Although LuHi students come from different backgrounds, have different interests, and are blessed with different God-given abilities, we hope a few things are true for all LuHi grads. Before a student drives off our campus for the last time (until they come back to visit as alumni), five characteristics should be established.
Every LuHi student should
- know Jesus
- be prepared for their next educational challenge
- have a desire to serve others
- love their community
- know the answers to life’s great questions.
These are characteristics we want to be recognizable in all our graduates because they are born out of our core values. They grow in our students because of time spent with our teachers and staff. They are the result of students and their families engaging with our mission. And we call these characteristics the Hallmarks of a LuHi Grad.
A Lutheran High School graduate should:
1) Know Jesus
Every Theology class, every chapel, and every before-activity devotion all have the same goal: to point students to their Savior, Jesus Christ. Faith development and sanctification are a lifetime's work, so we don’t expect every student to have all their questions answered or be free of any doubt. The foundation of the Christian faith - knowing who Jesus is and how He has and is restoring our brokenness - is laid in every student's time at LuHi.
2) Be prepared for the next educational challenge after high school
Some LuHi grads go on to a four-year university. Some choose to master a trade or jump right into their career journey. Others decide to serve their country by joining the military. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all path for our graduates, and we wouldn’t want it any other way. Our job is to make sure they are prepared for the next step. The obvious part of this goal is academic. We want them to have the GPA, the experience, and the academic skills to be successful at their next educational level.
The other, more important side is soft skills. LuHi grads should
- be able to handle conflict biblically
- be prompt
- appreciate accountability
- look forward to a life of learning and problem solving
- be clear communicators
- be unafraid of adversity or roadblocks
3) Serve others
Every Christian is called to be the hands and feet of Jesus. At LuHi, we require 20 hours of service from every student every year with the goal of sparking a lifelong desire to serve others and see their community’s needs. Service needs exist on local, nationwide, and worldwide scales. So, we strive to give students opportunities to experience service at each level.
4) Love their community
Hand in hand with serving others is loving their community. Service is one way to plug into the community. Another is to become leaders in it. LuHi grads go on to own businesses, serve on local governments and boards, and be respected voices in their spaces.
5) Know the answers to the great questions of life
Every LuHi senior spends time meditating on these questions:
- Who am I?
- What is my purpose?
- Is there any hope?
- What is true?
Senior Theology teacher Marty Kohlwey shares,
“My identity is not found in my work, family, wealth, appearance, or anything else fleeting. Instead, it's in my being a beloved child of God. My purpose can't be taken away because I am loved by Jesus and can love others because of Him. My hope is in God working all things for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose. And I stand on the truth of God's Word concerning Jesus' death, resurrection, and return, and that eternal life is real.”
How someone answers these questions impacts their worldview and how they live their daily lives. Scripture teaches us the things we all want - peace, joy, rest, to be known and loved, and a full life - are found in a person, not a thing. We hope every LuHi grad answers these questions with Jesus at the center.
Lutheran High exists to serve our community so God can transform lives. We want our grads to be an extension of that vision. As they enter the real world, life after high school, they will also have a heart to serve the community so that God can transform lives through them.
