Hillcrest Connection Fall 2016

HILLCREST FALL/WINTER 2016

CONNECTION

Feature C ON EMPATHY MINNIE NELSON

METS IN STEM

BRAINS + BRAWN

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GREETING

Dear Alumni and Friends, Welcome to this issue of the Hillcrest Connection! In the following pages, you will learn how God is using the Hillcrest education and experience to make a huge impact in the lives of students today, across generations, and amongst diverse cultures. Snapshots from Hillcrest reveal the joy and energy in our halls and classrooms, with reflections from former grads shining the beacon of light and hope of Jesus Christ in a world full of darkness and need. The Christcentered, Bible-based banner still waves at the Castle on the hill, and for this, we thank the Lord.

This year, Hillcrest celebrates its centennial! This issue contains an excerpt from a forthcoming book of 24 stories showcasing episodes from each decade of the past 100 years. I am reminded of these words of scripture from Hebrews 13:8: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. You may know that verse by heart. What we may not remember is the preceding verse (7): Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you.

Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. We are in a season of transition, with Rev. Joel Egge serving as Interim President as the Board of Directors conduct a search to select our new president. Please remember to uphold the Board in your prayers for this important endeavor.

I wish to express deep gratitude for the many Hillcrest alumni and friends who support this vital ministry with your continued prayers and generous financial gifts. Each prayer, and each gift, is important! May I also encourage you to “save the date” for Memorial Weekend next spring to make plans to join with us when we host an all-class reunion in concert with the graduation of the Class of 2017. Meanwhile, we have a lot of living and learning to do during this current school year. Read on, and enjoy!

HILLCRESTCONNECTION

| FALL/WINTER 2016

IN THIS ISSUE 4

Feature

Beyond the Classroom - Minnie Nelson

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Focus

Preparing the Way | Joel Egge Centennial Insight | From Grand Forks to Fergus Falls

God’s best,

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Annual Report President's Report Financials & Recognition

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Campus News

Q Conference | Hayley Joel + Scott Erickson Brains and Brawn

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Todd Mathison '79 CHIEF ADVANCEMENT OFFICER

Current On Empathy

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Profile

Crossing Cultures | Kyle

LIVE. LEARN. GO.

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Alumni News

Comets in Stem Alumna of the Year | Barb Halvorsen 2016 Class Reunions

EQUIPPING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FOR A LIFE OF ETERNAL SIGNIFICANCE

24

Scenes

Graduation Weekend 2016

Fall/Winter 2016

HILLCREST ACADEMY BOARD OF DIRECTORS

WAYNE STENDER '02 | Dir. of Mkt Editor-in-Chief wstender@ffhillcrest.org

JAHN DYVIK '79 | Secretary Long Lake, MN

AUGHN KAVLIE '82 V Eden Prairie, MN

ERIC EWAN '92 Fergus Falls, MN

JOSIAH LARSON, '02 Minneapolis, MN

KATHERINE HEGGLAND '00 Brooklyn, NY

SUE LEACH Naperville, IL

AMANDA PORRITT '05 | Creative Dir. Managing Editor/Graphic Design aporritt@ffhillcrest.org

Hillcrest Lutheran Academy 610 Hillcrest Drive Fergus Falls, MN 56537 www.ffhillcrest.org

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TODD MATHISON '79 | CAO Contributing Editor advancement@ffhillcrest.org DAWN SYNSTELIEN | Exec. Assistant Contributing Editor dsynstelien@ffhillcrest.org

OLAV SANDNES | Chair Mt. Bethel, PA MARK SOHOLT '67 Cape Coral, FL

MISSION STATEMENT The mission of Hillcrest Lutheran Academy is to equip students in a Christ-centered, Bible-based environment for a life of eternal significance.

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FEATURE

FEATURE

5

Minnie Nelson

Minnie built life-long friendships in the Grand Forks dining room.

HILLCREST’S OLDEST STUDENT

{106}

BY WAYNE STENDER '02 “My dad asked me to go to Hillcrest, so I went,” Minnie mumbled, starting to explain her Hillcrest experience as the oldest living person who attended. 3 strokes in her 106 years haven’t damaged her memory, easily reminiscing on a year at Hillcrest that set a solid foundation for her faithful life.

Minnie’s bags plopped down on Belmont avenue in Grand Forks, North Dakota in the fall of 1925. After the long trip to Lutheran Brethren Schools from her family’s farm in North Dakota, Minnie climbed the castle steps as a 16 year old.

Stomach ailments cut her time at Hillcrest short, but it didn’t keep her from building fond memories of a year in the Castle.

“They called it a castle,” Minnie explained, leaning forward to add emphasis on her instructive time in Hillcrest’s classroom. “It was a beautiful home.” Minnie’s year in the Castle was the final year before President E.M. Broen took leave to focus on an evangelistic ministry.

Minnie was greatly impacted by the 67 year old father of what would become Hillcrest Lutheran Academy.

“We called him daddy Broen,” Minnie noted. “He was taking care of us kids, so far from home.” Broen’s position as father was a bridge for both Hillcrest students and his own family, calling all to rest in the grace of Jesus Christ. Following the martyr death of his son-in-law in China, Broen took special care of his daughter, Hannah. She noted the special guidance her father gave as she buried her husband. Broen’s guidance is documented in Hannah’s Book, The Bridge.

Minnie has pictures from LBS hanging on her wall to this day.

Broen’s figure as a father of the schools impacted the staff and students at Hillcrest to follow suit. During Minnie’s Christmas at Hillcrest illness and distance kept her from traveling home for the holidays. A friend’s family invited her to their farm in Minnesota. The care of her friend’s mother stayed her during a trying time. “I enjoyed being there since I couldn’t go home.

If I would’ve went home I wouldn’t have went back,” Minnie said, leading the conversation to her battle with illness.

Minnie fought for her life from childhood through early adulthood. At the age of nine Minnie had a near death experience. Sitting in her bedroom connected to the dining room in her large childhood home, Minnie overheard the doctor tell her parents that she might soon die.

Flags flew atop the Castle at Grand Forks regularly.

The 1925-26 String Band the highlight of Minnie's LBS experience.

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Minnie recalled a book, Mirror of the Heart: Casting out Sin and Satan. The book was Norwegian, written at the turn of the century. Her father saw her holding the book, looking at a picture of a heart with words written inside the heart. She told of an image in the wake of holding the book. “The room opened up where the dining room was, and there sat Jesus in the dining room with a whole bunch of angels. And oh, I was so happy!” Minnie’s foundational peace in Jesus propelled her to drink from the well of Bible training she received at Hillcrest 7 years later. “We studied the books in the Bible, it helped me a lot,” Minnie said, focusing on the training she received in one year at Hillcrest. She said the staff told them to study the scriptures the same way a cow chews her cud. An apt analogy for the midwest students.

In addition to Bible training, playing in the string band was another image that popped readily to Minnie’s mind. The group would travel to area churches in the modest bus Hillcrest used for tours. Weathered roads posed an obstacle for the band’s delicate instruments. “I played the harp,” Minnie noted, waving her hand in time with hymns she called from memory.

THE IMPACT OF THE MUSIC AND BIBLE TRAINING IS REAPING A HEAVENLY HARVEST AFTER MINNIE’S 106 YEARS.

The nursing home in Mohall, North Dakota was graced with her singing voice and Bible memory when she wheeled from room to room in encouragement. Time has taken its toll on Hillcrest’s oldest student, who now has her arm pressed tightly against her chest, a result of one of the strokes she survived. Her faith is expressed best now to those who visit her. Bible memory and hymns are readily on Minnie's lips, mixing with a bit of humor from time to time, "I imagine He (Jesus) is getting tired of hearing from me."

As our time together fades, so does the smile on Minnie's face and the twinkle in her eye. There is a bond Hillcrest students feel, even if there is 100 years separating their experience.

Parting words are broken by a raising of Minnie’s hand as she emphasizes her thoughts on her time at Hillcrest’s campus in Grand Forks in 1925. “I wouldn’t have missed it for anything.

It made a great impact on me.”

“I could see the devil coming across the floor for me,” Minnie started. Fear gripping her face as she recalled the memory of the incident. “He wanted to take my heart and put it in a box. I said no, and turned away from him.”

LBS tours covered crude countryside bringing the String Band to area churches.

