The “Distinctly UMAC.” series highlights the stories of UMAC student-athletes who exude the mission and values of their institution and display what it means to be a UMAC and Division III student-athlete through their academic, athletic and co-curricular experiences.
Martin Luther College Mission Statement
The mission of Martin Luther College is to train a corps of Christian witnesses who are qualified to meet the ministry needs of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) and who are competent to proclaim the Word of God faithfully and in accord with the Lutheran Confessions in the Book of Concord.
To fulfill this mission, Martin Luther College carries out all instruction and programs of student life according to the gospel as revealed in the inspired and inerrant Word of God.
Complete MLC Mission Statement
For many collegiate student-athletes, the opportunity to extend their sport experience for another four years is often a primary driving factor in choosing an institution for higher learning.
For student-athletes at Martin Luther College, the opportunity to play collegiately likely isn’t the number one factor in choosing to attend the small college in New Ulm, Minnesota. Martin Luther continues to prepare generations of students for one of two paths – either to pursue a career as a pastor in the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) or to pursue a career as a teacher in a WELS church, school or institution.
Senior soccer player Aaron Markgraf knew early on in his life that he wanted to teach. So, making a decision to attend Martin Luther was easy – one influenced by the relationships with those most important in his life. Throughout his time at Martin Luther, though, the relationships he’s developed through a multitude of experiences and co-curricular opportunities have reaffirmed that his choice in college – and an athletics program – may be the best one he’s ever made.
Growing up as the son of two teachers, Markgraf was consistently surrounded by the teaching ministry. His grandfathers were also principals who left a lasting impression on him as a child and deeply impacted his desire to dedicate his life to working with students.
“I actually made up my mind (to attend Martin Luther) at my grandfather’s funeral,” Markgraf said. “He was a very important person in a lot of people’s lives. At his funeral, I had a lot of people come up to me and say, ‘Your grandfather had such an impact on my life.’ That’s really what made up the decision for me. I was considering a few different options at that time, but at that time I kind of went, ‘You know what? At my funeral, I really want people to say that to my grandkids.’ My grandfather just had an awesome impact on my life and changed it for the better.
“That’s kind of the big reason why I wanted to come here, but also just watching my dad growing up and just seeing the way people respected him and the way he was able to lead people,” said Markgraf. “I was able to see myself in that role, and hopefully I can carry that on and perform the way I got to see him when I was growing up.”
Since arriving at Martin Luther, Markgraf has earned respect as one of the most prolific men’s soccer players in program history. The midfielder has been a two-time All-UMAC pick and already ranks in the top 10 all-time for career goals at Martin Luther. This season, Markgraf has added to his legacy with a team-best five goals and 13 points which rank among the top 10 in the UMAC.
Beyond his contributions on a scoresheet, though, his ability to connect with people and embrace leadership opportunities in athletic, academic and co-curricular pursuits has taught him invaluable lessons as he prepares to launch into the work world.
“Having guys being willing to come to me and to talk to me about stuff that’s going on or having Coach come to me with stuff he wants to try on the field – I think those are really valuable things,” said Markgraf who has served as a two-year captain for the Knights. “Being on a faculty is going to be very similar. You have people who are working together to try to achieve a common goal. That’s really what sports is – we’re a team and we’re trying to win the game. I think that’s going to be a really valuable experience for me especially as I hope to be a principal.”
Early on during his time at Martin Luther, Markgraf enjoyed teaching lessons in a real-life classroom setting as it reaffirmed his love for teaching children. As he progressed through a rigorous academic schedule, Markgraf gained additional experience in a teaching setting through spring break placements in a variety of classrooms. These opportunities reinforced how foundational strong relationships are to developing successful and well-rounded educators.
“I think that’s what the ministry and teaching is really all about – getting to know people, having conversations, developing relationships,” said Markgraf. “Those are things that have really contributed to why I want to be a teacher and it just keeps reaffirming, ‘This is why I want to be here. This is what I want to do.’”
Though Markgraf has developed as an individual and an educator, the experiences he’s gained through educational opportunities he has pursued by his own initiative have proven to be the most impactful and transformational. This summer, Markgraf spent four weeks working to prepare middle school children for high school at Wisconsin Lutheran High School in Milwaukee. He spent time teaching in a science classroom with students who scored poorly on an entrance exams and came from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
Markgraf said the teaching experience paled in comparison to the experience he got from working in an urban setting with students who come from backgrounds very different than his own. The time he spent each day getting to know individual students through conversation about common interests such as sports reinvigorated Markgraf’s desire to become a teacher.
