Miss Laura Kester
Favorite Bible Verse:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8–10
I am originally from a small rural town in East Central, Minnesota. I graduated from Concordia University, St. Paul in 2016 with my bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Early Childhood Education to be a Lutheran school teacher. My first call was to teach in Dubuque, Iowa, where I taught Kindergarten for three years. My second call was to Immanuel, where I have continued teaching Kindergarten since.
When teaching, I keep Proverbs 22:6 close to my heart. “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old, they will not turn from it.” This verse embodies my purpose as a Lutheran educator and serves as a reminder to me. Kindergarten is that magical time when students get that first real school experience. My job is to help start students off on the right path by instilling a love for school. Not only that, but I get to do it with Christ at the center of it all, which is pretty amazing!
A little bit about myself: I enjoy being artistic and crafty, as well as taking care of my large collection of house plants. I am a huge Disney fan: any of the movies, music, and TV shows! I love getting the chance to spend time with my family back in MN.
Our school’s theme this year is “Endure” (Hebrews 12:1-3). Briefly share a time in your life when you felt you needed the endurance that only God can provide. How can you use your experience to share God’s love with the students and families in our school?
My father had many health struggles throughout my life, and I can remember being in and out of hospitals with him and my mom. Over the years, he had a heart attack, prostate cancer, and a fungal infection that spread through his whole body. The cancer returned, and after a long stretch of hospice, he passed during the middle of the pandemic. I had to endure through all of those times and really relied on my faith to give me the strength and support that I needed. There is no other place to turn to in those moments when you don’t have the answers; leave it in God’s hands, and he will take care of the rest. Watching a loved one suffer was so difficult, but I held on to the comfort of knowing that my father was in a better place and free from all of it.
What skill would you most like to learn?
There are many times while teaching that I wish I had spent the time when I was younger learning how to play the piano. I chose to play the clarinet instead throughout middle and high school. Especially teaching younger students, it would be nice to hop on the piano and play a tune if I couldn’t find it somewhere online. There are some good old-school Bible school songs that you can only find for the piano.
Hometown: Sandstone, MN
Bachelor’s Degree: Elementary and Early Childhood Education, Concordia St. Paul
Minor: Lutheran Theology