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FOCUS

FOCUS

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Preparing The Way JOEL EGGE '59

“PASTORAL WORK IS SORT OF LIKE DOING FARM WORK.

BY WAYNE STENDER '02

Doing the repetitive things. Picking eggs every day.

Milking cows everyday.” Joel combined his past experiences with insight he gleaned from studying the work of Eugene Peterson. "Reverend Peterson told about having a list of things to do, that he was impatient to finish, in order to get to the 'real pastoral work.' As he was throwing his list in the basket it dawned on him: 'Hey, this is my work.'" Joel gained perspective as he grew in what God was calling him to do. He started to focus on blooming where he was planted.

Joel's parents, younger brother, David (H'62) and Grandfather, John.

Straw fell from the boy’s overalls as he stood from where he’d been kneeling between two milk cows in stanchions. He uttered a prayer that dealt a death blow to his 12 year-old self and arose a new man.

God was calling a young Joel Egge from holsteins to humans, from a harvest of grain to a harvest of souls.

Joel was tending crops on his parent’s farm four years after his milkroom conversion. Dust clouds billowed up from the lonely Buxton road outlining the field he was working. From his vantage point atop the red International H tractor he could see the curvature of the earth and track the progress of a fast moving car that stopped at the far end of his field. Joel finished the row, took the tractor out of gear, and walked to shake hands with the driver of the car, a man who was calling him to attend Hillcrest Academy. Joel’s loam-stained hands traded the tractor’s wheel for an armload of books, exchanging the planting of earthbound seeds for seeds of eternal fruit.

"UNLESS A SEED OF WHEAT DIES," Joel started, stopping to gaze out the second story window of the President's office at Hillcrest.

“THE HARVEST CAN’T COME.”

Joel’s recollection of his boyhood commitment to Christ lends a soft cadence to his speech. The stones the Lord used to bury Joel’s childish dreams of fire engines and airplanes are now the foundational pillars marking a lifetime of leading organizations of eternal significance.

Now, as he shifts to remember his time at Hillcrest, he chooses his words thoughtfully.

Martin Holoien stood out as someone who could explain complex concepts, recalled Joel who first met Mr. Holoien as a sophomore at HLA. Prayer times and dorm prayer meetings led Joel to significant times of spiritual formation. Quiet hours before bed drew him to deep reflection. But one story lingers slightly longer in Joel’s mind as he looks back.

6 FOCUS

When Joel was serving a church in California he met a man whose Sunday school class was larger than the church body Joel pastored. Joel felt he was wasting kingdom resources at his small church. In a Bible study with the pastor of a large congregation Joel confessed his guilt. The friend responded, "Joel, your congregation will reach people that we will never touch." Joel’s demeanor grew confident as he entoned. “I was called to do routine things and serve a church of 105 people.”

Joel on the Egge family farm

“In 12th grade we took an aptitude test,” a little smirk flitted across Joel’s face as a rush of old emotion seemed to distract him for a moment. “When we got the results back, and I looked at the score sheet, I was pleased with myself.” Joel’s hands shook a bit with emphasis as he held aloft an imaginary paper. “J.H. Levang was interpreting the test for us, each in individual interviews. When I came in he said, ‘Well Joel, you have a lot of maturing to do.”

A chuckle escaped from Joel at the recollection of this summary. Hillcrest’s Interim President laughed at the teenage version of himself and the twist of fate that took place in President Levang’s office that day. “He said, ‘This profile should have highs and lows...you have a curiosity in almost everything.’” The poignant moment was humbling for Joel. It started him on a path of focus. He took a year at the Bible School to continue his maturation. The extra time at Hillcrest fortified a love for the school and his calling to ministry.

“I don’t think we can imagine the harvest...the seed doesn’t know that, the gardner sees and has an expectation of the harvest. There was a harvest before, but now, it may be larger.”

This attitude greatly shaped Joel’s outlook for Hillcrest.

In his first weeks as Interim President Joel was impressed at how the staff continues to faithfully carry on the ministry of the school. “There is something eternal going on here that’s better than boasting 400 students,” he stated, speaking to the idea that Hillcrest would be better if it were larger. “We have this ministry because of God’s mercy.”

Joel closed by sharing his vision of Hillcrest. “If I said, we have this ministry because of heritage, gone.

Tradition? Gone.” Joel notes significant changes in the school. An increase in international students, increases in domestic students outside of the Lutheran Brethren church, and a decrease in the traditional east coast and west coast stream of students present a changing face of Hillcrest after 100 years of ministry. But, Joel notes there is a distinct future for Hillcrest that is fulfilling God's design. But, he is starting to see a different future for God’s work at Hillcrest. “I don’t think we can imagine the harvest...the seed doesn’t know that, the gardner sees and has an expectation of the harvest. There was a harvest before, but now, it may be larger.”

Following Joel’s undergraduate studies, he attended the Lutheran Brethren seminary. His training propelled him into the pastorate, where he learned lessons of faithfulness and what it means to serve others.

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FOCUS

FOCUS

CHAPTER 4

Turbulence of the GREAT DEPRESSION:

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1935 GRAND FORKS

to

FERGUS FALLS

The difficult times of the Great Depression (1929–1940) tested the FAITH and DETERMINATION of individuals and institutions alike.

BY STEVE HOFFBECK President E.M. Broen of the Lutheran Brethren Schools continually faced cash flow troubles throughout the 1920s and 1930s. For President Broen, upkeep on the aging Grand Forks school building and its grounds proved to be a challenge. The campus was nice enough. It had two main buildings and ample space—more than two square blocks, which provided room for future growth. Its location next to Lincoln Park provided access to tennis courts, a golf course, and picnic grounds, as well as toboggan slides and skating rinks.

President Broen considered a new men’s dormitory to be a necessity, to be built “as soon as the necessary funds” could be obtained. The main building, constructed in 1891, required constant upkeep. The women’s dormitory, built in 1900, had room for fifty young ladies.

8 FOCUS

President Broen had to work on fundraising immediately upon the school’s arrival in Grand Forks in 1918. The “immediate needs of the Bible School” amounted to roughly $17,000.

In 1919, the school’s administration held a major fundraising campaign to cover the building and renovation costs, as well as to pay off some of the debts incurred from the purchase of the Grand Forks site. The money-raising committee, made up of members of the Grand Forks Commercial Club (like a modern-day Chamber of Commerce) and church members, garnered pledges worth $10,000 within a short time.

Lutheran academies in general declined in numbers in the 1920s. Public high schools were perceived as having improved both the quality of their buildings and of their instruction from

former years, and some parents became averse to sending their children away to boarding schools in their midteen years. Of the roughly ninety-nine Lutheran academies that existed in the United States in 1920, just fiftyfive remained in operation by 1930.

The convention prayerfully vowed to keep both schools in operation, and then hired Reverend R.S. Gjerde, a 1910 Bible School graduate and the synod president at the time, to be a serious fund-raiser who would wipe out the accumulated debts. When Pastor Gjerde contacted the faithful people of the synod, they responded, soberly and sacrificially, with $27,000 in “cash and pledges” by 1927.

The Lutheran Brethren school administration faced a crossroads in 1926.

Bills at the school kept piling up, and yearly deficits kept growing larger from 1919 to 1926. By the end of that span, the total debt surpassed $26,000.

The school, despite its vital spiritual mission in Christian education, was on the road to ruin. In that fateful year, at the national church convention, the school’s Board of Trustees reluctantly advised the convention delegates to close either the Bible School or the high school, in order for the school to survive the financial crisis.

The Lutheran Bible School and academy became debt-free, but only for a short time. The Stock Market crashed in 1929, a symptom of deeper economic troubles both nationwide and worldwide. In the 1930s, enrollment at the high school declined, as families who might have sent their children to the private Christian school faced reduced income from farms, businesses, or other work as the economy fell apart. Fewer students meant less revenue for the school; it was a time of financial crisis.

E.M. Strom, who taught Bible classes and Norwegian language classes at the school, witnessed all of the fiscal troubles during the Grand Forks years. “The trying years” of the Great Depression, wrote Pastor Strom, “caused our synod to pass through painful trials and agony. The financial burdens

were so heavy that it seemed humanly impossible to continue our school and our mission program.”

A solution seemed “humanly impossible” and “all doors were closed,” Strom wrote, “the leaders of our synod called together the Christians from far and near to spend a few days in prayer and study of the Word.” At the prayer day that took place in Grand Forks, they prayed for a way to navigate through their financial crisis.

