A special check presentation ceremony and cocktail reception was held in the lobby of the Kristine Kay Hasse Memorial Library March 26 to celebrate a generous gift made by the LWML in support of Graduate School students who hail from West African countries. Students, faculty and staff were invited to attend. Patti Ross, president of LWML, presented a check to the Seminary for $40,000. This grant will help fund the education costs for Graduate School students from African countries, including helping toward tuition, fees, room and board, health insurance and even students' travel costs back to their families in West Africa once their education is complete. Doctoral student Rev. Tibebu Teklu Senbetu, one of the Seminary's students from Ethiopia, gave a firsthand account of how the gift will help prepare future pastors from his country.

"Although the Lutheran church is growing fast in Ethiopia, our biggest challenge is to have well-educated deaconesses, pastors and professors," said Senbetu. "Many evangelists have a strong passion to be future pastors, theologians and scholars. However, due to financial shortage, they are not able to achieve their dream. There is a pressing need to have well-trained pastors and professors from the confessional Lutheran seminaries — and Concordia Seminary is one of the best Lutheran seminaries that we all desire to go for our advanced studies."