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Home E News E LPU Welcomes One of Its Largest & Most Diverse Graduate Cohorts for January Residency

University, California

The San Dimas campus is especially lively this week as 72 graduate students gather for our January Residency. One of our largest January cohorts ever, these new and returning postgraduates—citizens of nine countries—have traveled from around the world (four continents!) in pursuit of their master’s degrees. In each residency, our first-year and returning second-year students from the master’s programs in Counseling, Strategic Leadership, Leadership (Spanish Language), Theological Studies, and Divinity come together for learning and connection.

The Residency is a cornerstone of our graduate programs, offering a week of learning, orientation, community engagement, relationship building, and spiritual enrichment. Graduate students gather around tables to share how God is working in their lives and hearts. They learn from world-class faculty, build connections and networks, and grow in faith and practice.

This is not only an international community of students but also one that includes a wide variety of backgrounds, experiences, and vocations. Our postgraduates are district supervisors, military veterans, homeschool parents, senior and associate pastors, Foursquare missionaries and emissaries, Foursquare chaplains and disaster relief workers, medical and care professionals, worship and youth leaders, camp directors, creatives, and even small farmers.

The Spring 2025 also included the largest ever spring Spanish Language cohort. Students representing a diverse group of professions and students traveled to San Dimas from across the United States. The cohort also included the Foursquare presidents of Spain, Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador, and influential leaders from Peru and Aruba! Dr. Hugo Aldana, Director of Hispanic Programs and Initiatives, enthused “there is no doubt that the formation of our people is of vital importance for the development of our Hispanic community. We celebrate what God is doing…we remember that we were in the heart of the founder of the movement, Sister Aimee Semple McPherson, but, above all, we are in the heart of God.”

All Life Pacific Graduate Degree Programs are built around the concept of cohort learning—an educational model where students take each class of their program together in sequence. MA in Strategic Leadership (MASL) Director Dr. Sam Rockwell enthused that the cohort experience “brings students together on a common path that integrates learning, life, and transition in a transformational environment.” Students were quick to agree. First-year Theological Studies student Janna Plummer, an area chaplain and youth pastor to foreign-deployed military families, commented, “It’s a firehose of information, but the fact that we are doing this together helps us gain more confidence that we can get through this together.”

It wasn’t just the experience of joining together that impacted students, but also the transformative power of a Spirit-sensitive, Christ-centered environment. First-year Counseling student and Behavioral Health Specialist Michelle Good remarked that a strong faith integration component sets LPU apart from other institutions. Fellow first-year student Brooke Loree, who recently pivoted from a career in the film industry to pursue counseling studies, agreed and shared that LPU gave her the opportunity to synthesize her faith with her new career path. Second-year Counseling student Rhesa Curry, who is pursuing a second master’s degree in counseling at Life, shared that her decision was motivated by LPU’s unmatched integration of the Holy Spirit into its academics.

Whether you listen to conversations in the cafeteria, meet with students and faculty in the lounge, or join in on classes, it is apparent that students have found a new tribe and a place of welcome. Foursquare emissary to Egypt and first-year Leadership student Pastor Diana Asaad called the residency “an unexpected delight.” Brooke Loree likened it to a homecoming. First-year Theology student Vielka Quintero was struck by how Residency offers a “great opportunity for connection and community” and establishes a network of accountability, prayer, and support.

Many students shared that Residency was the first step of obedience in responding to the Lord’s call. Jocelyn Garcia, a recent college graduate, shared that God had given her a strong call to serve Him as a professor in Leadership. Similarly, Hannah Jesudasson, another recent graduate, reflected that God was calling her to counsel creatives and use the skills she gains in the Counseling program to travel globally and share the love of Jesus with all cultures.

For many, this cohort experience was another sign of God’s faithfulness in their lives. MA in Counseling (MAC) student and LPU alumna, Pastor Braelynn Marron shared, “I have seen God’s hand in my life and His faithfulness over the years. Coming to LPU for my undergraduate degree was a miracle, and now pursuing my master’s degree is another miracle and a testament to God’s faithfulness. I am excited to see what the Lord does as I begin my first year of the MAC program!” Second-year Theology student Calvin Barnes, a Navy veteran and associate pastor, remarked, “I never imagined the impact that coming to understand just the basics of Greek would have on understanding God’s word—it opens your mind to how much He truly loves you.” Calvin is pursuing his degree to be better equipped to share God’s word with everyone he encounters.

We can’t wait to hear the amazing testimonies of how God uses Calvin and all our exceptional students in their communities and vocations.