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2012 Baccalaureate and Commencement Speakers
Rev. Katherine Finegan: 2013 Baccalaureate Speaker
Rev. Katherine Finegan, Assistant to the Bishop, Northern Great Lakes
Synod (NGLS) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
Elsa Brule: 2013 Honorary Degree Recipient and Commencement Speaker
Elsa Brule loves books and putting them together with
kids. Children's literacy has become her
obsession. She also values community and
believes in the power of education to change young lives. And it's clear that
she sees the big picture and knows how to get things done.
Internationally and across the U.S., Elsa's vision, hard
work, and generosity have enriched the futures of tens of thousands of
children. From Michigan's Upper
Peninsula and New York City to Southeast Asia and Africa, she champions
projects that address illiteracy and promote girls' education.
She has restored nine school libraries in Dickinson County,
Michigan. In addition, she has supported
the building of scores of libraries and schools, and the publication of dozens
of local-language children's books, in Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, India, Sri
Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Zambia, and South Africa.
Elsa also recognizes the value of creative thinking. She is
a founding sponsor of the Association of Student Artists (ASA) of Dickinson
County and Northeast Wisconsin, which promotes and validates the study of art. This
spring Elsa and her husband, David, generously funded a multiple-year package
of scholarships for students enrolling in the Finlandia University International
School of Art & Design.
Elsa is proud of her Finnish heritage. "No one loves blue and white more than I do!"
she exclaims, which is why she has recently funded flags and blue and white
street banners to help identify Finlandia's campus during this summer's
FinnFest USA.
Elsa Brule is among a small group of advisors who serve as
special counsel to Finlandia University president Philip Johnson. The Brules
reside in Channing, Mich., and New York City. Read more about Elsa Brule.
Erica Payne: 2013 Alumni Speaker
Erica Payne, a native of Crystal Falls, Mich., graduated
summa cum laude from Finlandia University in 2007, completing a bachelor of
arts in rural human services. In 2010 she was awarded a juris doctor from
Thomas Cooley Law School, Lansing, Michigan, and she was admitted to the Michigan
Bar in 2011.
Erica is employed by
Kendricks, Bordeau, Adamini, Chilman & Greenlee, P.C., of Marquette and
Houghton, where she a general practice attorney with a diverse background in
the law that includes real estate, estate planning, probate, and civil matters. She is a civil and domestic relations mediator with additional training as a permanency planning mediator.
Erica was recently elected vice president of the Finlandia Alumni Board. She is a member the Marquette County Bar
Association and a member and officer of the Zonta Club of Marquette. Erica is a mentor for the Northern Michigan University Student Leader Fellowship
Program and a volunteer mediator for the Marquette-Alger Resolution Service.
Eric Hinsch is the Finlandia University Class of
2013 Student Representative. He completes a bachelor of fine arts (BFA) in
fiber and fashion design, summa cum laude, this spring. Eric is high-energy, positive,
and productive. He has been exceptionally active on campus and in the community
during his three years in Hancock. "I can't not
be busy with something," he notes. A returning adult learner-a description he
prefers to "non-traditional student''-Eric says he appreciates the diverse
student population at Finlandia, he finds the Copper Country an accepting
community, and he feels that Finlandia faculty and staff have been flexible in
helping him meet his goals as an adult learner.
This fall Eric will begin a graduate degree program in wood science
and engineering at Oregon State University, Corvallis, where he'll explore the
direct application of fungal pigment onto textiles, a process called spalting.
When asked about his career plans, Eric replies that he doesn't think that way
anymore. But he does have a dream. "Ideally, I'd like to own a yarn shop and
teach fiber classes there," he says, describing a two-story building with the
shop on the ground floor and his home on the second. He'd also like to teach
college classes. Read more about Eric Hinsch.
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