Vocational Traveler
Nearly every summer, Concordia-Moorhead German Professor Madelyn "Frau" Burchill introduces students to the rich culture of European countries. As a lifelong traveler, Burchill firmly believes international study is the best form of education.
"There's nothing we can do better than equip our students to be world citizens," says Burchill.
As a high school student, Burchill studied overseas for the first time in Switzerland. She describes the experience as life changing and spent the next years returning to Europe. Since joining Concordia's German faculty 10 years ago, Burchill has led five month-long May Seminars and three weeklong Exploration Seminars. The experiences encourage students to appreciate cultural differences, develop new ways of thinking and make travel a priority in their futures.
Burchill recently returned to Niklausen, Switzerland, where she first visited as a 16-year-old. This time, she was joined by nine other faculty and 10 students during Concordia's newest retreat - "Body, Mind and Spirit." The participants, all women, spent 10 days at the Dominican Retreat Center reflecting on the vocation of womanhood and forming mentoring relationships. The retreat was funded in part by Concordia's Lilly Call to Serve Project.
"I don't have a job or a position here at Concordia," says Burchill. "I have an opportunity to pursue my calling and to do so in a supportive and encouraging environment. There's such a strong emphasis on the idea of vocation."
