Finding his calling in religion and ministry

By Yvie Croninger ’25

Nathaniel Knutson ’24 started his freshman year at Wartburg as a history major, but throughout the course of his first year, he realized that certain kinds of history classes held his attention more than others.

“I ended up changing my major to religion as I felt my interest leaning more to the religious studies and the religious part of history than history in general” said Knutson, of New Lenox, Illinois.

Knutson, the Outstanding Senior in religion, will continue his education at Wartburg Seminary this fall where he will enter the collabarative learning program, which will allow him to work part-time in a congregation while doing his class work online. He said his Wartburg College education prepared him well for this transition and for encountering differing religious viewpoints.

Some of that experience came while studying abroad in Greece and Turkey.

“My study abroad experience allowed me to see historic religious sights that have always piqued my interest. It also gave me a better understanding of the world and made me want to travel even more. Doing it with my best friends gave us all memories that will last a lifetime,” said Knutson.

In addition to his studies, Knutson kept himself busy on campus through involvement with Spiritual Life & Campus Ministry and running for the cross country and track and field teams. Knutson believes all his professors have made a significant impact on his academic studies.

“I have had several professors and coaches make a big difference in my Wartburg experience, but the one that I have spent the most time with during my time at Wartburg has been Coach Ryan Chapman. Coach Chapman made a huge difference in my Wartburg experience and I have met so many wonderful people through these experiences and been given so many opportunities to compete with the Wartburg ‘W’ on my chest,” he said.

“He has shown me that hard work is not just something that we should do but that it is self-rewarding as well. In addition to all of this, he has helped me manage stress through his constant preaching of recovery and consistency. I will be taking what he has taught me with me after I graduate.”

As Knutson leaves Wartburg for his next adventure, he has one piece of advice for prospective and current students.

“Notice how you spend your time and spend it doing what you love. If you want to be involved with lots of activities, I recommend doing activities that are at different times of the year. It has made my time at Wartburg so wonderful and made it go by extremely fast. My best advice to new students would be to find your group of people, and you will all go through good and bad, but through it all you will make it with so many memories that will last a lifetime.”