Arlene Friestad, Dean of Women

Miss Friestad was the dean of women at Andrews University who hired me in 1976 to be a Resident Hall Advisor when I was a 17-year-old Freshman. I worked for her 20 hours a week, for four years as an RA, plus helped with bulletin boards, worships, and dorm programming.  This work environment provided the opportunity to develop spiritual leadership and to learn about people.

By her walk, she also taught us to leave a room, a hallway better than we found it. She always looked around, and as she walked she picked up paper, straightened a photo, removed an expired announcement. She taught the spiritual discipline of order.

Years later, when Miss Friestad learned that I was a pastor, she said, “For a woman to succeed she has to work twice as hard as a man. Fortunately, that’s not too difficult.” (See quote section.) While that quote is a bit humorous, Miss Friestad worked very hard. She faithfully served more than 6,000 women during her career as a dean. I was blessed to be one of them.

When I returned to Andrews University in 1997 to be a Pastor at Pioneer Memorial Church, Arlene was still living in the community. I had the privilege to serve as her pastor and visit her in her home numerous times, until she died at the age of 90 on November 16, 2010.