At another meeting, held in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, the synod had to “decide whether or not [they] could continue to carry on the work of the school.” The problems seemed “insurmountable.” As E.M. Strom recalled, “When most of us were almost ready to vote in favor of closing the doors of the school,” then Pastor Broen, who had helped found the school

HILLCRESTCONNECTION 9

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FOCUS

FOCUS response was overwhelming. Businesses saw the good sense in bringing the Lutheran school to Fergus Falls: Otter Tail Power Company contributed $15; Norby’s Department Store also gave $15; Minnesota Motor Company donated $10; and Fossen Grocery chipped in $10. Other companies and individuals gave a little, from the little they had: Matt’s Service Station contributed one dollar; as did Jensen’s Auto Wrecking and Olson Electric Shop. Together, the people of Fergus Falls raised $2,500 to “defray the expenses incurred in putting the college building in shape for occupancy.”

In the summer of 1935, the “new home of the Lutheran Bible School” and high school became “a place of bustling activity” as workmen under the supervision of master carpenter Gust Overgaard renovated and repaired the schools’ new home.

Even the teachers lent a hand in helping with the renovations.

way back in 1903 and who had led it through turmoil and triumphs, with an investment of faith, prayer, and energy, stood to address their fainting hearts.

With tears in his eyes, Pastor Broen said, “Brethren, I believe that the Bible School has a mission to perform. I dare not vote to lay it down.” The churchmen determined to keep the schools open.

And the teachers helped—they wrote a letter.

They gave the letter to Pastor Strom to deliver to the church leaders with a promise to “continue as the Lord provided.”

Some of the teachers “cancelled their salaries,” and all taught without full salary in order to help the school operate from 1929 through 1935. All understood that the school was in danger of closing.

In 1931, the teachers agreed to keep on teaching “even without a guaranteed salary.” In the 1932-1933 school year, the teachers and administration had a total of $1,930 of salary left unpaid. In the 1933-1934 school year, they were paid less than half of their contracted salaries. They had been paid a total of $4,776.32, but $5,871 had been left unpaid. In the 1934-1935 school year, the teachers were paid a total of $5,647.40, with a total of $4,196.44 left unpaid.

A glimmer of hope came at the 1935 national convention of the Lutheran Brethren Church. Delegates from Brooklyn, Chicago, Seattle, and from other Lutheran Brethren congregations heard the school committee report on deficits and declining enrollments, and came to understand that the “present building [was] very inadequate and sadly in need of repair.” John Kilde, a businessman from Fergus Falls, Minnesota, and a man of deep faith, gave information about a unique opportunity available in his city. Kilde said that a beautiful and commodious building located there, a former

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college, could be bought for a “very reasonable” price.

The building was made of red brick and had been built on a hilltop in southeastern Fergus Falls. Four and one-half stories in height, with roof spires reaching even higher in the sky, the brick structure had been an architectural landmark in the area since its construction in 1901. The building also had a 1926 addition, when the Park Region Luther College had added locker rooms, an auditorium, and twelve more classrooms, at a total cost of $32,175.

Classes in the remodeled school began with opening exercises on September 17, 1935, with the formal opening of the thirty-second year of the Bible School and the nineteenth year of the high school. In late October, nearly a thousand friends of the school gathered from far and near for a day of festivity and a Dedication Day service at the Lutheran Bible School and high school.

President E.M. Broen, who had led the schools from the beginning, delivered the dedication sermon. In it, he told of the “aim and purpose” of the school—it was to do more than just educate the students, “it would strive to help young

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people to get . . . a spiritual vision. “ Broen judged that Christian parents from coast to coast would send their children, at great expense, to the Bible School, because these parents were “desirous that their boy and girl [would] receive a spiritual vision in addition to highschool education.” Some of these young men and women would then be enabled to become “missionaries to China and Africa,” or “pastors and evangelists” in the Lutheran Brethren churches; but even greater numbers would go “forth as homemakers, useful church members, and loyal and efficient citizens.”

The dedication service concluded with another hymn, entitled “Now Thank We All Our God,” which told of the Lord— “who wondrous things hath done” and who “hath blessed us on our way.” The school, through the words of the song, called upon God to “be near us,” and to “cheer us,” to “keep us in his grace,” to “guide us when perplexed,” and to “free us from all ills, in this world and the next.”

As President Broen said, “It was an afternoon long to be remembered.” It ushered in a new chapter in the history of the Lutheran Brethren Schools, in its Fergus Falls home.

The building was available because its original occupant went bankrupt in 1932. It had carried too much debt in the depths of the Depression. The price was extremely low—the $26,000 price tag was less than the cost of the 1926 addition to the original college building.

The convention voted to appoint a committee to look into the possibility. The committee acknowledged that it would take some money to get it ready for occupancy, and that it would be costly to move from Grand Forks to Fergus Falls.

The synod leaders asked all of its member churches to “discuss the matter and make their decision known to the president of the synod.”

The people of the church discussed it and voted “approximately three to one in favor of the move.” The synod’s board members deliberated for several hours and finally voted in favor of the proposed purchase, again by a three to one count.

The school’s Board of Trustees met in Mayville, North Dakota. There, the trustees hired two carpenters, Nic Anderson and John Erickson, to carefully tear down the old school building in Grand Forks and sell the scrap lumber and materials, splitting the profits 50-50. This brought in $2,000 for the church. Then, the trustees divided the two square blocks of property in Grand Forks and sold off the building lots, bringing in substantial cash as the lots sold.

John Kilde and E.J. Blikstad of Fergus Falls went to visit their fellow businessmen on a fundraising mission. The

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ANNUAL REPORT

ANNUAL REPORT

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HLA

INTERIM PRESIDENT'S REPORT

STUDENT SNAPSHOT

2016 This is the first HLA Annual Report without President Steve Brue’s column. He resigned after carefully guiding Hillcrest through transformative enhancements these past 15 years. He is still an ambassador for Hillcrest, and we thank him for his effective leadership and continuing partnership.

The Hillcrest Board of Directors has appointed a search committee to gain the wisdom of the larger Hillcrest community, develop a calling assignment, receive applications for the position, and recommend candidates to the Board of Directors.

The Board plans to conduct interviews and appoint the next president in the Spring of 2017. To allow adequate time for a careful selection process, the Directors appointed Joel Egge to serve as Interim President through June’17.

Three administrators, together with the President, compose the HLA Executive Team. They are Brad Martinson, Business Manager; Jeff Isaac, Principal; and Todd Mathison, Chief Advancement Officer.

Todd Mathison reports HLA has 204 full-time students enrolled in this fall semester, with others already indicating interest to enroll for the second semester. He adds: Our admissions people work diligently to enroll students who will benefit from the Lord’s ministry at Hillcrest. Todd is developing regional alumni cabinets to enhance alumni relations, student recruitment, and financial support, all of which are vital to fulfilling our God-given ministry.

Jeff Isaac tells how everyone, students and staff alike, agrees that the new Hillcrest Student Union, which houses a new kitchen in full compliance with MN Health Dept. standards, a dining hall, and a student commons has been a transformational addition to the campus! He is delighted with the qualified and eager people who are stepping into the positions filled by faithful people who moved elsewhere this summer. It illustrates how the Lord sustains His vision of building His kingdom through the ministry of Hillcrest Lutheran Academy.

Brad Martinson summarizes the fiscal year end (June 30) financial report saying: We are grateful to have received the full Annual Fund 2016-17 contribution goal. Because of generous givers, a good enrollment, and expenses within the budget, the Operations income exceeded annual expenses. He is positive about the technological, building, and campus enhancements that serve our mission of guiding our students to live fully in the love and will of God. The Executive Team is deeply grateful to everyone who prayerfully and joyfully participates in this excellent mission to young people, their families, and congregations.

Hillcrest Lutheran Academy is an educational ministry of the Church of the Lutheran Brethren (CLB). The HLA Board of Directors is accountable to the Church of the Lutheran Brethren Council of Directors, and we thank the Council for its encouragement.

Leading Hillcrest Lutheran Academy and serving on the Board of Directors this past year were, Steven Brue, HLA President; Olav Sandnes, Board Chair; Vaughn Kavlie, Vice Chair; John Dyvik, Secretary; Eric Ewan; Katherine Heggland; Susan Leach; Josiah Larson; and Mark Soholt.

