Many of our majors develop a deep interest in serving society at a variety of levels. Many have accepted positions with local service agencies, city and state governments and international NGOs. Others have become clergy, physicians, veterinarians, journalists, intelligence analysts for the government, and the list goes on.

The interest in serving, which so many of our majors possess, often leads to a year or more of volunteer work after graduating. Some join the Peace Corps, Lutheran Volunteer Corps, Teach For American or some other volunteer agency. Some teach English as a second language.

We often recommend to students interested in the public sector that they consider earning a master’s degree in public policy or public administration or in a related area. These programs usually are two years in length and they do a terrific job of combining the academic and practical worlds. Many public universities have created Institutes that provide this training (the Humphrey Institute at the University of Minnesota and the LaFollete Institute at the University of Wisconsin are two such examples).

Elizabeth Kephart Reisinger (2000) was chosen as summer writing fellow at the Poynter Institute of Media Studies in St. Petersburg, Fla. In 2001 Elizabeth returned to the Midwest and moved to Minneapolis, Minn., eventually joining the editorial staff at Greenspring Media Group (formerly called Minnesota Monthly Publications), writing for the custom and trade division. Her tenure at Greenspring involved covering food, dining, the meeting and event industry and editing the Land O’Lakes recipe collections. She assisted in the launch of several of Greenspring’s most successful titles, including Meetings: Minnesota’s Hospitality Journal, Twin Cities Guestguide and Drinks, the custom magazine of fine wines, spirits and living.

Jeremy Owen (1999) discovered his vocational calling in 2005 when he applied to and was accepted by the Madison, Wisconsin Police Department.  Currently a patrol officer, Jeremy believes that his Political Science major, in particular, and his liberal arts experience, in general, enriched the communication and problem solving skills that are vital to his work.

Erika (Holey) Burleson graduated from Luther in 1999 with a degree in Political Science and English.  She worked at the American Refugee Committee headquarters in Minneapolis before heading out to do graduate work in Political Science at the Monterey Institute of International Studies.  Part of her work at Monterey included a fellowship at the United Nations Department for Disarmament Affairs.  Erica earned a Masters in International Policy Studies from MIIS, specializing in nonproliferation, conflict resolution and Russian.  She is currently working as a Political Scientist at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, CA.

Kris Lyndon Wilson was one of the many 1997 majors to spend a semester in Washington (she interned in the U.S. House Committee on Education). After Luther, Kris earned an M.S. in a legislative affairs program at Rutgers University.  Currently she is the Assistant to the City Administrator in Shakopee, Minnesota.

Shannon Duval graduated in 1995 with majors in English and Political Science.  While in the University of Indiana graduate program for higher education administration, she developed an interest in nonprofit leadership.   Shannon has served in leadership positions in several hospital foundations and is currently the president of Mercy Medical Foundation in Des Moines.

Amie Barsch Odahl's strong initiative was the force that joined Luther with the Lutheran College Washington Semester program when it was a fledgling operation in the early 1990s.  In time, Amie (’92) traed in her interest in partisan politics for seminary and currently is the Pastor of Adult Discipleship at a Lutheran congregation in Madison, Wisconsin

Lee Ann Shay Tegtmeier (’90) is one of many Luther grads whose interest in writing and in politics led to majors in both English and Political Science. She has been able to continue both those interests in her work as the managing editor of an aeronautics magazine published by McGraw Hill.  In 2002, her work as a features writer and copy editor earned her the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Aerospace Journalist of the Year Award in the maintenance category.

Lorna Benson ('90) is a St. Paul-based correspondent for Minnesota Public Radio. She covers health care and environmental issues. Benson has been reporting for MPR since 1990, and hosted All Things Considered from 1997 to 2003. She has also worked at Minnesota Public Radio bureau stations in Rochester and St. Peter, where she was the news director. For a brief time in 1996, Benson worked at KPBS radio in San Diego, where she hosted Morning Edition and a weekly call-in program.

Christy Klein (’87) spent her junior year abroad while pursuing majors in Political Science and Spanish; she spent the fall studying London and the spring in Spain.  Not having seen enough of the world, she then traveled to Honduras where she served in the Peace Corps for two years.  After working an interlude Washington, D.C., she moved to the southwest where she earned an M.S. in Social Work.  She currently resides in Tempe, Arizona where she makes good use of both her political science and Spanish as a mental health specialist.

Kate Thronson Hook (’85) studied in Nottingham and majored in English and Political Science at Luther. Her love for travel and her background on a farm near Madison, Wisconsin, were good preparation for a stint in Thailand as a Peace Corps Volunteer.  Upon returning to the Madison area, Kate has combined writing and editing with rearing three children.  She currently operates a business that combines her interests in writing, editing and publishing.

Phil Wold (‘82) roamed center field while majoring in Political Science major and dabbling in philosophy at Luther. He earned his M.Div degree at Luther Seminary and now lives in Sheridan, Wyoming where he serves as the pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church.

Michael Osterholm graduated from Luther in 1975 with majors in Political Science and Biology and included a semester in Washington as part of his Luther experience.  That combination of science and policy has served him well in a career that his included: state epidemiologist in Minnesota, advisor to Director of HHS Tommy Thompson, and leading spokesperson regarding many matters related to public health.  Not only has Luther College recognized Osterholm’s works by awarding him an honorary doctorate, in 2005 he was elected to the National Academy of Sciences.