2025 May — CTSFW Celebrates 2025 Student Awards

Fourteen Students Honored at Awards Presentation

FORT WAYNE, May 15, 2025—Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne (CTSFW), held its annual end-of-year awards presentation at the conclusion of the morning service in Kramer Chapel May 13, honoring fourteen award recipients. Awards were presented by representatives of the four academic departments, including Exegetical Theology, Systematic Theology, Pastoral Ministry and Missions, and Historical Theology; the Graduate School; the Deaconess Formation Program; and the Student Association.

At the conclusion of the awards presentation, David Clark, president of the Class of 2025, presented the class gift, a portrait of Dr. Roland Ziegler, who serves as the Robert D. Preus Professor of Systematic Theology and Confessional Lutheran Studies at CTSFW.

“Some have said that if you can’t have Jesus Christ on the cross before you, right before your eyes, the next best thing is Dr. Roland Ziegler,” said Clark. “And if you can’t have Dr. Ziegler himself, a portrait will have to do.”

Ziegler, who is finishing his twenty-fifth year at the seminary, thanked the Class of 2025 for the portrait, which was created by his nephew, Zach Ruschill. “It’s been a great blessing and privilege to be here and teach the students,” said Ziegler.

2025 Award Recipients

Department of Exegetical Theology

• The St. Timothy Award: Eric Nuss (Sem III)
• The Zondervan Biblical Greek Award: Preus Hasselbrook (Sem IV)
• The Zondervan Biblical Hebrew Award: Benjamin Wessel (Sem IV)
• The Concordia Publishing House Award for Exegetical Writing: Joseph Moore (Sem II)
• The Classical Association of the Middle West and South Award for Outstanding Accomplishment: Nathaniel Hall (Sem I)

Department of Systematic Theology

• The Draves Family Scholarship: David Gray (Vicar)
• The Zondervan Theology Award: Matthew Baker (Sem IV)
• The Concordia Publishing House Award for Systematic Theology Writing: Benjamin Wessel (Sem IV)
• The Concordia Publishing House Award for Writing on the Lutheran Confessions: James Bruss (Sem IV)

Department of Pastoral Ministry and Missions

• The Gerhard Aho Homiletics Award: Benjamin Wessel (Sem IV)
• The Concordia Publishing House Award for Pastoral Ministry and Missions Writing: Solomona Rakotonirina (Sem IV)
• The Pastoral Ministry and Missions Outstanding Bible Study Award: Ryan Skove (Sem I)

Department of Historical Theology

• The Concordia Publishing House Award for Historical Theology Writing: Matthew Baker (Sem IV)

Graduate School

• The Concordia Publishing House Award for Graduate School Research and Writing: Rev. Tyler LaGrave (PhD-TS student)

Deaconess Formation

• The Elizabeth Fedde Award for Outstanding Service (residential student): Stephanie Kinley (deaconess intern)
• The Elizabeth Fedde Award for Outstanding Service (distance student): Nicole DeCoux-Manners

Student Association

• Shepherd’s Staff Award (determined by student vote): Jacob Garrison (Sem IV)

You can watch the awards presentation in the recording of the May 13 chapel service by visiting our daily chapel page at ctsfw.edu/daily-chapel. To see pictures of the award recipients, click here.