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44

GRADUATING SENIORS

97

COUNTRIES REPRESENTED

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

14

STUDENTS ATTENDING FROM COUNTRIES RESTRICTING CHRISTIAN EVANGELISM

STUDENTS TAKING BIBLE AS A PRIMARY SUBJECT

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Respectfully Submitted,

DORM STUDENTS

USA (137) Canada (2) Mexico (1) Norway (28) Russia (2) China (11) Korea (19) Vietnam (4) Thailand (1) Ethiopia (1) Nigeria (1) Turks and Caicos (1) Brazil (1) Iran (1)

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208

111

DAYTIME STUDENTS

STUDENTS FROM AN LB CHURCH

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20

STUDENTS ATTENDED CHURCH FOR FIRST TIME WHILE AT HLA

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STUDENTS WHO HEARD THE GOSPEL FOR THE FIRST TIME

STUDENTS PLACED FAITH IN JESUS FOR FIRST TIME

Hillcrest Lutheran Academy Consolidated Income Statement July 1, 2015 - June 30, 2016 (Audited) Hillcrest Lutheran Academy Consolidated Income Statement July 1, 2015 - June 30, 2016 (Audited)

Rev. Joel R. Egge '59 INTERIM PRESIDENT

General Restricted Aid & Prop, Plant, Grand Operating Accounts Endowment & Equip Totals Support & Revenue 3,067,643 328,490 163,653 1,200 3,560,986 Expenses 3,059,974 254,152 115,824 219,471 3,649,421 Transfer Out (in) (39,721) Hillcrest 32,127 (7,345) Lutheran 14,939 Academy Net Surplus (Deficit) 47,390 42,211 32,890 (210,926) (88,435) Consolidated Balance Sheet

as of June 30, 2016 (Audited) Hillcrest Lutheran Academy Consolidated Balance Sheet

As of June 30, 2016 (audited)

Total Assets Total Liabilities Fund Balance: Unrestricted Temporarily Restricted Permanently Restricted Total Fund Balance Total Liabilities & Fund Balance 12 ANNUAL REPORT

General Operating 422,704 1,539,745 (1,117,041) (1,117,041) 422,704

Inter-Fund Restricted Aid & Prop, Plant, Due to/Due From Grand Accounts Endowment & Equip Elimination Totals 129,196 1,866,006 7,283,995 (1,875,054) 7,826,847 2,387

126,809 126,809 129,196

-

77,300 1,788,706 1,866,006 1,866,006

1,848,504

(1,875,054)

1,515,582

(1,875,054)

4,167,827 354,732 1,788,706 6,311,265 7,826,847

5,284,868 150,623 5,435,491 7,283,995

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CAMPUS NEWS

CAMPUS NEWS

When I was in the 6th grade, at the end of the year, before we would graduate and go across the street to the Junior High, somebody devised a right of passage. That right of passage was to play a softball game between the teachers and the students.

At this moment I thought this was the point I could give back something to my student body, because I had been trained in the art of little league. I figured out a way to never get off the field. I made myself the base coach for both teams.

One of the teachers hit a pop-fly ball, and because I was highly trained in the art of little league, I instinctively ran towards the ball. I was so excited that I think I leapt a little bit as the ball came down and bounced off my hands and fell to the ground.

And that’s when I heard the yelling from my classmates.

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and I explained it to them. They looked at it, flirted with each other, and left me all alone in the art room.

I asked myself, “why can’t I be more like the guy with the girl?” and a really strong thought came into my head and asked, “what if you could choose? You could choose to be you, or you could choose to be super sporty sport guy?” And I didn’t even have to think about it.

It was right at that moment, the first time in my life, that I realized that this art and creativity was put in me. I like to say that when we have a discussion about vocation and what God is doing in our lives, the first place we start is noticing what is already there. There is intentionality before we even come into the world.

I'M HAYLEY FILIPPINI SCOTT ERICKSON I moved back into the crowd and the game continued on.

Without anyone noticing, I walked to the classroom and sat there for the rest of the day. That’s the first time I remember that feeling of not belonging.

In my academic career something very important happened to me at Hillcrest. It had to do, as with a lot of good stories, with love. 21 years ago it was homecoming and I was designated, as the art guy, to do the senior homecoming poster.

One night during homecoming week I was in the artroom working on the poster by myself and in walked my crush with her boyfriend. They asked how the poster was coming,

All your questions about what’s ahead of you, will be answered. If we are to be great beacons of light in this world we will need to trust the great Creator. To not lose heart, but to walk with Him. There is no trying to belong. We’ve always belonged to Him. So may you see and call out the light of this world.

...and I'm a senior this year at Hillcrest. I'm so excited for my senior year. Right now, I'm at home dealing with a few health issues. But I'm soon to be back at Hillcrest.

I was diagnosed with Pinoblastoma, a type of brain cancer, in 2011. I've relapsed, and the doctors told me that I would always show tumor in my scans. But it has gone away, a miracle the doctor's struggle to explain. Right now, there is a little, but that's ok.

My cousins were the ones who introduced me to Hillcrest. It has been this chain in our family that, if you like it, you can go. So I went out to visit, absolutely fell in love with it, and am currently attending Hillcrest now.

Last year I had many MRIs, which are things you get where they put you in a big magnet scan. I get those every three months just to check how I'm doing. I'm doing well right now.

I have to come back to New Jersey a lot through the year to get the MRI scans. When I'm getting ready to go, the day that I'm leaving, everyone wears these Team Hayley t-shirts. So when I come to school I see all my friends wearing the white and yellow shirts and I feel a little left out, like, “I didn't get the memo to wear mine.” But I love that. They chant and cheer for me as I'm going to get my scans. The community at Hillcrest is so great. There is so much of God's love at Hillcrest. The greatest thing about Hillcrest is being able to talk about Jesus and what he's done in your life. I love that.

That's one of my favorite aspects of Hillcrest.

14 CAMPUS NEWS

Since I've been home getting my most recent treatments I've been a little upset. I'm not at my favorite place in the world.

But my cousins, Tara and Faith, collected over 180 letters from my friends during my last trip to New Jersey. I got home one day after being at the hospital and there was a box at our door. My mom opened it and found 180 letters. She started reading the letters and it was just the two of us sitting there crying, reading these letters realizing how much love there is and how much people love me.

MY CONSTANT PRAYER IS THAT GOD WILL HEAL ME. THAT HE WILL USE ME TO GLORIFY AND PRAISE HIM. TO SHOW PEOPLE, THE BELIEVERS AND THE NONBELIEVERS, HOW AMAZING JESUS IS. HOW WE DON'T HAVE TO SEARCH FOR LOVE BECAUSE GOD IS LOVE AND WILL LOVE US ALWAYS.

The Q-conference is a Centennial initiative outlining THE FIVE

QUINTESSENTIAL ELEMENTS

of the Hillcrest experience. Scott and Hayley gave presentations, which were adapted for print here.

View a video of their presentations at www.ffhillcrest.org/qconference.

It's truly amazing how Hillcrest is. That we have this place we can come together as a body of believers to talk about Him and to glorify and worship God. I love Hillcrest, and I'm just so thankful that I get to go there.

HILLCRESTCONNECTION CONNECTION 15

16

CAMPUS NEWS

CAMPUS NEWS

17

RO BOTICS on their way to repeat after taking top honors in the regional competition.

Hillcrest cooperates with Central Lakes Robotics, taking 1st place in regions this year.

Hillcrest’s engineering class joined with local home school students to form Central Lakes Robotics for the second year this fall. After running away with most awards last year, the team is well

Hillcrest’s engineering class works through theory and basic fabrication concepts for the robot during the school day. The class joins local home school students in the evening to complete requirements for competition. At the regional competition the team ran away with awards, pulling out 1st place overall to move into the next round of the Bison BEST (Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology) competition at North Dakota State University (NDSU).

NICO LE DEKOK , NAT ION A L MERIT SC HOL A R Principal Jeff Isaac announced in early September that Nicole DeKok is named as a Commended Student in the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Commended Students placed in the top three percent of more than 1.6 million students who entered the 2017 competition by taking the 2015 Preliminary SAT/ National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).

"We celebrate with Nicole on this achievement," noted Principal Isaac.

"Her knowledge and abilities are valued in our diverse student body. We are honored to have Nicole one of our many outstanding students."

