California Lutheran University issued the following announcement on March 30.
For several years Cal Lutheran has welcomed young women from outside the United States under the International Women Leaders (IWL) program, one of the benefits of our affiliation with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Naomi Mbise ‘23 of Tanzania and Julia Raszka ‘25 of Poland are current recipients.
Naomi is majoring in Political Science and Theology and Christian Leadership and co-founded an African Students Association on campus. She is partnering with two graduates of IWL programs at St. Olaf and Concordia colleges on a proposal to help low-income girls in Tanzania and Cameroon to finish high school and pursue their dreams: “We all share the passion that we want to see women in our societies being able to access formal education and to have opportunities for international education, as we did.”
Julia is a freshman majoring in Theater and Psychology. She was excited to learn of the International Women Leaders program through her church, even though the name of the program, International Women Leaders, made her wonder if it was the right fit. But Julia realized that her experience as a stage manager and performer had helped her to develop leadership skills. Now, the Young Life club has asked her to lead Bible study.
A difference between Cal Lutheran and Polish universities designed for commuters that Julia sees: “Here, you make friends wherever you go. You spend all day with them. You bump into somebody and you go somewhere else and you meet somebody new. So it's like this big community and, personally, I love that.” Julia hopes to use her musical theater skills on returning to Poland, perhaps by coaching young performers and creating plays of her own.
Interim pastor Rev. Mark Holmerud sees Mbise and Raszka having a profound impact at Cal Lutheran: “They are making connections with people who have no idea what life is like outside of California and much less the United States. They’re having an influence on the ways that these students see the world.”
The university anticipates bringing an IWL scholar every two years to keep up the peer mentorship.
Original source can be found here.
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