Meet the Team
I was born and raised in Aberdeen and have been married to my wife Tammy for 25 years. The Lord has blessed us with 8 children and three grandchildren. NSU was my old stomping ground. I double majored in psychology and sociology with a human services emphasis before obtaining an accelerated Master’s degree in Professional Counseling from the University of Great Falls, MT. I worked in the clinical counseling field with individuals, families, and multiple ethnic groups predominantly in the fast paced ever-changing environment of treatment centers. I was also the assistant head of the foster care program in Virginia at Child Help International. The Lord called me out of the counseling field to serve the Church in ministry as a DRE /youth director as well as through parish involvement in youth programs.
Fr. Tom Hartman is from Milbank, SD where he grew up in a family of 6 brothers and 5 sisters. He also was raised in the family grocery business in Milbank and worked there until he was 41. He had the opportunity to raise two children in the same town and same business. His son Isaiah is 29 and his daughter Natasha is 28 years old. He also has a grandson who is 1 named Gavin. Being divorced at a young age, Fr. Tom felt God continuing to call him deeper into a relationship. Eventually, he realized God was calling him to the priesthood. Fr. Tom left the family business and entered the seminary for the diocese of Sioux Falls. Fr. Tom studied for 5 year at Holy Apostles Seminary in Cromwell, CT. In 2017 he was ordained to the priesthood, serving at St. Michael’s parish in Sioux Falls for 2 years and now is the pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Groton & St. Joseph Church in Turton, SD. Part of his assignment is also the sacramental minister here at the Newman Center.
Jacob is the new Team Leader of Focus at the Newman. Jacob and I were married on August 8th and are happy to be starting off our marriage serving as missionaries at NSU! We both grew up in MN and attended Minnesota State University in Mankato, which is where we met. It was through our experiences of Bible study, authentic friendships, and joyful community that we got more involved in our faith at the Newman Center as college students. This fostered our desire to spread the love that Christ has to offer us in a particular way by serving with FOCUS after we graduated. Jacob is in his third year as a missionary; he spent the first two years at the University of Wisconsin in Oshkosh. I am returning to NSU for my second year with FOCUS. It is a joy and privilege to be living out Christ’s mission at the campus of NSU!
Aaron and Monica recently graduated from NDSU this past May and got married a week after graduation. In the fall of their senior years they felt God asking them to give the first few years of their marriage to serving college students and building up the Church.
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