For National Lutheran Schools Week, Lutheran Northwest is highlighting some of the amazing Lutheran elementary schools with which we are blessed to partner in ministry.

One of those schools is Trinity Lutheran in Utica. We caught up with Junior Michael Tuomi (‘22), a Trinity Utica alum, to learn first-hand about his experiences at Trinity and at Lutheran Northwest.

What is your favorite memory from grade school?

Telling my current day best friend that I had an alligator in my basement.

Which teacher or coach from Trinity made the biggest impact on your grade school experience?

Mr. Heck. He was always there for me to talk to, and he was such a great Cross Country coach. He gave me tons of good memories in both XC and Track and he was the main reason that I continued to do the sports in high school.

Which teacher or coach from Lutheran Northwest has made the biggest impact on your high school experience?

Mr. Weber has been one of my favorite Cross Country coaches and he has always pushed me to get better and work hard to reach my goals. He also helped me quite a bit on my geometry homework and other math related problems that I have had in school.

What is your favorite chapel memory from Lutheran Northwest?

When Mr. Kusch talked about his life story and sang songs with us. During this chapel I felt like I got to know much more about him. It has always stuck with me, and it gave me a greater appreciation for him.

Thank you for sharing your experiences with us, Michael!

God’s Blessings, Trinity Utica!