augsburg alumni Archives - Giving to Augsburg University

A SON’S LEGACY: LIGHTING THE WAY THROUGH LITERATURE

Posted on October 22, 2025

John ’88 and Jill Benson were thrilled when their youngest child, Gabe, chose to attend Augsburg. When considering which school he would like to attend, his motivations echoed those of his father, who graduated from the same university with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. “Growing up in rural Minnesota,” says John, “I never felt out of place at Augsburg, despite it being in the big city.”��

John, like Gabe, saw something special about Augsburg. “Gabe had three certainties,” Jill shared. “He wanted to live in Minneapolis, he wanted a diverse college environment, and lastly, he felt at home.” Gabe continued to explore his lifelong passions of reading, writing, and connecting with others throughout his time at Augsburg, where he double majored in Communications and English, earning his degree in 2019. “Augsburg totally shaped him and gave him the skills that allowed him to pivot drastically in his career trajectory,” Jill said. Gabe took an interest in mortuary science during the pandemic and graduated with a degree in it from the University of Minnesota in 2022. Sadly, Gabe passed away shortly after starting his new career.

Equally crucial to the experiences he had were the meaningful relationships he built with his peers and English faculty mentor, Lindsay Starck. “Lindsay and Gabe talked so much,” Jill shared. “They would meet at cafes, enjoying the view of the river, talking about books and life.” During his 2023 memorial, John recalled Lindsay’s eulogy about Gabe, in which she expressed her sentiment that “Gabe was proof that you can do anything as an English major.”

Gabe’s curiosity about life and his deep appreciation for the written word and authors were motivators for John and Jill’s gift. “We met with Lindsay, and she helped shape the gift we wanted to give,” John shared. “We wanted to think about the activities Gabe loved and how we could pass on those experiences to students.”��

In 2025, they established the Gabe Benson ’19 Endowed Literary, Creative, and Narrative Arts Fund, which will expand hosting opportunities at Augsburg for a range of literary events, including readings, lectures, and visits from writers and thinkers who inspire critical and creative engagement. They are also excited about the prospect of this fund supporting student participation in events that deepen academic exploration and vocational discernment.��

When reflecting on Gabe’s legacy and the passions he could impart to future Augsburg students, John shared, “Definitely an appreciation for reading. Gabe was a voracious reader. If this gift can instill excitement about literature or writing, that would mean the world.” “He was also such a light,” Jill added. “He loved storytelling and embraced who he was. I hope that we can help other students live out those qualities.”

Fostering Student Success Through Belonging

Posted on May 6, 2025

Paul ’63 and LaVonne ’63 Batalden’s experience as students at Augsburg continues to inspire their generosity. Over the years, they have supported initiatives such as the Norman and Evangeline Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion; the Batalden Faculty Scholar Program in Applied Ethics; and, most recently, the establishment of the Batalden Assistant Dean of Student Success and Belonging.

Paul’s connection to Augsburg spans three generations. His grandfather served on a planning committee to develop a college for Lutheran immigrants, and his father, Abner, graduated from Augsburg College in 1935. “When it came time for college, there wasn’t much conversation about it,” Paul joked. LaVonne, however, was initially set on Gustavus. After encouragement from her pastor, she decided to visit Augsburg. “Mark Johnson was an admissions counselor, and I was impressed with the personal attention I received, so I decided to go,” LaVonne shared.��

Paul and LaVonne attribute their sense of belonging to their success at Augsburg. “Because the classes were so small, the faculty really knew you,” LaVonne said. “Yes, the faculty was key to my sense of belonging,” added Paul. “They encouraged my curiosity and taught me to love ideas and how they can change the future.” Paul graduated with a degree in chemistry, and LaVonne graduated with a degree in biology. They both had careers in academia, Paul at Dartmouth College and LaVonne at Colby-Sawyer College. Throughout her career, LaVonne always thought back to the advantage of her liberal arts education. “It was my non-science courses that stuck with me over the years. They gave me a broader perspective than I might not have otherwise acquired.”

