LSTC Announces 2023 Fund for Leaders Recipients
LSTC is pleased to announce that Madelyn Anderson, Leah Berdahl, Hannah Peterson, and Addy Stuever are this year’s recipients of the Fund for Leaders Scholarship.
The ELCA Fund for Leaders Scholarship Program provides full tuition scholarship support for students of tremendous promise attending ELCA seminaries. The scholarship, which was a component of presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton’s 2016 Leadership Initiative, has so far awarded over 60 full-tuition seminary scholarships in addition to scholarships supported by the Fund’s general endowment. In 2023, a new pilot program provided eligibility for both full and part-time students to take advantage of Fund for Leaders Support. You can find out more about the Fund for Leaders program here.
Meet our 2023 recipients!
I want to be a pastor who focuses on LGBTQIA+ inclusion and education of the whole person.
– Madelyn Anderson
Name: Madelyn Anderson
Hometown: New Providence, IA
Why LSTC?: I chose LSTC because of its dedication to faith, learning, and social justice, as well as its strong residential community.
How the Fund for Leaders Makes a Difference: The Fund for Leaders will allow me to attend LSTC without worrying about tuition, which will enable me to focus on learning and serving in the community instead of working long hours.
My ultimate career goal is deep involvement in communities and social ministry.
– Leah Berdahl
Name: Leah Berdahl
Hometown: Sioux Falls, SD
Why LSTC?: LSTC’s commitment in its values to the responsive study of context and attentive discussion diversity made me choose LSTC. The academic opportunities and social climate also drew me in.
How the Fund for Leaders Makes a Difference: Of course, the associated scholarship with the Fund for Leaders will assist me in pursuing a master’s as a young adult. However, the connections, support systems, and conversations of the fellowship will guide and enrich my journey through the MDiv program.
I’m hoping to become a campus pastor– my campus pastor made a huge difference to my life in under grad and since then I’ve wanted to learn to be that for others. I love the energy that young people bring to everything from church to their broader communities, and I want to be able to help make space for that.
– Hannah Peterson
Name: Hannah Peterson
Hometown: Hamilton, MT
Why LSTC?: I’m excited to move to Chicago where my partner has been living for ~6 years; when I was looking at seminaries I wanted a community that would be near-by but that would also allow the flexibility of distance learning. Throughout the process I’d also heard so much from alums and current students about the open, inclusive, and challenging nature of LSTC’s programs, which also sounds like what I’m hoping for.
How the Fund for Leaders Makes a Difference: The FFL will (and has already!) allow me to be more freely excited about the opportunities available throughout the years I spend at LSTC-I’m from Smalltown, Montana, so the possibilities in Chicago feel endless to me.
I look forward to serving as a pastor at a rural church. Growing up in a rural area, I understand the unique challenges of rural communities and the deep desire for faith leadership.
– Addy Stuever
Name: Addy Stuever
Hometown: Capac, MI
Why LSTC?: I chose LSTC for the ecumenical opportunities available through relationships with seminaries of other denominations and for the short distance to visiting loved ones at home in Michigan.
How the Fund for Leaders Makes a Difference: Fund for Leaders makes attending graduate school directly after finishing my undergraduate degree possible for me!