John came to Hillcrest as a sophomore in 1964 from Littleton, CO. He participated in numerous high school activities, but football was his favorite. He played all three years on the football team as an outstanding offensive and defensive lineman. On May 18, 1967 while on a senior class overnight trip, John tragically

16 CAMPUS NEWS

FO OTB A L L STATE R U N

The team is continuing competitions this fall and winter as they move into the area competition.

The Comets were impressive this year.

Over 12 games, the Comets lost two. They outscored opponents 376-179 with a formidable passing attack that paired with a wishbone running option that left many in the conference scratching their heads.

But when the final buzzer sounded the team wasn’t heartbroken to not pick up the pigskin. Their tears were shed because it meant the end of meeting together.

drowned when a storm came up with strong winds, causing the canoe he was in to capsize. With the water temperature at 34 degrees, and with the windy conditions, he was not able to make it to safety. His classmates were devastated beyond belief and have not forgotten John or the grief of his passing.

As a remembrance, the “John Luckey Award” was established in 1967 to be given out to an outstanding senior football player. In addition, this year, in honor of the class’s 50th graduation, the

Hillcrest ended their football season November 11th after making a run at State. The disappointment wasn’t in hanging up pads, but seeing their field vacated of what they call the brotherhood.

1st year Coach Evan Newman stood over his team in the locker room after their early exit from the State tournament. He didn’t speak to statistics or officiating.

The only comments about the game were how impressed he was in how the team handled disappointment. He called his three captains to reflect on the season, the first march into state playoffs for the Comets since 2004.

Senior captain Sean McGuire spoke to the team’s unity. “I’m not crying because we lost.” McGuire started. “It’s just a football game. I’m sad because we won’t get together like this again.” Fellow captain, Kyler Newman, resonated the unifying sentiment, “When I came to Hillcrest in 8th grade I didn’t want to be here. Now, there isn’t a team I would rather play for.” Closing the captains' final message, Reggie Undseth gave a whole perspective.

BRAINS + BRAWN

Nicole Dekok finished in the top 3% of 16 million students in the PSAT.

J O H N LUCK EY FIELD The Class of 1967 announced their sponsorship of the naming of the Hillcrest Lutheran Academy football field as the, "John Luckey Field” during homecoming weekend in October, 2016.

The team earned the Top Gun Award for most points in a single match, best computer-aided design, best team website, best spirit and sportsmanship, and best team exhibit and interview.

They also scored top three in the robotics competition, t-shirt design, and team mascot.

The 2016 football team earned a State bid that extended their formative time together.

“Boys, this brotherhood doesn’t end here.

We’ve got heaven to look forward to.”

Coach Newman echoed Undseth’s words, “When we get to heaven I’m looking forward to finding you guys and thinking back on this season.”

Newman’s first year coaching the Comets was very successful. But some of the successes don’t translate to paper. The boxscore doesn’t hold a place for faith formation. The Spiritual grit developed in the Comet’s football season made an impact that few will forget.

HANS HOLZNER, C R OSS CO U N TRY STATE Hillcrest’s football field was named the John Luckey field during homecoming.

“John LuckeyMemorial Scholarship” endowment fund was created that currently has OVER $70,0 0 0 in contributions and is expected to continue to grow. It will be used to help students desiring to attend Hillcrest Academy. The scoreboard and naming of the field are the visual reminder of the gifts made by John's classmates to honor his memory.

Hillcrest grateful to be able to honor his memory through these gifts.

Blessed be the memory of John Luckey.

Hans Holzner is a gamer. His 16:30 finish in New London, MN, propelled Holzner into the state meet. Pushing through pain and displaying resolve in running a more difficult, more hilly course with aggression, Holzner finished 23rd overall at the State Cross Country meet at St. Olaf in Northfield, MN with a 16:42.

Last year, Hans finished 32nd overall with a time of 17:03. This year his preparation propelled him to a different outcome. The unusual 63 degree temperature on the November morning was in Hans’ favor.

Through the first mile he ran a 5 minute split. As he entered the second third of the course he encountered more hills, slowing his split to 5:30. Closing in on the

final mile in the 5k race, Hans pushed his split to 5:12, finishing 23rd with an even split of 5:23 in the 3.11 mile race.

Hans beat his previous year placement by 9 slots with friends and family surrounding him at the meet. Posing for pictures with Hans stood two members of the Section favorite 4X800m team for Hillcrest. While Hans’ cross country career came to a close with a placing of 23rd in the state, he and his friends are looking forward to their training to make state with their 4X800m track team in the spring. Hans finishes his high school career with a personal record of 16:21 in the 5k. The time is the standing time in Hillcrest’s record books.

Hans is a two-time state qualifier for crosscountry, holding Hillcrest’s best time at 17:03.

HILLCRESTCONNECTION 17

18

CURRENT

CURRENT

On Empathy

19

A STUDENT’S PERSPECTIVE OF

PHILOSOPHY “Sometimes the dorms can get really lonely and you can get really homesick,” one girl shared after reading Night by Elie Wiesel in Hillcrest’s Philosophy and Religion class. “But God is always there for you...No matter how dark or lonely the situation feels.” Mr. Preston’s class drives students to live deeply.

As students file in and take their seats, Daniel hands Mr. Preston a chocolate muffin to signify the start of class. “Alright, let’s calm our bodily functions. I have a word from the Lord today,” Mr. Preston announces. After his devotional, students dive into books that stir deep thought.

Stories like Night and The Hiding Place cause gears to churn in students’ minds, awakening thoughts and ideas that would previously go unnoticed.

After their reading time, one student shares how the power of God is made perfect in weakness.

Anxiety followed her to Hillcrest this year. She was frightened at the thought of living in the dorms. Not being able to see her parents before bed each night was a difficult reality for her, but she also knew God had her in his hands.

Corrie Ten Boom’s story in The Hiding Place is providing perspective. The student shares how she is resting in the fact that God placed her at Hillcrest in new surroundings, guiding her every bit as much as he guided Corrie in the heart of Nazi Germany. God was her strength, even when she felt weak.

“Many times we ask ourselves, ‘Where is God in all of this?” Mr. Preston comments, addressing the class. He references Night when discussing how how challenging it is to see God in situations that seem so dark.

One student addresses the topics by contrasting both books. He speaks of the power of hope in God. When people don’t have God’s hope, life becomes shrouded in darkness. The young man observed the uplifting spirit found throughout The Hiding Place, compared to the heavy, somber tone permeating Night. “We don’t have to live with the despair that Elie had,” he concludes.

“We have hope in Christ, just as Corrie did. So we can live freely and joyfully in that hope.”

As students saunter out of the classroom, they go with minds full of new understanding and hearts surging with the ultimate hope found only in Jesus. Philosophy and Religion brings life back into perspective for many students, reminded daily of the beacon of hope that in Jesus Christ.

18 CURRENT

+ RELIGION

It is not enough to feel bad.

BY SAMUEL ISAAC '17

Jesus changes one’s view of empathy. Jesus does not feel for us.

JESUS FEELS.

BY HANS HOLZNER '17 A classmate, a friend, so resilient, abounding with courage and joy, is plagued with the heavy burden of cancer. Our hearts quiver with grief and confusion. Overwhelmed, our tender heartstrings are plucked like a tearful harp. Notes of sorrow resound. This is empathy.

EMPATHY IS NOT SYMPATHY.

Empathy is more than seeing grief, acknowledging it and attempting to comfort, to restore. It is not pity, it is not even sorrow. Empathy is tearing.

Empathy is an irrational anguish toward injustice.

When we hear the inconsolable cry of a mother, robbed of her life’s treasure, as a child is senselessly laid to rest. When our bones scream with a confused anguish toward the wrongs of the world; when this essence of who we are moans for a grief that is not our own. Hearts stop beating. Time stands still.

The same hands that molded galaxies, moved with love, touched the leper’s brow. His heart went out to all: the blind, the deaf, the lame, the pharisee, the tax collectors, the prostitutes, the woman at the well, the rich, the poor. He felt them. He felt the ache of hunger. The weariness of the traveller, and the confusion of the refugee he knew. He was the man of sorrows, familiar with suffering.

He felt the warmth of welcome, and the bitterness of rejection. He took our transgressions and bore our infirmities. He was crushed. He was bruised.

He was ultimately betrayed. He died.

But in the resurrection we see Jesus’ glorious victory, and few words ring truer: For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted as we are,and yet was without sin…Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

So when tragedy clouds joy, don’t just feel bad. Feel. And remember,

CHRIST FELT IT FIRST.

