The performing arts world is very dark, overall. Bethel prepared me to defend my faith and be an excellent performer. Graduate school thrust me into a cutthroat, competitive environment. But my identity doesn't rest on my musical successes or failures.

The faculty takes a genuine interest in helping you develop as a student and as a person. The way I approach my students today is largely influenced by how the Bethel professors interacted with me on a daily basis.

Bethel provided me with an invaluable foundation in critically thinking and communicating about music, faith, and culture. Most of my colleagues have never had the opportunity, as I did, to regularly perform in an excellent venue like Benson Great Hall.

I was constantly performing through departmental events such as: weekly "Music Hour Recitals," orchestra and band concerts, solo and chamber recitals, semi-annual solo competitions, and yearly ensemble tours. I fell in love with the intensity of practicing and performing.

At Bethel, integrating faith and learning isn't just talk. The faculty are working musicians bringing a Christian perspective to their everyday work. My education prompted deep thought about music's role in Christian experience and clarified my calling to share music.

The classes were informative and practical. I often find myself using concepts I learned in acting classes to help with presentations even outside of theatre.

Students have opportunities to meet industry professionals through faculty, performances, master classes, or auditions. By graduation, I had completed master classes with individuals from NYC, Minnesota Opera, and Orchestra Hall.

The theater department really taught me how and why to pursue the best version of myself. Not only did they educate me on the history, practice, and art of theatre, but how it impacts the world and my relationships today.

When I studied theatre at Bethel, I gained more than just a piece of paper. The program features talented professors who care wholeheartedly about their students' success and provide an exceptional experience on-stage and off.

Bethel's liberal arts curricula greatly prepared me for graduate work in musicology. Already accustomed to making interdisciplinary connections, I was able to think more creatively about my research and to synthesize what I had learned with more insight and clarity.

I started at Bethel in my 50s, in pursuit of a lifelong dream. Now retired, I am involved with several Twin Cities community theatres, acting (including several lead roles), directing and playwriting. It's never too late to follow your dream!

Everything I learned at Bethel prepared me for a life I could never have imagined, in music and ministry both.