UCC Divinity Student Becomes 4th Runner Up in Miss America Contest

 

Last summer at the United Church of Christ Synod meeting, the Rev Gail Joralemon asked the assembly to root for Ms California, Nicole Lamarche  [ details ]   in the Miss America Contest because she is a student in care of the Southwest Conference of the United Church of Christ.  Ms Lamarche, the seminary student was using this method of paying for her education at the Pacific School of Religion.  Ms Lamarche came in fifth (fourth runner up) and obtained a $20,000 scholarship to further her ambition to become an ordained Minster in the United Church of Christ.

 

This points out that people who chose to enter the profession at any stage of life are financially strapped by the high cost of the education.  Some may be paying off student loans, or trying to support a family or both.  Even second career students are having a problem.  At Synod it was suggested that congregations “adopt” a seminary student financially to help with this burden.

 

Because there is a need for ministers, seminaries like Lancaster Seminary (one of our UCC seminaries) is holding open several  house weekends in the fall for people who might be contemplating this occupation.  For information contact Lancaster Seminary   (http://www.lts.org/admissions/discover_weekends.htm)  Also they have produced a booklet about this process which is available in the New Jersey Association office.