The Jews know empathy. Sitting Shiva is a vivid example. “Weeping aloud they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. Then they sat there with him on the ground for seven days and seven nights. No one spoke a word…” (Job 3:12).

Throughout the seven day tradition of grief, called Shiva, not a single word is spoken. No utterance of pity, no consoling sentiment. Mourners sit together and grieve as one. This is empathy.

HILLCRESTCONNECTION 19

20

ALUMNI NEWS

PROFILE

CROSSING CULTURES

BY AMY MICHAEL '17 “Attending a Christian school in Kansas was very different than Hillcrest.”

This isn’t Hy Tran’s first time in the United States. Coming from Vietnam, he described his former American school experience as very exclusive. “At my old school I had two friends,” Hy Tran, known as Kyle to students at Hillcrest, said, looking at his hands before cracking a smile. The shift to his Hillcrest experience gave him joy. “I feel like I have everyone on my side here.”

Kyle waited gallantly in the Student Union, excited to give his interview. He stood, hands on his hips as I walked to the table. He slid his chair to the table while I got settled.

He speaks with bright eyes and a blinding smile. Kyle isn’t shy. Conversation is always light and easy with Kyle, ten gallons of laughing gas is included with each conversation.

The room fairly sparked with electricity as he anticipated my questions. His eyes narrowed with laughter as he started describing his Hillcrest experience.

Coming to America and growing up in a predominantly Buddhist nation, Kyle is hearing the truths of the Bible for the first time at Hillcrest. His Biblical Overview class taught

by Mrs. Foss is answering many questions he is asking as he attends church, chapel services, and dorm devotions. Kyle said he is feeling more open to hear about Jesus because of the freedom to express his ideas in Hillcrest’s classrooms and dormitory. “Everyone at my old school was so closed, so I just shut them out and didn't even want to hear what they had to say.”

HY TRAN'S STORY [AKA KYLE]

PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH ANNOUNCEMENT The Board of Directors has initiated a search for the next president of Hillcrest Lutheran Academy in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. Since 2003 Hillcrest has been led by former President Steven Brue and is presently led by interim President Joel Egge. The selection of the next president is expected to be announced in the spring of 2017 and the new president installed in July 2017.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

The mission of Hillcrest Lutheran Academy is to equip students in a Christ-centered, Bible-based environment for a life of eternal significance. Its goals are: 1. To give every student a sound foundation in the Word of God. We believe that in the teaching of the Christian faith, we must recognize the admonition of scripture: “Test everything; hold fast to what is good.” (1 Thes.

5:21). Therefore, we encourage students to think with as much integrity and rigor in matters of faith as in other academic disciplines.

Include the following:

2. To challenge every student to perform at their highest level.

3.

To encourage students in their private lives to actively use their talents and abilities in spreading the gospel and furthering the work of the kingdom of God.

4. To provide quality Christian education that engages the heart and mind.

Mail or e-mail application materials to the attention of Mr. Mark Soholt, chair of the search committee, at HLA Search Committee, PO Box 439, Fergus Falls, MN 56538-0439 or searchcommittee@ffhillcrest.org by December 15, 2016.

1.

A cover letter explaining interest and qualifications to be the President of Hillcrest Lutheran Academy.

2. A current resume, including phone numbers and e-mail address.

3. A one or two page personal essay of faith testimony, cultural world view, educational philosophy and how your leadership would enrich Hillcrest Lutheran Academy.

4. Provide three written references from a former employer, a colleague and a person who reported to you.

Include full name, mailing and e-mail addresses, and a phone number.

Receipt of applications will be acknowledged and all materials, inquiries, and nominations will be held in the strictest confidence.

When Kyle isn’t fluttering around campus as the social butterfly, or listening to music with friends, he is busy helping Hillcrest’s Boys Soccer team as their manager. He mentioned that one of his favorite parts of being with the team is seeing all the players from both teams gather in a large huddle to pray together after each match, something HLA always initiates with their opponents. Such simple actions are meaningful to Kyle. He spent a few minutes exclaiming how teams stand in honor of the American flag.

No photographs please.

For more information on Hillcrest Lutheran Academy and our search, please visit:

www.ffhillcrest.org.

FOR MORE INFO:

Kyle is impressed with the devotion of Hillcrest’s students, and his time at Hillcrest is shaping up to be a life-changing experience that will likely have eternal consequences. Kyle doesn’t profess a saving faith in Jesus Christ. But he said he feels comfortable expressing his thoughts and asking questions with his many friends and teachers at Hillcrest.

Feeling accepted and being heard is a fine place to begin a journey of faith.

20 PROFILE

21

www.ffhillcrest.org/presidentsearch

21

HILLCRESTCONNECTION CONNECTION 21

22

ALUMNI NEWS

ALUMNI NEWS

C Kurt Lysne

“Academics had always come easily to me, so I was shocked when my first chemistry test was handed back and I saw I had failed,” Kurt recalled, laughing. “Clearly, here was a subject I could not just slide by intuitively.”

Kurt Lysne is a 2001 Hillcrest graduate. He recalled his rude academic awakening by phone from his office. He is now an engineer who received the Young Engineer of the Year award by the National Society of Professional Engineers in North Dakota. God is using Kurt in powerful ways after Kurt’s Hillcrest experience.

“I actually had to study chemistry.

I needed to work to understand it. And when I succeeded, it really boosted my confidence in my ability to learn something difficult.” This was the first step in Kurt’s interest in the science.

METS IN STEM

BY DAWN SYNSTELIEN

After Hillcrest, Kurt attended MSCTC in Fergus Falls for three semesters.

He had a wide range of interests and dabbled in everything from accounting and criminal justice to business, psychology, and history. He didn’t have a single math or engineering class on his schedule.

When he transferred to NDSU the seriousness of his indecision hit himcollege was too expensive to keep drifting. Remembering his chemistry class at Hillcrest, Kurt said he was driven to science.

After college, Kurt married Melissa Synstelien (HLA ‘01). He chose civil engineering as a field of study and set to work for the city of West Fargo as a Certified Floodplain Manager and Water Resources Group Leader. When historic flooding hit the Red River Valley in 2009, ‘10, and ‘11, Kurt was uniquely placed to manage the crisis.

“It was crazy working 100 hour weeks,” Kurt recalled, “The city was ordered to evacuate (in the 2009 flood), but people stayed. 50 miles of dikes were built in 3 weeks with millions of sandbags filled by volunteers. The moment we knew the flood had peaked was unforgettable.”

22 ALUMNI NEWS

Kurt’s focus shifted from the details to an overarching theme. “We should have lost the city, but we didn’t.”

Kurt explained the civil engineers technical competency, code of ethics, and concern for safety. He stopped to highlight that, with all the best human effort, the final result rested with God. Kurt says God spared the city, and it is something he will never forget.

“I don’t blatantly share my faith,” Kurt says. “I am sincere. Relationships matter. How I respond at meetings matters. I try not to internalize anger, but diffuse situations.” Kurt built dams during his time with the City of West Fargo, but he sees his role as a Christian to build bridges. “Trying to understand another’s perspective is important. And love, it has to be God’s love, because I don’t always feel like it.”

Kurt is now a father of three, and he and his wife are actively involved in Triumph Lutheran Brethren Church in the Fargo-Moorhead area. He works for Moore Engineering out of West Fargo. Kurt’s experience at Hillcrest gave him much more than a simple love for science. He shared how his relationship with God was fortified at the school, and this love for Jesus enables him to be a loving engineer impacting his community.

Cody Joy

Cody discovered a love of science participating in Hillcrest Academy’s robotics team. At Hillcrest Cody was mentored to pursue a career in engineering. He chose LeTourneau in Longview, Texas for the next step in his engineering path.

God used Cody’s Hillcrest experience in a powerful way at LeTourneau. Dr. Sung Kim, Cody’s advisor, invited Cody to join a research project creating a device to detect cancer by analyzing blood samples, much like a blood sugar test with diabetes.

Dr. Kim is Korean. Cody had a lot of Korean friends at Hillcrest.

Taylor Filippini

Taylor Filippini was in high school when her 11 year-old sister, Hayley, was diagnosed with cancer. Hayley’s battle is impacting Taylor’s future.

