
Otto, Sarah G., to St. Marcus, Milwaukee, Wis.
Paulsen, Lauren A., to Lord of Life, Thornton, Colo.
Pocza, Grace E., to Atonement, Milwaukee, Wis.
Price, Maya N., to Bay Pines, Seminole, Fla.
Raasch, Eric M., to Christ Alone Lutheran Academy, Princeton, Wis.
Rassat, Hannah G., to Christ, Eagle River, Wis.
Renner, Hannah M., to St. Paul, East Troy, Wis.
Rieger, Matthew T., to East Fork, Whiteriver, Ariz.
Ritter, Alexander T., to Trinity, Nicollet, Minn.
Rixe, Anna J., to Christ–St. Peter, Milwaukee, Wis.
Robinson, Olivia V., to Little Stars of Bethlehem Early Learning Center, Manassas, Va.
Rosenbaum, Adam C., to Divine Savior Academy, Doral, Fla.
Russell, Grace M., to Jerusalem, Morton Grove, Ill.
Scannell, Meaghan E., to Divine Savior Academy, Delray Beach, Fla.
Scharf, Anastasia E., to St. Paul, Arlington, Minn.
Schewe, Abigail E., to Redeemer, Tucson, Ariz.
Schoof, Elijah A., to Risen Savior, Milwaukee, Wis.
Seim, Grace P.M., to Trinity, Belle Plaine, Minn.
Shambeau, Lillian K., to Grace, Portland, Ore.
Shobe, Makena E., to New Hope Lutheran Academy, West Melbourne, Fla.
Siehr, Olivia C., to California Lutheran High School, Wildomar, Calif.
Sims, George T., to St. Peter, Schofield, Wis.
Sims, Margaret E., to St. Paul, Cudahy, Wis.
Stangl, Meg A., to St. Paul, Cannon Falls, Minn.
Storlie, Espen J., to St. Mark, Citrus Heights, Calif.
Sulzle, Hope N., to Immanuel Grace, Hutchinson, Minn.
Techlin, Jessica I., to Garden Homes, Milwaukee, Wis.
Thiel, Amelia G., to Abiding Word, Houston, Texas
Uhlenbrauck, Noah J., to St. Paul, Beverly Hills, Fla.
Valleau, Bethany R., to Mt. Calvary, Waukesha, Wis.
Valleau, Kendra G., to Divine Savior Academy, Doral, Fla.
Vance, Sarah J., to Wisconsin Lutheran High School, Milwaukee, Wis.
Veers, Seth S., to Rocky Mountain Lutheran High School, Commerce City, Colo.
Waege, Jessica R., to Pilgrim, Menomonee Falls, Wis.
Westra, Hannah, to Beautiful Savior, Cincinnati, Ohio
Wietzke, Andrew D., to Northland Lutheran High School, Kronenwetter, Wis.
Wolf, Kylie M., to St. John, Lake City, Minn.
Wordell, Erika A., to Risen Savior, Milwaukee, Wis.
Zabel, Daniel A., to St. Paul, Plymouth, Neb.
Zaye, Marissa B.L., to Cross of Glory Lutheran Preschool, Peoria, Ariz.
Zimpelmann, Lilianne M., to Luther Preparatory School, Watertown, Wis.

Staff ministers

Klement, Zachary D., to St. Paul, Muskego, Wis.
Kvidt, Noah J., to The Divine Savior School, Doral, Fla.
Renner, Kevin R., to St. John, Milwaukee, Wis.

See more photos, graduate information, and calls/assignments at mlc-wels.edu/events/commencement.


Mastering special education

Jennifer Ertman with her husband, Brian, on the day of her graduation in gown and cap
Jennifer Ertman with her husband, Brian, on the day of her graduation

Jennifer Ertman is a 2025 Martin Luther College graduate with a master’s degree in special education. Ertman has served as early childhood director and a member of the Student Services team at Crown of Life Christian Academy, Fort Atkinson, Wis., since 2018.

What prompted this busy working mom to pursue an additional degree? First, through her work in student services, she wanted to help students with special needs and those who need extra support.

Her second reason was closer to home. “We have one son who was diagnosed with ADHD and a second son who was born with Down Syndrome,” explains Ertman. “Helping my children access their education in different educational settings led me to want to learn more about helping exceptional learners. I felt like I didn’t know enough to help my own children, so I wanted to learn more to better understand how children with special needs learn so I could help them. Our youngest son has always attended public schools, which have been such a blessing for him and us, but we always wished he could have attended a Lutheran elementary school and high school. Majoring in special education was the obvious choice for me, so that I could help open the doors to Christian education for other families.”


A campus with a purpose

Natalie Luebke in her graduation gown and cap
Natalie Luebke

Natalie Luebke—a 2025 graduate of Martin Luther College (MLC)—has known from a young age that she wanted to be a teacher. It wasn’t until her sophomore year at Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School, Jackson, Wis., however, that she began considering MLC for her professional training.

“I don’t have any immediate family or hardly any extended family who are called workers, and . . . they all live close to one another back home. That made it harder for me to consider moving six hours away,” Luebke says. Encouraged by teachers and role models in her life, however, she decided to enroll at MLC.

From the moment she stepped onto campus, Luebke thrived within the tight-knit Christian community. She says, “We are all training for the public ministry and all believe in the same one true God. There is unity on this campus that not every college can say the same about.” Luebke particularly enjoyed leading and participating in small group Bible studies on campus, which have allowed her to grow in her faith alongside peers who could someday be her colleagues.

As she takes the next steps into her career as a teacher, Luebke reflects, “Reading the Word continually and spending time with our Father are the most important things I can do . . . as I go into teaching. It is the Lord that fills me up and equips me to pour out on the people he has given me to serve.”

Volume 112, Number 7
Issue: July 2025