Getting To Know CKI: Elissa

Role with CKI: Director of Creative Arts, Co-Chair of Education

Adventures in Scotland.

Elissa is from small town, central Minnesota. She grew up taking dance classes and performing in plays and musicals, as well as being an active member in band and choir. At the beginning of her college journey, she was involved in the International Traveling Classroom where she traveled to nine different European countries. This sparked her desire to travel and work overseas.

Elissa moved to Minneapolis to attend college at North Central University where she received a Bachelor’s Degree in Intercultural Studies with an emphasis in Children and Youth in Crisis and a Minor in Biblical Studies. Besides her main coursework, Elissa earned many credits toward a Dance Minor. While at North Central, Elissa took a trip to Uganda, Africa, with several classmates. She also completed an internship in Macedonia.

After college, Elissa became an AmeriCorps member with Minnesota Opportunity Corps where she worked with carpentry students helping them learn interviewing skills, how to build a resume, and proper interview etiquette. She then joined another AmeriCorps program called Promise-Fellows through the MN Alliance with Youth where her primary role was relationship building while working with students on their attendance, behavior, academics, and general school engagement. After two years with AmeriCorps, Elissa transitioned to working directly for Minneapolis Public Schools in the same program, all the while teaching dance in their after school program. Elissa and her dance students collaboratively choreograph dances to perform in various locations across the metro.

Loving on children in Macedonia.

During her time with AmeriCorps, Elissa also worked in various positions in the performing arts sector including dance class instruction for Fusion Arts MN, a Christian dance studio, and Saint Louis Park Recreation Center for children ages three to twelve. She taught drama classes and directed and choreographed plays with Drama Kids International for three years in elementary schools throughout the Twin Cities.

Elissa is currently the Children’s Pastor at Firehouse Chapel where she teaches children’s ministry classes and organizes holiday plays and children outreach events.

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Karen Interview: Food and Holidays (Part 4)

Last fall, Elissa had the opportunity to interview some Karen youth in St. Paul, MN. They met at a Karen grocery store, shared a meal together, and talked about various aspects of the Karen culture. We have divided this interview into a four part series: Culture, Immigration, Family and Faith, and Food and Holidays. For authenticity, we have transcribed the interview material as accurate as possible. The Karen People We encourage our readers to visit the Karen Organization of Minnesota website in order to learn more about the history and culture of the Karen people. Part 4: Food and Holidays Karen food Elissa: What is the most important meal of the day for Karen people Re: I would say that it is lunch, because when people would go out to the farm they would only eat lunch. Kyeh: Yeah, usually we don’t really even have breakfast. Like usually we would eat a meal around 10 or 11. Re: Basically, I would say for my own family when we lived back in the refugee cam...

Karen Interview: Immigration (Part 2)

Last fall, Elissa had the opportunity to interview some Karen youth in St. Paul, MN. They met at a Karen grocery store, shared a meal together, and talked about various aspects of the Karen culture. We have divided this interview into a four part series: Culture, Immigration, Family and Faith, and Food and Holidays. For authenticity, we have transcribed the interview material as accurate as possible. The Karen People We encourage our readers to visit the Karen Organization of Minnesota website in order to learn more about the history and culture of the Karen people. Part 2: Immigration Elissa: What is the best thing about living in the USA? Re: Getting a good education, like even seeking to go forward for college or postsecondary there are people willing to help and help us to try to achieve our dreams. Back in Thailand, I felt like a lot of us or most of us didn't have a lot of dreams. So even after you have been graduating from a school, [for] everyone as long as the...

Karen Interview: Culture (Part 1)

Last fall, Elissa had the opportunity to interview some Karen youth in St. Paul, MN. They met at a Karen grocery store, shared a meal together, and talked about various aspects of the Karen culture. We have divided this interview into a four part series: Culture, Immigration, Family and Faith, and Food and Holidays. For authenticity, we have transcribed the interview material as accurate as possible. The Karen People We encourage our readers to visit the Karen Organization of Minnesota website in order to learn more about the history and culture of the Karen people. Part 1: Culture The interviewees Elissa: Within Karen culture what is the definition of success? Re: I think success it is someone who is achieving their dreams and has a stable job and have a place to live. Kyeh: Yeah, I would say people who do a career that they love. My parents whenever they see a doctor they are like, “Oh, there is a doctor,” and they say that person is, you know, very ...

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