“I got some really cool opportunities to talk to kids that I usually wouldn’t get to talk to from a different kind of culture and background,” he said, “and I think that really helps with being more open to different kinds of people and not just talking to the people I’m comfortable with. I got to step out my comfort zone and I think that was a really important experience as I get ready for my own classroom.”
Not only has Markgraf taken initiative to get involved in additional academic opportunities as a student at Martin Luther, but he has also taken advantage of opportunities to develop and grow through taking mission trips, maintaining multiple jobs on campus such as admissions ambassador and also volunteering for various projects and activities such as singing in choir, participating in the Martin Luther children’s theater and emceeing the homecoming talent show.
Each unique experience has been an additional thread in the fabric of Markgraf’s college experience and has pushed him to develop into a strong leader for the next generation of learners.
“There have been chances for me to almost be a different person than I am used to being,” said Markgraf. “I think those things are really valuable for my time after college. There are going to be times when I’m called upon to do things I’m not familiar with – and if I just go through these four years and do things I’m comfortable with, that’s going to be a really strange experience for me.”
When Markgraf first arrived at Martin Luther, one thing that was comfortable and familiar for him was sports. As a first-year student, Markgraf began working with the Martin Luther broadcast network “Knight Vision” where he started doing play-by-play commentary for a multitude of sports. This position eventually grew into a leadership role where Markgraf took over to help manage broadcasts.
In high school, Markgraf said he was often the kid in the stands cheering his head off, but he didn’t see that being his role at Martin Luther. Working as part of “Knight Vision” has allowed Markgraf to be an engaged member of the athletics community outside of his team and show support for other athletes as the ‘voice of Knights sports,’ which he sees as a huge honor.
“I’ve had people come up to me at homecoming games when all the parents are around and say, ‘We appreciate so much what you do.’ That means so much to me; that’s why I do it,” he said. “It a great opportunity for me to get out and watch sports and I think the athletes appreciate it too – just the way they get supported from other parts of campus. I think our ‘Knight Vision’ program really helps that.”
Each experience Markgraf has gone through has brought the purpose of his journey at Martin Luther full-circle as he prepares to leave behind his collegiate playing career and go out into the world and serve others. Coming from a high school soccer program that saw immense amounts of success including trips to the Ohio state tournament, Markgraf said it took him a long time to accept that the soccer program at Martin Luther may not see as much success on the field, but his time collectively at Martin Luther is what matters most – something he’s tried to instill in new members who join the Knight soccer team.
“There’s more to life than soccer games. That’s something that took me a long time to learn,” he said. “It has been one of my goals the last couple of years to tell the guys, ‘We lost a game, and, yeah, I’m upset about it, but I’m not going to let it ruin my day, or ruin my week, because there’s so much more to this experience than just a soccer game. I want to do well. I want to win games, but at the end of the day I have to go to class and I have to get ready to become a teacher.’ I hope I’ve helped with that attitude.”
Markgraf’s evolved outlook on his time at Martin Luther is due in part to his development through leadership opportunities but has also been shaped by the people who have poured into him throughout his journey. The value he’s placed on developing relationships in order to find success will pay off in the future as he continues on his path of service and teaching in the Lutheran ministry.
“I’ve had some amazing people in my life who have encouraged me to do what I’m doing whether it’s athletically, whether it’s in school, whether it’s at my job,” said Markraf, “and those people have been very encouraging, and people I value, and that I know will be there for me even after college.”
Upper Midwest Athletic Conference Philosophy Statement
The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) is a group of strong yet diverse colleges and universities. We will strive to enrich the college careers of student athletes by offering a range of highly competitive amateur athletic opportunities. Our primary focus is on student athletes and their collegiate experience, with an uncompromising commitment to athletic equity and to the primacy of student academic progress. As an association of institutions dedicated to the conference, we will seek to enhance the overall richness of our collegiate programs. This will be done for all students, faculty, staff, and alumni by supporting teams who will consistently demonstrate the values of hard work, integrity and good sportsmanship. We believe a strong intercollegiate athletics conference can also serve the economic and entertainment needs of our communities by providing consistently high quality, exciting sports options. The UMAC endorses the NCAA Division III philosophy, including the central policy-making role of fully engaged college presidents and chancellors.