“I think that I always knew I wanted to go into some medical realm, Hayley’s cancer...it changes you, when your free time is spent in hospital rooms.” Taylor said, noting a struggle to choose a career path in high school.

“Many caucasian individuals enter engineering fields at the bachelor and masters levels,” Cody explained. “By the time you get to research and doctorate degrees, many of the participants who are left are of Asian descent.”

Taylor said conversations with respected mentors like Gregg Preston and Steve Undseth calmed her searching heart in the maze of college applications. “I learned to follow God step by step and trust him to reveal my path.”

Cody gained more than a diploma from Hillcrest. Because of the intercultural experience at HLA, Cody was familiar with the Korean accent and speech patterns, finding it easy to interact with non-native English speakers in his research at LeTourneau.

Classes at Hillcrest in physics, anatomy, and chemistry laid a basic foundation for Taylor. She said teachers gave her an eternal perspective. She found herself drawing closer to God, noting spiritual growth bolstered her academic strengths while at HLA.

Cody holds a key spot on Dr. Kim’s research team. He is called in to translate complex concepts in meetings and interactions with the team. The research project requires a lot of communication with scientists and news outlets. Cody explained that Dr. Kim relies on Cody’s ability to translate intent, with respect to the intricacies of their specific project, something an editor or writer could not do as Dr. Kim works to publish the team’s findings.

Cody is an adjunct professor at LeTourneau.

Dr. Kim recently took a position at Baylor University, and is working with Cody to transfer to Baylor to continue their work.

Cody is completing his PhD while continuing his work with Dr. Kim, a mentor-friend who is conducting groundbreaking work with a Hillcrest graduate to glorify God.

23

Taylor is now flexing her administrative muscles in a fellowship program at Duke University Medical Center. She was chosen as one of five, out of 150 applicants, to assist in grant management for federal and foundation grants, contracts, and industry clinical trials in groundbreaking research.

Miracles happen frequently in Taylor’s work. One of the doctors she routinely sees performed the first hand transplant. Others are Nobel Laureates.

“I am the middle man between research and funding. But I love this academic world that is constantly changing and challenging,” Taylor noted. Her Christian witness, a concept fostered through many mission experiences at Hillcrest is strong in her research work. “I am in a secular environment--very different from my high school and college...People are watching.

Your life is a light and witness for Jesus.”

HILLCRESTCONNECTION 23

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ALUMNI NEWS

ALUMNI NEWS

GRAD WE E K E ND 2016

25

2 0 1 6

ALUMNA

Barb (Tweed) HALVORSEN '51 When the choir from Fergus Falls came to our little Lutheran Brethren church in Joice, Iowa, I idolized them. I thought they were angels from heaven. Little did I know I would have the thrill of singing in the same choir for three years in high school. I am so grateful for the sacrifice my parents made to send me to Hillcrest.

H ATS, H U G S A ND H O NO R S

My parents dropped me off on the steps of Hillcrest when I was thirteen. What a solid Christ-centered foundation for life.

I fell head over heels in love with my husband, Elling, at Hillcrest. We have been married sixty-three years, and there has never been a dull moment.

Elling is writing a book of all his experiences and memories. People tell me I should write a book too. I can’t get past the title “Dwelling With Elling.”

Lucas Holzner + Grandma

Alyssa Shilson + Thor Foss

Kris Lein + Matt Lein

Salutatorian Megan Aasness Valedictorian Vanessa Konynenbelt

T H E G RA D UAT ES 24 ALUMNI NEWS

Steve Brue speaking

My emotions were all over the place the day the doctor told me and Elling that we were having twins early in our marriage. I was thrilled and honored.

God was giving us a double blessing.

Then the reality set in. We would have five children in four years. Lonnie wasn’t even a year old yet. How was I going to care for all these children, and Elling too?

The twins, Randy and Rod, learned to pray at a very young age. I knew God was grinning. It is amazing what comes out of the mouths of babes. One memory that stands out is when the two were having a heated argument over whether the birds outside were blue jays or stellar jays. I never said a word, standing there in amazement at how angry they could be. Blood vessels popped from their necks.

Then all of a sudden Rod stopped, folded

his hands and looked up. “Dear God, are these blue jays or stellar jays?” He unfolded his hands, looked Randy in the eyes and said, “He said stellar jays and He knows!”

Randy looked at Rod, and then walked away.

It was all over. You can’t argue with that.

We will never forget the day we went back to the Child Study Clinic at the University of Washington. Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy was the last thing in the world we expected to hear from the tests done on the twins. Life expectancy was late teens. We drove out to the Arboretum and cried like babies. We were afraid to go home and look at Randy and Rod. But God made it clear to us that we had five children to love and nurture.

The next few months were a real spiritual journey for me. We never felt God was punishing us, because that was not the Lord we knew. But we certainly asked the question “Why?” I read one book after another, a book in one hand and the Bible in the other, making sure I was on spiritual ground. Then one day it came on me quite suddenly. There was a real peace and calm as I realized I didn’t have to understand everything God was doing. I had to accept what God was permitting. He has been with us every step of the way, one day at a time.

Randy and Rod have always been huge sports fans. They started coaching basketball and softball teams when they were in the tenth grade. Randy and Rod would go to PE class, and before they knew it they were keeping statistics and blowing whistles for games. They found a way to participate in the games they loved.

On their last day of Junior High they rolled into the house in their wheel chairs. I looked on their laps and had to go into the other room to hide my eyes. I couldn’t let them see me out of control. There they sat in their wheelchairs each with an athletic letter. They were rather humble about it, but their mother was overwhelmed.

Through the years since those days they’ve coached hundreds of teams, advancing as far as regional national tournaments, and we now have trophies all over the house.

Randy and Rod are the oldest living persons with Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy in the world at 58 years old. They are on life support systems and the only thing they can move is their tongue, which they use to run the computer. It’s very difficult for them to speak now, but their spirits are great.

We’re so thankful that God has blessed us with the ability to care for them at home.

There have been many ups and downs through the years. We have experienced so many miracles, the most recent being last year. Elling spent three months in the hospital, 3 weeks in an induced coma.

His cardiologist calls him Lazarus. God isn’t done with him yet, and neither am I. As I look back over the years there are several things that God used to prepare me for my responsibilities in life. My father had polio when I was three weeks old, so I have known what handicapped meant. My parents had over 90 foster children in our home, so our five didn’t seem like so many. And then there was Miss Skovalt, my physiology teacher at Hillcrest, who taught the textbook and then added her own nursing notes. I understood all the doctors much better.

HILLCRESTCONNECTION 25

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1946

201 6 REUNIONS

Richard Pederson

1951

In Memory ALUMNI NEWS

SECTIONNEWS ALUMNI TITLE

1956

1961

OBITUARIES:

ARDEN SLATTUM (H’52) WENT HOME TO BE WITH HIS LORD ON SEPTEMBER 29, 2016.

He attended a small country school near Joice, Iowa in his youth. Through Bethel Lutheran Brethren Church Arden was compelled to attend Hillcrest Academy for three years, graduating in 1952.

Arden stayed connected with his Hillcrest friends in college, rooming with Rollin, Glenn, and Burdean Rogness at Mason City Junior College. The four shared countless memories, including coming home to a flooded apartment.

