A first-in-the-nation pilot AmeriCorps Fellow cohort, aimed at helping students pay for college through public service, is underway this spring semester at Cal Lutheran and already producing a positive reaction among participants.

The effect on life during the pandemic has been so pervasive, it has even shaken how we worship God. But the need was seen as vital, and those in charge of campus ministry at Cal Lutheran and Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary made sure it could still happen.

The new interdisciplinary minor isn’t just for students who want to be doctors or nurses. Knowledge of public health is beneficial across many subjects and majors, including biology, chemistry, communication, environmental science, exercise science, psychology and sociology.

When Cal Lutheran student Elysia Williams was growing up, she couldn’t really find any Black coming-of-age novels that showed a positive experience.