Four years ago, while away from his California home, playing junior hockey in Wisconsin, Nate Paulsen was encouraged by a teammate to visit the small St. Peter Campus.Upon seeing Gustavus, Nate’s plans immediately changed.
“I looked up The Hill and instantly knew this was where I was going,” Nate said.
The Senior International Management Major now describes himself as a “stereotypical Gustie.” Nate is deeply involved in campus ministry, varsity hockey, Collegiate Fellows, and international service projects.
Nate is beginning his fourth year as a defenseman for varsity hockey at Gustavus. Coach Brett Petersen says Nate’s experience makes him an asset to the team.
“Nate is honest and hardworking,” Petersen said. Nate also holds the team and coaching staff in high regards.
“I completely trust the coaches. The guys on the team are fun and have each others back,” Nate said.
Nate’s passion for hockey began early. He received his first pair of skates for his second birthday, and has been skating ever since.
Petersen expects “great things” from Nate this year, despite Nate’s very busy schedule.
“Nate has certainly kept his plate full. He is one of the busiest guys. He’s maximizing his time at Gustavus,” Petersen said.
Nate has dedicated a large portion of his time at Gustavus to the campus’ Christian organizations. He has a foot in Proclaim, Prepare, Cru, and F.C.A. Nate also leads two independent Bible studies, one directed at senior men, and the other for juniors and underclassmen. His faith is a huge driving force in his life.
“Vocation is what makes you come alive,” Nate said. This summer Nate had the opportunity to follow his calling.
Thanks to the Wallenberg Scholarship and help from Tom Young and Vincent Thomas, Nate spent the first month of the summer in Stockholm, Sweden, working as an intern for Hestia, a real estate management company. Nate spent his time there working on market research and expanding the American market for Hestia.
“It was an amazing experience and I was way over my head. The leadership development was absolutely invaluable,” Nate laughed.
Nate realized his scholarship covered a flight back to America out of Sweden, but did not specify when.
“I got a ticket home for the last day of summer, not knowing what I would do. I felt God pulling my heart to service. I turned down two internships and started looking for service projects,” Nate said.
After finishing his internship in Sweden, Nate traveled to Amsterdam where he spent two weeks working with Youth With A Mission (Y.W.A.M.). There he worked on construction and service for the organization. The group focused on issues of homelessness, drug trafficking, and problems arising in the red light district. Although prostitution is legal in Amsterdam, issues still exist around it.
“It’s not sex trafficking but the fall into debt. Women get into this work and suddenly there is no way out. This group tries to provide a way out,” Nate said.
Despite the issues, Nate said Amsterdam was a beautiful place, and a unique stop on his travels.
After Amsterdam, Nate flew to Romania to spend the rest of his summer in the Carpathian Mountains in Folkshani. There he worked with Stepping Forward Ministries. The organization works with orphans in the area to provide one week of camp in the mountains.
“I took the time to grasp that this was the best week out of the year for these kids. It meant a lot to them and so it meant a lot to me. On my last day I visited the orphanage that many of the kids came from. I got my heart absolutely broken seeing their living conditions,” Nate said.
Nate worked as a camp counselor with children from 8 to 18 years old. Despite the language barrier, he worked hard building connections with the children any way he could.
“I got my nails painted a little more often than I wanted,” Nate said.
Nate returned to the U.S. just in time to begin preparing for his third year as a Collegiate Fellow.
“Nate is an excellent CF because he treats his residents with so much respect and is always looking to lend a helping hand when they need him. I would say Nate is one of the goofiest, most sincere people I know. I know when I need advice I can get it from him,” roommate and former CF Sam Hjelm said.
After graduation, Nate wants to find a position of leadership development, specifically, helping others develop leadership skills. After a very full four years at Gustavus, Nate plans to help others make their lives count.
-Molly Butler