A Graduate Program with Value(s)
Story: Logan Tuttle
Photo: Laura Von Kampen '22
Lisa Thompson started her M.Ed. program with Concordia University-Portland and finished at Concordia Nebraska, culminating with an emotional walk across the commencement stage with a photo of her late mother, who inspired her to pursue her graduate degree.
Lisa Thompson, a second-grade teacher from East Orange, New Jersey, will never forget the events of May 8, 2021.
As her name was called to receive her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction with a reading specialist concentration, Thompson, who finished her degree in October 2020, walked across the stage, received her diploma and clutched a photo of her late mother and paused to take a photo with Rev. Russ Sommerfeld, Concordia’s interim president.
That moment was a direct reflection of Thompson’s perseverance as she overcame the heartbreak of losing her mother, Winnifred Thompson, the one who inspired and encouraged her to return to school and earn her master’s degree in the first place.
“When she passed last year, it really, really hurt,” Thompson, who teaches at Belmont Runyan Elementary in Newark, New Jersey, says. “I was like, ‘I just can’t do this anymore.’ I mean, this was my driving force, and now she’s not here for it. My family would tell me that I have to do it in her honor. That’s why I felt it was very important to walk because I was not only walking for myself, but for my mother.”
That one instant—formed by the full scale of emotions—almost didn’t happen at all.
Thompson started her master’s journey with Concordia University-Portland in 2019, to help her become a reading specialist. In February 2020, Concordia Portland announced it would cease operations, leaving thousands of students unsure of where or how they could complete their degrees. Soon after Concordia Portland’s fate was determined, Concordia Nebraska became the preferred teach-out partner, allowing Portland M.Ed. students to complete their degrees without further interruption.
“When Nebraska reached out and said they would take us, and all of our credits, it was like a weight lifted off my shoulder,” Thompson, who earned her bachelor’s degree in 1991, says. “A lot of schools didn’t have a master’s in curriculum and instruction with a reading specialist concentration, so when I knew Nebraska was offering the same thing, it was wonderful.”
In March 2020, when her mother passed, Thompson thought about ending her pursuit, but her family continued to encourage her and deep down, she knew she had to continue. After finishing her studies amid the pandemic, there was an instance where Thompson considered not traveling to Nebraska to participate in commencement. But she and her sisters got their first round of the vaccination, so they’d have at least some protection. And, her sisters, two of whom are cancer survivors, weren’t going to allow Thompson to not complete her journey.
“They told me, ‘It’s your time, it’s your day and we’re going to support you,’” Thompson says. “They said, ‘We’re all going to get on these flights and put our big girl pants on.’ We got our first dose of the vaccine and when we did that my sister felt a little more comfortable. There’s a lot that’s in this story, a lot that we went through just to make it to Seward.”
It could have been the snafu at the airport on May 7, where Thompson wasn’t able to board her original flight. After landing in Omaha at 11 a.m., she arrived on campus 15 minutes before her ceremony began. Behind the scenes, Ed Siffring, Concordia’s registrar, and Concordia’s commencement team made sure her regalia was ready for her arrival and Thompson snuck in to the back of the processional line at the last moment before walking into Friedrich Arena.
“My entire purpose for coming to graduation was to walk,” Thompson says. “And when there was only one flight I could get on, Ed said not to worry, they’ll try to stall for you and to let him know when we arrived in Omaha. When I walked on the stage, Ed said to me, ‘Lisa, it was me texting you the whole time.”
No matter what obstacle was put in front of her, Thompson persevered, and then some. She finished her degree in 2020 with a 4.0 GPA.
“When I started, I told my mom I would not get anything less than an A because I wanted to show her I could do it and do it well,” she says.
In the weeks leading up to commencement, Thompson visited with Siffring, Janice Brooks ’88, Concordia’s bookstore manager and Jennifer Furr CO ’97 GR ’03, senior director of alumni and university relations. One of the benefits of Concordia’s tight-knit community is that Thompson was able to meet all three on graduation day.
I felt it was very important to walk, because I was not only walking for myself, but for my mother.
“I really applaud the support I got from Nebraska on graduation day, everyone was so helpful,” Thompson says. “Ed was number one, he really pulled it off and I want to give kudos to him. I thank Janice and Jennifer; they’ve been so helpful.”
Thompson’s tribute to her mother will continue as her 27-year-old son, a veterinary tech, is going back to veterinary school. During their time in Nebraska, he didn’t miss the opportunity to tell Thompson how much she inspired him, reminding her of the times he’d wake up at 3 a.m. to see her light on.
“He said, ‘Every time you finished your class after the five weeks, you always came out with an A. You don’t how much I admire your perseverance and hard work,’” Thompson says.
“When you have children, you’ll learn that they’ll do things on their own time,” she says. “You can nudge them and give them pep talks, but at the end of the day, they’re going to go when they’re ready. I thank my mom for always being on me. I’m going on 53 and I just graduated with my master’s and got straight A’s. I’m just so glad on how everything worked out.”