Recognizing the powerful relationship between community, growth, and achievement, Paul and LaVonne established the Batalden Assistant Dean of Student Success and Belonging as part of the Promising Futures: Faithful and Relevant campaign. “The college experience is rooted in connection,” Paul reflected. “In many ways, learning involves feeling like you belong—both in your coursework and community. This role will facilitate student success by ensuring they can exercise their curiosity and creativity among peers from all walks of life. Belonging is key to advancing our future as a planet of people from different backgrounds.”

The Bataldens share a deep excitement as they envision the future of Augsburg. “Augsburg was founded by a community of Norwegian immigrants who shared a desire to equip themselves and their children with the knowledge they would need to be successful in this new country. In that spirit, they built a community that recognized how values were important to the learning process,” LaVonne said. “Valuing belonging helps awaken the capabilities of generosity, creativity, and kindness,” Paul added. “We truly believe in Augsburg’s mission to prepare students to lead meaningful lives.”

Empowering the Future of Students through Unrestricted Giving

Posted on October 28, 2024

The first family member of Phil Hoversten ’71 to graduate from Augsburg was his uncle Knut Holversten in 1930. Since then, four generations and 40+ Hoversten family members have attended Augsburg, including Phil who graduated in 1971 with a degree in biology. “I knew I wanted to go into pre-med and Augsburg gave me a generous financial aid package that first year,” Phil said.

However, Phil’s path to graduation was not without its challenges.�� He experienced financial hardship after his first year, but with encouragement from his professor, John Holum, Phil decided to stay at Augsburg. “The caliber of instruction, the smaller class sizes, and the individual attention I received helped me do well,” he reflected. Phil’s experience at Augsburg prepared him for medical school at the University of Minnesota. He had a 24-year career at Allina Health as a Physician in Occupational Medicine until his retirement in 2020.

Throughout the years, Phil has kept in touch with a few fellow students from his time in the choral club, but, Phil’s primary connection to Augsburg is rooted in his family’s enduring legacy. In the 1980s several Hoversten family members contributed to the construction of the Hoversten Chapel. “I’m fortunate that my family listened to what the college needed at the time,” Phil shared as he reflected on the vision for a multi-purpose space. Today, the Hoversten Chapel is a central location for worship, music, and other community-building events.��

The belief in Augsburg as a unifying and dynamic community has been a cornerstone for Phil and his family for generations. Phil said he sees his unrestricted giving as his link to the Hoverstens’ commitment to supporting education centered on service and a connection to the gift his relatives established forty years ago

The concepts of experiential learning and meaningful engagement in local communities, introduced by Augsburg Department of Sociology founder Joel Torstenson have deeply resonated with Phil. “Schools have been faced with great difficulties recently. There was a [time I experienced ] tremendous need here and it motivated my�� desire to give back to the place that gave me my education, This is my way of supporting local efforts.”

For Phil, unrestricted giving has the potential to lead to incredible change. “I look at the beautiful buildings like the Hagfors Center that accommodate a modern education and all the programs that support our diverse student body… I understand the difference it makes when universities have the means to be sure critical areas are funded,” he shared. “I encourage others to consider an unrestricted gift”

Through his commitment to giving back, Phil continues to strengthen the legacy of his family at Augsburg, ensuring generations of Auggies have opportunities to thrive in a community that helped shape his life and many others.��

Inspiring Others to Give

Posted on September 7, 2023

Once again, Kristin Dragseth Wiersma ’91 and her husband, Augsburg associate professor of religion Hans Wiersma, are leading the way with their three-year, $1,000 annual commitment to the Augsburg Fund. As participants in the Great Returns: We’re All In campaign, they are not only making their own commitment to Augsburg’s future, but also focusing on the “we” by inspiring others to do the same.

