A calendar may not have been the tipping point in helping Lisa (Larsen) Kramme ‘87 decide to attend Midland University, but it did provide some inspiration.

“Doug Watson (Midland’s Director of Financial Aid and Express Services) was my admissions counselor when I visited and he sent me a calendar from Midland that I hung in my high school locker,” Lisa said. “Making big decisions, like where to attend college, were hard for me. One day, on what felt like the 999th time someone asked me where I was going to college, I was standing by my locker. I saw the calendar and said ‘I’m going to Midland.’ While it was a spontaneous decision, it was exactly the right one for me.”

Whether as a student, or working in various roles across campus, Midland has become a big part of Lisa’s life. She met her husband, Keith, while they were students and both would become an even bigger part of the Midland family as leaders on campus. Lisa currently serves as Director for Campus Ministry & Spiritual Wellness while Keith is Director of Student Success/Director of Student Athletic Achievement.

“A montage of memories come flooding back for me about my time as a student at Midland,” Lisa said. “It’s where my husband and I first met (when my roommate had a crush on his roommate, which is a longer story for another time). There were times of struggle and compassion, as we were learning not just about our coursework, but also about life and what it means to be emerging adults. What I enjoyed and treasured the most about being a student at Midland was the community. There was support, challenge, laughter, long conversations, and a great deal of care.”

Lisa’s professional career has taken many different paths. She has served as a teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing, a preschool teacher, has worked at Midland twice in three different roles, and served in faith formation ministries through the Nebraska Synod of the Evangelical Church of America. But through all of these changes, she falls back on what she learned at Midland as the core of her beliefs. “I was a Psychology major and Speech and Theater minor, then went to graduate school for my Masters in Educational Psychology,” she said. “In the beginning, I would never have predicted all the directions my professional path would take. Midland helped position me for all of this work because it was at Midland that I was taught to be curious, explore topics deeply, respect the diversity that’s found throughout the world, ask questions, and do my best.”

Lisa and Keith raised two children and are now grandparents. “My proudest accomplishment is that Keith and I, without an instruction manual, were somehow able to raise two children who have grown into young adults who continue to amaze me. Of course we weren’t the only ones who helped our children grow up, but the value of the community that was strengthened in us at Midland led us to continue to seek out communities that could encourage our children throughout their lives.”

Lisa enjoys spending time with family and friends, sharing stories, and hosting art sessions in the garage.

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