Barbara (Tweed) Halverson, Elsie (Wold) Johnson, Lois (Seaver) Thomason

Front Row: Lillian Johnson Viksness, Addie Shjerve, Kay (Tweed) Bergsagel, JoAnn (Gillies) Kallas Second Row: Kay (Soderlund) Rogness, Anna Ruth (Olsen) Paddon, Audrey (Pedersen) Chase Third Row: Burdean Rogness, Luther Mathison, John Endrud, Richard Vettrus

Front Row: Sandy Stenslund, Barbara Shiffer, Erma (Thompson) Hammond, Carol (Christensen) Bothun, Susan (Johnson) Sandland Second Row: Ed Sandnes, Anna Marie Olsen, Sharon (Valder) Dahl, Sandy (Berg) Hanson, Cornell Svaren Third Row: Art Gundersen, Leroy Hammond, David Hogan, Chet Habberstad

1966

1971

1976

Joel Backstrom, Carole (Bugge) Skaret Andersen

Front Row: Faith (Peterson) Tasker, Diane (Stoutland) Trettevik, Deborah (Olsoe) Lunde, Ann (Revne) Rupnow, Beth (Sundby) Young, Julie Trones Second Row: Evelyn Hammer, Manley Olsoe, Victor Kraakmo, Randy Tretevik, Dean Stoutland, Alfred Ostrander, Lourie (Swensen) Gillich Third Row: Marty Valder, Steve Brue, Mark Vesta, John Aanden, Armin Christopherson, Dave Christenson, David Young

Front Row: Judith Nordaas, Marilyn (Pederson) Hanson, Carol (Moline) Schiesser, June (Erickson) Bergsagel, Rachel (Backstrom) Streifel, Irene Hanson Second Row: Wayne Blikstad, Maryann (Veum) Clark, Terry Oxendahl, Nancy (Thompson) Rosendahl, James Brekke

1986

Front Row: Steven Foss, Gaylen Peterson, Peter Woyen Second Row: Amy (Brue) Taylor, Linda (Kjos) Hoffman, Ann (Jensen) Frustol, Barb (Walvatne) Erickson Third Row: Lori Rogness, Beth (Bronson) Simonsen, Karen Zicafoose, Robin a(Steen) Bolyard

26

SECTION TITLE

1996

Front Row: Ryan Erkenbrack, Adam Berge, Darren Albertson Second Row: Renae (Levang) Long, Andrew Larsen, Jimmy Barton, Melissa (Nordlund) Pevestdorf

2006

Front Row: Andrew Abel, Armin Jahr III, Daniel Anderson, Trevor Undseth, Brock Beithon, Aaron Juliot Second Row: Matti Grotte, Leanne Fawcett, Mark Rangen, Whitney (Apgar) Trujillo, Crystal Owens

Arden served his country in the U.S. Army, spending most of his service in Germany where he took time to visit relatives in Norway, ski the Alps, and take in the sights of Europe. Arden would later return to Norway with a men’s choir from Lutheran Brethren Schools.

Arden’s love for singing was evident by his deep bass voice that he used for the glory of God. He continued singing in church, joining a group called, “Sixteen Singing Men.” Arden and his wife, Marlyss, served their church faithfully together throughout their 60+ years of marriage.

NORMA (SOLLIE) SENUM (H’48) WENT TO BE WITH JESUS, SEPTEMBER 8, 2016.

Norma’s faith grew in Bronxville and Brooklyn, NY at 59th Street Church in Brooklyn, NY. She attended Hillcrest Lutheran Academy, graduating in 1948 with long lasting friendships she maintained throughout her lifetime.

The Lord instilled in Norma a passion for mission and service in th church. Together with her husband, Odd Reidar Aas, who changed his last name to Senum, she helped establish the ministry of Tuscarora Inn and Conference Center in the early 1970s. Norma was a charter member of Mt. Bethel Lutheran Brethren Church (LBC) in Mt. Bethel, PA. She served as a Deaconess and was active in the Women’s Ministries at Mt. Bethel LBC, calling her and Reidar to permanently relocate to Mt. Bethel, PA so she could better serve.

Norma was active in supporting both the Church of the Lutheran Brethren and Hillcrest Lutheran Academy. In 2008 Norma received the Alumna of the Year Award from Hillcrest. Blessed be the memory of Norma Senum.

27

GAYLORD T. (G.T.) GUNHUS (H’57) PASSED ON TO GLORY MAY 27, 2016 AT THE MAYO CLINIC IN SCOTTSDALE, AZ AT THE AGE OF 76.

Gaylord, known as G.T. to friends, grew up in Seattle, Washington and attended Kings Garden before enrolling for his senior year at Hillcrest in 1957. After graduation, G.T. attended Seattle Pacific University and entered the Lutheran Brethren Seminary on his path to joining the Army Chaplains in 1967.

Chaplain Gunhus served in the army for 36 years, pulling two tours in combat during Viet Nam. In 1999 he was appointed the Chief of Chaplains of the U.S. Army. He served in that role until retiring from active duty in 2003.

In 2001 his office was hit by the 9/11 terrorist attack on the Pentagon. Chaplain Gunhus was in Minnesota at the time. In returning to the Pentagon, Gunhus led an initiative to build a chapel where the plane crashed.

In retirement Chaplain Gunhus served as a consultant for Guideposts Outreach Ministry, forming supportive materials for Military Chaplains worldwide. He and his wife, Ann, also created a ministry to pastors of the Church of the Lutheran Brethren, taking them on a five-day retreat in the San Juan Islands aboard a boat to refresh and encourage the ministers.

Chaplain Gunhus received the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Bronze Star Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Meritorious Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Air Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Parachutist Badge during his military service. Chapter 13 of Hillcrest’s Centennial book documents Gaylor Gunhus’ life, service, and ministry. The book will release at the Hillcrest Invitational Tournament, April 8-9, 2016.

AMANDA LUNDEEN (H’13) PASSED AWAY SEPTEMBER 7, 2016.

Amanda participated in many mission experiences during her time at Hillcrest. Frequent trips to Ebenenzer Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, MN resonated with Amanda’s heart for people. As Amanda ministered to people in the Phillips Neighborhood hear face would beam.

In returning home she begged Hillcrest administrators to take another trip to share the Gospel in Minneapolis.

After Hillcrest, Amanda ventured to Concordia College in Moorhead, MN where she continued sharing her faith with others. She led Bible studies on campus as she continued to develop her heart for Jesus and the world in her studies.

Amanda’s life was unexpectedly cut short in college. In her years on earth Amanda built many deep and formative relationships through her love for music, art, and writing.

Many of her writings spoke to challenges in this life that were made whole in an understanding and relationship with Jesus Christ. Blessed be the memory of Amanda Lundeen.

HILLCRESTCONNECTION 27

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FRIDAY, DE

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FERGUS FALLS, MN PERMIT #14

Centennial Cal

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FRIDAY AP

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& SATURDA Hillcrest In Y APRIL 8 vitational B asketball To urnament

SATURDAY A

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10am-3pm

FRIDAY, MA Y 26 -

CONNECTION CONNE CTION

7pm G

HILLCREST

raduation C hoir and Ban d Concert Reception with Cente – Bethel LB nnial C, Fergus Fa lls

SATURDAY, M

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27 10am C entennial A ll School R eunion – H Activities C illcrest Stud enter ent 1pm R ibbon Cutti ng on J.H. Le vang Libra Reception ry – Former Room in H 6:30pm Se LA Main Hal nior Class N l ight – Hillcr est Studen t Activities Center SUNDAY, M AY 28 – 10am B accalaurea te & Comm encement Activities C – Hillcrest enter Student 1pm Pre sident Rec eption – Hill crest Studen t Union

Hillcrest Lutheran Academy 610 Hillcrest Drive Fergus Falls, MN 56537

Centennial book releas e and book – Hillcrest signing Student Uni on

2017 All School Alumni Reunion May 27, 2017 | 10am

If this is a reunion year for your class, keep an eye on your mailbox for the latest info.

2001 Football Champs

100 years of ministry

HILLCREST IS COMMEMORATING 2 SPECIAL CREATIONS THAT RELEASE THIS SPRING. Hillcrest is publishing an historical sketch of 20+ stories that mark 100 years of

ministry. Historian and author Steve Hoffbeck curated some of the best stories of Hillcrest from the past 100 years. The book includes a historical overview of Hillcrest’s founding, the trying times surrounding the first three decades of Hillcrest, the work of E.M. Broen as founder of the high school, the work of many graduates during wartime, along with the impact of others in professional careers. The book includes stories from each decade, with special segments that tie Hillcrest to the founding of Inspiration Point Bible Camp along with a retelling of the 2002 championship football team and a special retelling of Joseph Undseth’s life by his father, Steve Undseth.

The book is releasing at the Hillcrest Invitational Tournament, April 8 2017. To reserve a copy email Sheri Hohncke in the Alumni Office (shohncke@ffhillcrest.org) or visit www.ffhillcrest.org/hla100.

Class of 1920

WITH

The J.H. Levang Library will house

meaningful artifacts from Hillcrest’s 100 years. A special display will hold all composites from the nearly 100 senior classes that have graduated. Other artifacts in the library will guide friends and families of Hillcrest to see how God has used Hillcrest to form faith in the Lutheran Brethren's high school ministry.

Pictures of past leaders will will hang beside artifacts displayed in Hillcrest’s front hall in what used to be known as the reception room, years ago it was the teacher’s lounge, in the main building on Hillcrest Academy's campus.

The J.H. Levang Library will open graduation weekend, May 26-29, 2017.