Although she graduated from Midland University nearly 20 years ago, the impact Midland made and the connections she built continue to resonate with Brittany Friesen (Burke) ’07, to this day.

Brittany currently serves as a Children and Family Minister at Trinity Church in Papillion, Nebraska. She earned her degree in Youth & Family Ministry from Midland.

“After earning my degree, it took me a while to find my way back into vocational ministry. Along the way, my education and experiences shaped how I approached every job, helping me build meaningful relationships and interact with people who had compassion and empathy.

“In the nearly 20 years since I graduated, I’ve been amazed by how often my Midland connections have resurfaced in unexpected ways. The relationships I built at Midland continue to open doors, encourage me, and remind me that God placed me at Midland for a purpose. Looking back, I can clearly see how those experiences and relationships have had a lasting impact on both my career and my life.”

Thanks to some persuasion from Midland alum Martin Russell, ’86, Brittany made her way to Midland from Wayne, Nebraska. “He was the pastor at my church and was the first to encourage me to check out Midland. I loved the small campus that was close to home, but far enough away that I felt like I was gaining new experiences. Midland was also one of the few schools that offered a Youth & Family Ministry program, which is the career path I was interested in.”

Brittany said she made many friends while being a Resident Hall Director at Midland. She was also instrumental in helping coordinate the 4 His Sake Music Festival on the Midland campus. “I felt empowered by the administration to host the event. I learned just as much from being a part of that as I did in classes.”

Those organizational skills have served her well in her time since, especially when dealing with the loss of a son to pediatric brain cancer. “I joined a local nonprofit that financially and emotionally supports pediatric cancer families. I built an emotional support program for the organization from scratch, and today it supports hundreds of families just like mine. We host events to connect families, and provide mental health and bereavement resources.”