Kristin transferred to Augsburg in her sophomore year, after deciding that the party vibe at her first choice, the U. of Wisconsin, did not suit her. Augsburg was a much better fit. She thrived on the personal touch a small campus could provide and appreciated being able to integrate her campus ministry involvement with her studies. She also joined the volleyball team, and the senior year she spent living in a decrepit house with her eight teammates delivered indelible memories.

The house is gone now, but the friendship bonds remain. The teammates used to get together often, at least once a month, and still meet frequently, now with their families in tow. They share camping trips and enjoyed a vacation in Costa Rica last fall. With Kristin’s encouragement, they have also begun giving back, each in their own way.

“We’ve all had life-changing experiences, and we all love Augsburg. The way we met and grew—that’s been really fun. We’ve all known each other since we were 18, and now we’re in our 50s, but we really solidified our values and trajectory together at Augsburg,” explains Kristin, who earned her degree in social work, supplemented it with advanced leadership degrees, and now works with organizations to keep them healthy and on track with their goals.

With kids in college, she acknowledges, no one has a lot of cash to play around with. Her goal is to reacquaint her teammates with their alma mater and nurture their philanthropy in whatever form it takes. She has invited them back to campus on several occasions, often for homecoming, but also to tour the facilities, admire the new academic buildings, and recognize how education has changed. They even got to sit in the chairs like students and learn what today’s “upside-down” classroom is like.

“In the olden days, you’d go hear a lecture, then do the reading, then write the paper. Now the data dump is all on your own, with podcasts, books, media, etc. It’s quite diverse. Then you come to the classroom and apply the theory,” she explains.

Kristin and Hans are contributing to the Augsburg Fund, which provides academic scholarships for those in need. “You can do lots of cool things with endowments, but this one is the heavy lifter,” she says. Education today is expensive, and recognizing how hard students have to work to be in college at all, especially if they are first-generation, is important.

Some of her teammates are giving in new ways. Because women’s sports were so important to them in those early days of Title IX, together they supported a locker room rebuild. One, an avid golfer, made a major contribution to the golf locker room. “I want them to get closer to the University, whatever that means to them. I’m glad when they give—it’s just exciting,” Kristin says.

She notes that some potential donors may wrestle with what they perceive as a “crazy, liberal, progressive direction” that can feel alien to the traditional values they hold dear. But Augsburg, she argues, is “the ultimate place to learn about diversity.” It has amply demonstrated how it is possible to cling to core values while inviting others along on the journey, shifting just enough to support new populations. Hans, for example, still teaches religion—every kind of religion. He and Kristin want to ensure that others “appreciate the adaptation that Augsburg has made in response to a new day. It is working really hard to give everyone a solid education in a complex and ambiguous world. Providing the skills to navigate that ambiguity is the hardest part,” says Kristin. “Justice for me is creating access to education, giving students a chance to reach their potential and get a footing in this world. I want to be part of anything that helps people do that.”

Supporting the Next Generation of Artists

Posted on July 5, 2023June 25, 2024

Sheryl Shark’s ’82 affection for Augsburg is stronger than ever after four decades, as she recently demonstrated by designating a $1 million estate plan gift to her alma mater as part of its Great Returns: We’re All In campaign. The musician and actress has long been committed to giving back, and the establishment of the new Schwartz School of the Arts has only fueled that passion. Her previously unrestricted gift will go there instead, ready to help the next generation of artists pursue their dreams.

“I’m just so excited for it. It also gives me a place to direct my gift that I didn’t have previously,” says Shark, who graduated with a music degree in 1982 and fully understands that “people in the arts are always in need.”

Shark’s love affair with Augsburg began in the ‘70s when she was still a student at Dassel-Cokato High School. Already a music and dance class veteran in her teens, she participated in the annual Minnesota Music Teachers Association contest, held on campus. She recalls playing piano in the old music building, then rumored to be haunted. That is where she met the late Professor Emeritus James D. Johnson, who was not only her contest advisor but also an example of the music guidance Augsburg could provide. She liked his comments and support so much that her college choice became obvious.

