Senior Spotlight: Anastasia Blom
As graduation draws near, we’re sitting down with the class of 2023 to talk about their time at Sioux Falls Lutheran School and what the future holds.
Name: Anastasia Blom
Accepted to: Concordia University Nebraska
Intended field of study: I plan to double major in Math and Education.
How did you decide on a school/field of study?
I have always loved math and was rather good at it growing up, as long as I had the right teacher teaching the class. I realized that I could see myself as a teacher once my classmates and underclassmen started coming to me for help, and I started to really enjoy that as well.
What makes CUNE a good fit for you?
When I first stepped onto the campus, a feeling of home settled over me. It felt like I had already been there before, and it just felt like the right fit. Even though it feels homelike, I know it will be very hard moving away from my home here in Sioux Falls.
In addition, CUNE is known as one of the best Concordia Universities for teachers. It also has an amazing and diverse music department, as well as a powerlifting team. I had hoped to continue both of those activities into college, and now I am able to do so.
Finally, I have tons of friends–including SFLS alumni and classmates, as well as alumni from my previous school in Norfolk, Nebraska–going there.
How did you feel when you received the news of your acceptance?
I was very happy and thankful that I got accepted. When I realized that I would be going to college to do things I love (powerlifting, music, etc.) I was even more overjoyed and thankful.
Which classes, programs, and/or faculty at Sioux Falls Lutheran School helped support your interest in your planned field of study?
All my math classes definitely helped support my interest, especially having Ms. Holdorf as my teacher. I am thankful that I had the opportunity to take dual credit classes as well, even though they weren't in person.
I am also thankful for the math club and all of the math competitions we participated in. Going to Brookings for the Merten Hasse competition and earning first place with the other girls was super fun, and going to Dordt's competition was also fun. My favorite competition, though, would be the 14-hour competition that we did this school year. It was so fun being at school for so long, applying the math that we've learned over the years to real-world problems, goofing off, and really just having a lot of fun. And even though we bickered a lot during the last half hour, we were all satisfied with our final product.
Are there any other activities that had a significant impact on you during your time at SFLS?
Other activities, where do I start?
During my freshman year I was involved in art club, which met once a month. Art club helped me learn some new and unique styles and techniques. Doing that during my freshman year has helped me stay somewhat motivated to continue creating art throughout high school, even though I haven't been able to take an art class.
I was involved in many music opportunities throughout high school, including marching band and concert band all four years, choir during my freshman and senior years, jazz band during my freshman and junior years, and praise band during my junior and senior years. I was also involved in drama and theatre during my sophomore, junior, and senior years. I participated as part of the tech crew for most of the performances and had a minor role in The Wizard of Oz.
Lastly, I have been involved in powerlifting since my sophomore year, both lifting with the SFLS team at meets and training independently. My independent training took place outside of school, because I was also competing at the National level for USA Powerlifting. Having everyone's support when I mentioned this was so amazing and overwhelming.
About Sioux Falls Lutheran School
At Sioux Falls Lutheran School, our mission is to develop capable, Christian servant-leaders in a complex world who are World Ready and Faith Secure. We are passionate about giving our students the tools they need to be successful academically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually. We strive to accomplish this goal by maintaining high academic standards, employing excellent teachers, and upholding a Christian worldview drawn from Scripture. Ultimately, we are committed to partnering with parents and the church to raise lifelong learners who use their gifts and the fruits of the Spirit, in faith, to touch a troubled world with God’s grace.