NUrturing Faith

Sharing Stories from LCMNU

Sept 2025

a community to lean on: katie martini

Katie Martini (‘17) first heard about Lutheran Campus Ministry at Northwestern University (LCMNU) during her freshman year at Northwestern. She was living in Slivka Hall, and through dorm events, she met Melissa—a fellow student who quickly became a friend.

Melissa mentioned that she attended church every week at LCMNU and also participated in a tutoring program through the ministry. Katie had always been passionate about education, so she decided to join her.

That simple yes changed everything.

Through tutoring, Katie got to know the community at LCMNU. She started attending Sunday services and found herself staying—not just for the worship, but because of the deep sense of connection she felt. The emphasis on service, the warmth of the people, and Pastor Deanna’s thoughtful leadership drew her in. She didn’t just find a ministry; she found a home.

During her time at Northwestern, LCMNU shaped Katie’s college experience in ways she couldn’t have imagined on that first visit. Her closest friends—Melissa, Ave’ra, Bethany, and Cameron—were all part of LCMNU. Some of her most meaningful memories involved driving to the tutoring site each week with Bethany and Cameron, venting about their classes and their week, and then showing up for kids who needed support just as much as they did, and laughing alongside them.

“Those weekly sessions always left me feeling lighter, more connected, and just happy,” said Katie. 

LCMNU also played a pivotal role in Katie’s faith journey. Wanting to dive deeper into the Lutheran faith, she began studying the catechism with Pastor Deanna and eventually decided to get baptized. Melissa, who had first brought her into the ministry, became her baptism sponsor—which she says felt like a full-circle moment. 

Even after graduating, LCMNU’s influence remains a steady thread in Katie’s life. Through 21theo, she learned how to truly study the Bible—something she continues to practice in her personal faith life. 

Today, she works as a speech-language pathologist in early intervention and school settings, helping young children communicate more effectively and access education more easily. She’s been in the field for seven years now, and her time with LCMNU continues to inform how she shows up—with compassion, patience, and a deep sense of purpose.

Katie continuesto support LCMNU because she knows how much it matters. College, and especially Northwestern, is full of pressure: the pressure to perform, to excel, to manage it all seamlessly.

“LCMNU gives students a community to lean on when it all gets to be too much,” said Katie. 

LCMNU gave her—and gives so many students—a place to breathe. A place to be reminded of what truly matters, and put those stressful moments into perspective.