“Augsburg was the only place I applied,” she said.

As a freshman in 1978, Shark attended classes in the old music building for only about a month before moving to the new one, as the ghosts from the old place began making peace with the football field that would replace it. By the end of her sophomore year, Shark was not only happily taking classes but also beginning to register the benefits of a liberal arts education.

“All of a sudden everything was connected—history to biology to music to physics, even the religion courses—they all started tying together. I was not pushed or prodded. I felt like the universe was putting everything together for me. It was the most astounding experience,” she says. “Those four years at Augsburg were the best years of my life.”

Not that more recent years have been less than great, she is quick to point out. She began playing piano and teaching in Montana, then spent most of her career in southern California, where she discovered that performing for nonprofit fundraisers in famous venues such as the Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel was the most enjoyable as well as financially advantageous way to use her talents. She had always intended to return home to Minnesota, however, and recently moved to Wayzata, where she enjoys the walkability, the restaurants and coffee shops, and the chance to take acting classes and participate in the many artistic events available here.

Shark visited campus in April, noting that it seemed twice as large as it used to be. It has moved west, and the old, rundown houses have been replaced by beautiful new buildings, she says. Soon the Schwartz School of the Arts will house a dozen undergraduate majors in the performing and visual arts, as well as a master’s program in music therapy.

��“I used to go to Broadway and look at the playbill, which always included at least one actor from a famous liberal arts college on the East Coast. ‘I should have gone there,’ I used to think,” she says. “Now I’m thrilled to know that Augsburg is going to have that kind of program. I hope it brings in another group of students who don’t have to look at Julliard, who can be based in the Midwest. So many wonderful places are here—the Guthrie, the Chanhassen, Mixed Blood, etc.—and for the size of our cities, that’s rare.”

Learn more about Augsburg’s��Great Returns��貹��.

TJ Bramwell ’03 Aids the Next Generation

Posted on February 24, 2023February 24, 2023

Dr. TJ Bramwell ’03, a biology major, has native roots in Tomah, WI, but when he chose to attend Augsburg, he was not unfamiliar with the area. Bramwell’s father, Thomas D. Bramwell ’78, also graduated from Augsburg.

He recalled his parents and grandparents watching him play running back for the Auggie football team throughout his four years of college.

“Part of my interest in joining the football team was that it was right after Augsburg won the conference title,” Dr. Bramwell said. “That excited me, as well as the academics.”

His interest in science, specifically biology, emerged during middle school, developing further in high school, and culminated with his time in the classroom and on the football field at Augsburg.

“Being on the football team and seeing people get hurt, treated, and being able to come back and play again helped me realize that I wanted to be a doctor,” Dr. Bramwell said. “It helped me identify my ultimate goal of being an orthopedic surgeon and helping people.”

He went on to do a few years of research at the Hennepin County Medical Center before getting accepted to medical school at Des Moines University and eventually completing a five-year orthopedic residency at Ohio University/Doctors Hospital, a journey that took nearly 15 years.

“A lot of what shaped my journey at Augsburg is the relationships I formed with my professors, specifically in the biology department,” Dr. Bramwell said. “They helped me navigate the waters of constructing a resume and getting into summer research programs, things that are so important and at the heart of URGO.”

Twenty years ago, when Dr. Bramwell attended Augsburg, URGO (Office of Undergraduate Research and Graduate Opportunity) did not exist. Now, URGO connects students with both new and existing research and scholarship opportunities on campus, across the U.S., and internationally.��

Dr. Bramwell said he gives to URGO because he wants to ensure students have the support they need to succeed, whether that’s MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) practice tests, study materials, or other contributions that will aid the next generation of medical professionals, and you can too.

Learn more and get involved.

Bruce ’71 and Pam Santerre Believe in Second Chances

Posted on February 2, 2023

Bruce ’71 and Pam Santerre believe in second chances, leading them to help others who want to evolve, and that’s why they give to the StepUP Program at Augsburg University.

