the Continuing Saga...
We invite you to renew your friendship with...
|
Janell Hanson
|
|
Hi, my name is Janell (Hanson) Hudson and I graduated in the class of ’75. My husband of 43 years, Kent, and I are blessed with two adult children, Erika and Andy. We live and work in Thief River Falls. Kent is the Associate Pastor of the Free Church and I am the Director of Nursing and Clinical Services at Sanford. Erika is a teacher in St Paul and Andy is an electrician, owning Hudson Electric. Andy and Tirzah have Hadassah, our most precious 4 1/2-year-old granddaughter.
Many of my extended family, including my siblings Jon, Ann, and Nancy all graduated from MCC as well. Education has been valued in our family for as long as I can remember. My mother, Arlene, was a teacher in Holt prior to having children. Her passion for teaching was evident as she was naturally teaching us at a young age before we even began to attend school. My father, Wallace, who is a very wise man, was unable to finish high school due to his need to work and help support his family. My father always wanted his children to have more opportunities than he had and believed education was an important part of that dream. He encouraged each of us to pursue higher education and a career.
My early years were spent living in the Twin Cities and when I was in 5th grade our family moved back to the Hanson family farm by Viking. I became the new kid in class. I remember my teacher and classmates helping me make that transition. My first memories of school in Newfolden include seeing my grandpa, Clarence Gustafson, the custodian, bringing our milk to the milk machine for break time. I remember my junior high classes in the old high school, the creaky wide wooden staircases, band in the cafeteria, and the large study hall with all the windows. I remember the excitement of moving into the new school across the street with larger classrooms, a spacious library, and a wonderful new band room.
The education I received at MCC gave me a great foundation for college, career, and lifelong learning. I am grateful for the excellent teachers who taught us. They challenged us, held us accountable, encouraged critical thinking, mentored us, and helped instill confidence in us as individuals. Loving science, I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Pederson’s classes and labs. A key learning I distinctly remember (and often quote) is from Mr. Ueland’s Civics class. He taught us about the responsibility that comes with the rights that we as American citizens have the privilege to enjoy.
Our family has been blessed with the opportunity to travel and experience different cultures and locations. Many of our travels have included short-term mission projects. Education in our country is a right we often take for granted. We have traveled to very poor countries such as Tanzania and rural Mexico where education is not available to all. We have traveled to countries where education is extremely competitive and from an early age, students experience high levels of pressure to compete and maintain exemplary grades. We have participated in English language camps in these countries as students were eager to improve their English, believing that this would contribute to their success in life.
We have also traveled for enjoyment to Norway, Sweden, Poland, Turkey, Italy, Israel, and South Africa as well as many parts of our country. We enjoyed the Winter Olympics in Norway, gondola travel in Venice, sightseeing safaris in Africa, staying in a yurt in Inner Mongolia, walking where Jesus walked, and sailing in a boat across the Sea of Galilee. We have also enjoyed hiking through many of America’s national parks. Our travels have enriched our understanding of our world, peoples, and cultures.
While education has been a blessing and part of a strong foundation for life, the greatest aspect of my life is my faith in Jesus Christ. Through the joys and struggles of this life, my faith in God gives me hope for today and for eternity. The Lord has blessed me with so much: my faith, family, education, opportunities, and life experiences.
In my life and in my career as a nurse I have had the privilege of witnessing the birth of many babies, being present at moments of death, and being present with people during times of fear, pain, anxiety, and hopelessness. For the last 2+ years, I have had the mission of helping healthcare navigate the challenge of covid.
The more I experience life the more I realize that each of us is called to use all that we are and all that we have been given to positively impact our families, the people we interact with, and the situations we find ourselves in. It is our responsibility to use our education, talents, abilities, and our life experiences to make a difference in our sphere of influence in the world.
Many of my extended family, including my siblings Jon, Ann, and Nancy all graduated from MCC as well. Education has been valued in our family for as long as I can remember. My mother, Arlene, was a teacher in Holt prior to having children. Her passion for teaching was evident as she was naturally teaching us at a young age before we even began to attend school. My father, Wallace, who is a very wise man, was unable to finish high school due to his need to work and help support his family. My father always wanted his children to have more opportunities than he had and believed education was an important part of that dream. He encouraged each of us to pursue higher education and a career.
My early years were spent living in the Twin Cities and when I was in 5th grade our family moved back to the Hanson family farm by Viking. I became the new kid in class. I remember my teacher and classmates helping me make that transition. My first memories of school in Newfolden include seeing my grandpa, Clarence Gustafson, the custodian, bringing our milk to the milk machine for break time. I remember my junior high classes in the old high school, the creaky wide wooden staircases, band in the cafeteria, and the large study hall with all the windows. I remember the excitement of moving into the new school across the street with larger classrooms, a spacious library, and a wonderful new band room.
The education I received at MCC gave me a great foundation for college, career, and lifelong learning. I am grateful for the excellent teachers who taught us. They challenged us, held us accountable, encouraged critical thinking, mentored us, and helped instill confidence in us as individuals. Loving science, I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Pederson’s classes and labs. A key learning I distinctly remember (and often quote) is from Mr. Ueland’s Civics class. He taught us about the responsibility that comes with the rights that we as American citizens have the privilege to enjoy.
Our family has been blessed with the opportunity to travel and experience different cultures and locations. Many of our travels have included short-term mission projects. Education in our country is a right we often take for granted. We have traveled to very poor countries such as Tanzania and rural Mexico where education is not available to all. We have traveled to countries where education is extremely competitive and from an early age, students experience high levels of pressure to compete and maintain exemplary grades. We have participated in English language camps in these countries as students were eager to improve their English, believing that this would contribute to their success in life.
We have also traveled for enjoyment to Norway, Sweden, Poland, Turkey, Italy, Israel, and South Africa as well as many parts of our country. We enjoyed the Winter Olympics in Norway, gondola travel in Venice, sightseeing safaris in Africa, staying in a yurt in Inner Mongolia, walking where Jesus walked, and sailing in a boat across the Sea of Galilee. We have also enjoyed hiking through many of America’s national parks. Our travels have enriched our understanding of our world, peoples, and cultures.
While education has been a blessing and part of a strong foundation for life, the greatest aspect of my life is my faith in Jesus Christ. Through the joys and struggles of this life, my faith in God gives me hope for today and for eternity. The Lord has blessed me with so much: my faith, family, education, opportunities, and life experiences.
In my life and in my career as a nurse I have had the privilege of witnessing the birth of many babies, being present at moments of death, and being present with people during times of fear, pain, anxiety, and hopelessness. For the last 2+ years, I have had the mission of helping healthcare navigate the challenge of covid.
The more I experience life the more I realize that each of us is called to use all that we are and all that we have been given to positively impact our families, the people we interact with, and the situations we find ourselves in. It is our responsibility to use our education, talents, abilities, and our life experiences to make a difference in our sphere of influence in the world.
Our past Continuing Saga friends.....
click on their picture to catch up with our friends.
click on their picture to catch up with our friends.
