Science Program Reflects Character of Hillcrest

Tellef Senum, a graduate of 1922, was a member of the first full four-year class of students who attended Hillcrest Lutheran Academy. A handwritten letter from then President of Lutheran Brethren Schools, E.M. Broen, calls for greater maturity from the adolescent  Mr. Senum in Hillcrest’s dormitory experience. The letter warned the young Mr. Senum that he was in danger of being sent home from Hillcrest because he wasn’t mature enough to participate in the school community.

During his time at Hillcrest, Mr. Senum would indeed mature in character and knowledge. Later in life he would become a science teacher, traveling from Finley, ND to the Pennsylvania State Teacher’s College in Shippensburg, PA,  to Los Angeles, California. It was here, in 1960, that (Tellef established the Fibertone Company in Los Angeles, which manufactures pharmaceuticals. For his contributions to science, Mr. Senum received much recognition. This former HLA student was listed in   American Men of Science, Chemical Who’s Who, Who’s Who in the West, World’s Who’s Who in Commerce and Industry, Dictionary of International Biography, Personalities of the West and Midwest, and the Royal Blue Book of Leaders of the English Speaking World.

Tellef Senum is a testament to the transformational experience and foundational base provided to this day at Hillcrest Academy. While Hillcrest’s program at the time wasn’t termed “classical”, much of the ideas, curricula, and mentorship postures would be recognized as classically informed. Today, the classical approach guides the program at Hillcrest as we stay true to the tradition of discipleship at Hillcrest while also expanding the educational training and discipline for students engaging a new generation.

For more on this program, watch the video below from Mr. Armin Jahr, the head of Hillcrest’s science department.