Bruce, a biology and education major, said growing up in northern Minnesota he felt like there were few career paths if he stayed, but he had other plans.��

Upon visiting Augsburg, Bruce like many “Auggies” fell in love with the campus and city life. He would go on to enroll at the university and join the football team, playing for four years while finishing his studies.

Unlike Bruce, Pam, an English major, was native to the cities. She lived in South Minneapolis, knew people who attended Augsburg, and her church had an affiliation with the school.

Pam said she knew she wanted to go to college, but at the time there weren’t many career opportunities for women. However, Pam would find her opportunity at Augsburg and work for a number of organizations while putting herself through school.

“We [Bruce and her] formed many lifelong friendships at Augsburg,” Pam said. “That’s just one of the reasons why Augsburg is at the forefront of our minds’ when it comes to giving back.”

The Santerres met at Augsburg and were married shortly after Bruce graduated. Six weeks later, he was sent to Fort Leonard Wood, MO, for National Guard training.��

When he arrived back in Minnesota, Bruce began teaching as a substitute teacher for the Minneapolis school system. And Pam was working at the Lutheran Brotherhood, now Thrivent, which started her longtime career in information technology.

Pam received her master’s degree in theology and a certificate in spiritual direction, while working at Andersen Windows, where she later retired from. She continued her spiritual direction practice, companioning people who are exploring a deeper experience of the divine presence.��

“A lot of what we do is at a spiritual level and basis,” Bruce said. “This aligns with a core value in the StepUP program.”

While completing his doctorate degree, Bruce, now a retired high school principal, wrote his dissertation on spirituality and leadership. He said part of that experience helped him understand the impact of spirituality in our [people’s] lives’.

“There’s a soft spot in our hearts for the work that the StepUP program is doing,” they said. “So many of those kids are overcoming some of the most incredible odds, and what we’ve seen from Augsburg, in helping their students, we want to be a part of.”

You too can play an integral part in helping Augsburg University students on their growth and evolution toward a brighter future. Learn more and get involved.

Justin Grammens ’96 Helps STEM Students By Giving

Posted on December 16, 2022May 30, 2024

Justin Grammens ’96 is a mathematics major who grew up in Minneapolis. His mother was a teacher for Minneapolis public schools, and his father worked as a doctor at Fairview Riverside, located across the street from Augsburg.

Grammens said he was familiar with the area and Augsburg, and one aspect that drew him to the school were the small class sizes which gave him a better connection to his classmates and instructors.

“My original plan was to start at a liberal arts school [Augsburg], then transfer to an engineering school,” Grammens said. “But when I transferred from Augsburg, I was sitting in a classroom with hundreds of other students and being taught by a TA, and I felt like why am I here?”

He ended up transferring back to Augsburg and completing his degree. But Grammens said it wasn’t just the small class sizes that inspired him to return to Augsburg, it was also the urban environment and the abundance of diversity that Augsburg offers.

At Augsburg, Grammens was able to build relationships with many different people that he maintained after graduation. He has even come back to campus on multiple occasions and spoken with students majoring in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields about his career.

Grammens is an adjunct professor at the University of St. Thomas, teaching a class for their masters of software engineering program. He said that he is proud to bring the skills that he learned at Augsburg and share them with his students.

“A lot of the classes at Augsburg were exploratory and non-traditional,” Grammens said. “It was really about thought process, application, collaboration, and problem solving.”

Around 2006, he started a company that was one of the first in the Twin Cities to develop mobile apps for major companies, and that’s when he said he felt like he had the income to give back.

“It breaks my heart if somebody is kicking butt in math, chemistry, or physics, and they know they want to be an engineer, but the barrier is just that they don’t have the money,” Grammens said. “I’m passionate about giving to STEM programs because those students are working with technologies that are changing our lives, and I want to support that.”

Grammens continues to make a positive impact on the lives of Augsburg students with annual donations to STEM programs, and you can too.

