CtK ELCA Scholarships

If you have attended worship at CtK over the past 30 years, you likely recognize me as a member of CtK's handbell choir, The King’s Ringers. The first time I saw a handbell choir perform was when I was a freshman at Gustavus Adolphus College, one of the 28 colleges and universities of the ELCA. Every time one of the handbell choirs performed, I was fascinated. At the beginning of my senior year, I wondered out loud in earshot of one of my roommates, "I wonder if I could do that?" A couple days later we happened to be in the music building together and she dragged me into the office of the professor who directed the handbell choirs and proclaimed, "This is my friend, Karen Hillerman, and she wants to play in one of your handbell choirs!" I soon found myself rehearsing weekly with the beginner handbell choir. The first time we played in Chapel, my friends laughed hysterically as they could see my lips moving as I counted 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4... This is just one example of the many experiences I had during my years at Gustavus that I probably wouldn't have had at another type of institution. The King’s Ringers have been my anchor to CtK, having remained a member despite moving 3 times since my first out-of-college apartment down the street. This Sunday we will recognize the four students of CtK who are attending an ELCA college or university and are receiving a $1,000 scholarship from CtK for the upcoming academic year. We do this each year to support our youth who have chosen to continue their education at an institution rooted in the same faith tradition in which they were raised; most of the ELCA colleges and universities match scholarships provided to students from their home congregations. All four recipients will be juniors this fall: Emilia Gusdal, St. Olaf College Ralph Naimah, Augsburg University Matthew Rockwell, Gustavus Adolphus College Shermelia Yates, Augsburg University