Yup, it's a busy day of getting information! Here's an update from Karen!
I graduated from Morris in 2003 after student teaching in Australia. Shortly after I graduated I lived in Grand Marais, MN and worked as a PCA and substitute teacher. I really miss the beautiful views and hiking near Lake Superior, especially in the Fall. I have been living in Fargo since Fall 2004. I went to MSUM and got my Masters in Special Education. I work at a middle school in Fargo as a special education teacher. I work with students with mental retardation and Autism and they keep me on my toes and in stitches most days. I met my husband, Jesse, at Harvest Community Church and we got married in July 2006. Jesse works as a computer programmer in Valley City, ND. We enjoy working at church together, going on hikes, playing video games, feeding people and taking road trips.
It's hard to believe that I've been teaching at Messiah College for 8 years now. This fall I am only teaching one course (Leading Organizational Change) because I was suddenly named Assistant Department Chair of the business department in August. The Chair is doing the strategy and external relations, and I am doing course scheduling, faculty searches, budgeting, and generally all the administrative stuff. It is a busy year because we are also working on attaining ACBSP accreditation for the business department. This spring I am going to the Netherlands again with a group of students--5th time, 2nd time in May (May is much nicer than January :-). I do have a life outside of work, although sometimes it seems not much of one. I'm very involved at First United Methodist Church in Mechanicsburg, PA, including singing in the choir. I still think of you all fondly. Although I like Messiah College, one down side is that I do n't see students as much outside of class. Doing IVCF with all of you was one of the highlights of my time in Morris.
Kim is in the middle of the front row. Others in the photo are Becky (Hachfeld) Ford, Kevin Wergeland, Jenn (Olson) Hawley, Ross Hawley, Ben Swanson, and Anne (Robinson) Kuffel.
I currently live in Morris still since '99 when I graduated. I've been working for the same company (Prairie Community Services-serve as a caregiver for developmentally-disabled adults in a group home setting)since I first started after graduation, which was first intended be just apart-time job temporary for the summer only (participated in a 10-week ministry school) after graduation. God had other plans! I'm now only part-time or on-call status for PCS as I currently work for the StevensCounty-Developmentally Achievement Center (serve as a job coach for developmentally disabled adults in various community job settings since '05). My other career avenue is teaching English as a Second Language, which I've served as a volunteer since '04 through the Minnesota Literacy Council-Morris Community Ed. I'm currently pursuing a teacher's license and a masters degree (studying on-line through Hamline University).
Shelley (Whitmarsh) McGranahan went to Moody Bible Institute Graduate School after graduating from Morris. She met her husband Mark there and they were married in Jan 2003. Shelley and Mark live in Tucson, AZ where Mark has been a youth pastor for the past four years. Shelley is a stay-at-home mom. They have one son, Luke, who is 16 months old and are expecting #2 on April 22nd. God has been good to us - wish we could be there to see you all again! God bless you!
My life has had many ups and downs since Morris. But, God is good all of the time. Let's see here in 2002 I took a May Term class in Thailand; I traveled to Bangkok, Chang Mai, and Koh Samui. When I returned from Bangkok, I started working two part-time jobs one at a video store and the other at a day care. In the Fall of 2002 a nearly five year relationship with my girlfriend Erin ended. It was VERY painful, but through it all I've learned the importance of forgiveness, the power of Gods grace, and that Gods ways are higher than our ways!! By March of 2003 I had lost two jobs and was unemployed!! After 12 interviews and lots of sleepless nights I was hired as a People Greeter at Wal-Mart in Eagan in Oct 2003. However, I was still living at my parents house and I wanted to move out, I made plans to look for other housing options. March of 2004 I took a trip to Singapore in order to visit my sister who was studying overseas there at that time. During the Fall of 2004 I traveled to Washington DC, in order to visit my friend Ben Brandt there. I tried to figure out if God wanted me wanted me to move out there. In 2005 I went overseas again this time in August for World Youth Day (WYD). WYD is the largest gathering for youth and young adult anywhere in the world. It was founded by the Catholic Church at St. Peter's Square in 1984 by Pope JP II. In 2006, I moved out of my parents house the end of June into a HUD subsidized apartment in Roseville. In 2007, I went to Seattle for my cousins' wedding in Aug. Then for nearly a year I planned a trip to Sydney, AU for WYD 2008 with my best friend Joey. We took our trip in July of this year, the picture attached is of him and I at the Blue Mtns National Park in Katoomba, AU.