Donate to STEM programs and support Augsburg students as they conduct research with faculty, attend and present at national conferences, and hear from leading researchers.

Any gift made to any program will automatically count towards your class’ total for the Alumni Class Challenge!

Learn more ways to give.

Lewis Nelson ’00 Encourages You to Get Involved with Giving

Posted on December 7, 2022December 7, 2022

Over one thousand miles away Lewis Nelson ’00, a history major, sat in front of a map in his office, which was posted behind him on the wall, meticulously pinned with various places he had visited.

Graduating high school from a small town in Wisconsin, Nelson reflected on why he initially chose Augsburg University–because of the urban environment, sense of community, and football.

But during his freshman year, Nelson, like many freshmen, felt the struggle of adapting to the new environment at first.

“And then, I started meeting more people,” Nelson said. “I began to participate in activities and student organizations, and I just got more involved on campus.”

His pitch rose with excitement, speaking about how he became an orientation leader and joined the Augsburg Student Activity Council.

Once he was fully immersed in the culture, Nelson said he was enamored by Augsburg’s diversity, and through it he learned that he could get along with anybody from anywhere.

Not long after graduation, Nelson joined the U.S. Army, where his experience at Augsburg gave him a leg up on his peers, he said.

“Augsburg helped me cultivate vital skills such as critical thinking and leadership,” said Nelson. “Skills that continue to serve me today, and that’s why I give.”

Nelson’s giving journey began when he received a call from a student about the Augsburg Fund. Since then, Nelson has made a habit of giving.

He said giving to Augsburg gives him a sense of pride and keeps the legacy alive, and upholds the value of a degree that has meant so much to all the students that attend Augsburg University.

“The feeling of giving back to the place that made me who I am today not only gives me personal pleasure, but it brings joy to other people’s lives’,” Nelson said. ”I encourage anyone to give what they can.”

You can donate to the Augsburg Fund and/or student organizations like the ones that made such an impact on Nelson’s life by visiting Augsburg’s giving page.

Any gift made to any program will automatically count towards your class’ total for the Alumni Class Challenge!

Experience a life of giving with Wayne Kendrick ’68

Posted on November 28, 2022May 7, 2024

When Wayne Kendrick ’68, a religion and math major, enrolled at Augsburg as a junior, he was in the process of change.��

He spent years working towards becoming an actuary, but not long after his adult baptism, Kendrick would hear life calling him in a different direction.��

That’s when he started searching for Lutheran schools to attend. Kendrick said he wanted one with a different atmosphere than that which he had been accustomed to, mostly growing up in western South Dakota.��

Before even visiting Augsburg, Kendrick was drawn to the idea of a Lutheran college located in an area with vast cultural diversity and educational opportunities.

“I had a saying that I went by when I was in college,” Kendrick said. “Education shouldn’t get in the way of your life’s education.”

Kendrick recounted doing volunteer night patrols with the Way Center on the troubled streets of North Minneapolis and participating in a march for fair housing in Milwaukee with his college roommate and Father Groppi. He attributed these memories to an enriched college and life experience.��

“Although I only attended Augsburg for two years, it had a real profound impact on my life,” Kendrick said with a look of fondness and appreciation.��

After graduating, his giving journey began when he purchased a life insurance policy with Augsburg as the beneficiary. Kendrick would go on to enroll at Luther Seminary in Saint Paul and would later become a pastor.��

Kendrick continues to give back to the community that has influenced his life so immensely with multiple donations to the ��ٱ�豫��® program and an annual gift to the Augsburg Fund.��

“I know without our [donor’s] gifts, large or small, Augsburg simply wouldn’t exist,” Kendrick said. “It’s not just enough to be appreciative, one must also make sure that others can enjoy the benefits that we, ourselves, have enjoyed.”

Join Kendrick and ensure students have an opportunity to receive the educational and life experiences they deserve by making your donation today!��

Any gift made to any program will automatically count towards your class’ total for the Alumni Class Challenge!

Learn more ways to give.