Archive for 2013

Daniel Venn ’15: Making a Difference in South America

Since transferring to Gustavus as a sophomore in 2011, Daniel Venn '15 has developed a passion for teaching English to students in South America. The secondary education major spent this past summer in Ecuador and is currently in the middle of a three month stint in the Galapagos Islands.

Dan Dewey ’93 Receives GACAC Service Award

Dr. Dan Dewey received the 2013 Gustavus Adolphus College Association of Congregations and Alumni Service Award. Dewey is recognized for his vision and leadership in co-founding World Altering Medicine, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing medical care for needy patients in resource poor areas of the developing world.

Four Recent Alumni Start Year of Service with Lutheran Volunteer Corps

Four recent Gustavus Adolphus College graduates are among the 138 volunteers that recently began their year of service in 14 different cities across the country through Lutheran Volunteer Corps (LVC). Benjamin Batz ’12, Elizabeth Logas ’13, and Ben Whalen ’13 are all serving in Minneapolis, while Brin Bailey ’13 is serving in Seattle, Wash.

One Alumna’s Winding Road to Yale Medical School

Zainab Jaji '13 grew up more than 6,000 miles away from Gustavus Adolphus College in Lagos, Nigeria. She earned her undergraduate degree in biochemistry and molecular biology and is now in her first year of medical school at Yale University.

Kurt Elling ’89: Grammy Award Winning Jazz Vocalist

Kurt Elling majored in history and graduated in 1989 from Gustavus. Today, he is Grammy Award winner and one of the world's foremost jazz vocalists.

Jason Haaheim ’01: Principal Timpanist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra

Jason Haaheim '01 earned degrees in honors physics and music and is now the Principal Timpanist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in New York.

Matt Wood ’10: Teaching Entrepreneurship in Nicaragua

Gustavus Adolphus College alumnus Matt Wood '10 made his way from Pennsylvania to Gustavus and then to the Peace Corps in Nicaragua. After primarily training teachers in entrepreneurship for the past two years, he will return to the U.S. in July to pursue a master's degree in international business.

Alumna Helps Kids Dealing with Homelessness

From the time she was three years old through her four years in high school, Gustavus Adolphus College alumna Katie DeSantis ’10 found herself in and out of various Minneapolis homeless shelters. The difficulties and uncertainties of growing up in poverty left a lasting impact on her, which is why she is where she is today: working with children in Minneapolis who are faced with clearing the same hurdles she did as a youth.

Matt Swenson ’06: Living a Mission-Driven Life

Matt Swenson '06 made the most of his four years at Gustavus Adolphus College and left the hill inspired to change lives through a career in public service. Today, he serves as Communications Advisor to Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton and has a bright future ahead of him.

Kevin Matuseski ’10: An Educator with a Passion for Service

Teaching and service are two passions that Kevin Matuseski '10 developed during his four years at Gustavus Adolphus College. Today, he is fulfilling those passions by teaching English and life science to sixth graders and volunteering in several ways in Barranquilla, Colombia.