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Kristi Rendahl

Kristi Rendahl

Kristi Rendahl is associate professor and director of the nonprofit leadership program at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Prior to starting with MSU in 2017, she worked for over 20 years with nongovernmental organizations on several continents, including living in Armenia from 1997-2002. She speaks Armenian and Spanish.
Kristi Rendahl

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7 Comments

  1. So glad that you share your insightful perspectives. Always meaty and full of heart. I especially appreciate your optimism.

  2. Thank you for sharing these very personal stories, Kristi. So pleased to see you interested in matters Armenian, inasmuch as they are matters of interest to humankind. In reference to you bio, … as a full-time translator-interpreter for over 2 decades, I have done some of my most memorable work with victims of torture and persecution, often in a “one-off” language for the person: French-speaking Africans, Turkish-speaking Kurds and even Armenian-speaking Assyrians.

  3. great expression of why identity/roots are important. First it helps us find meaning in our lives, positive meaning of perseverance, creativity, hospitality, faith especiually in dealing with Genocide. Second once you understand who you are, you are better equipped to relate and help others.

  4. What a beautifully written summation of what it means to be an American…to be human.

    My great grandparents fled Armenia in 1906 when they “saw the writing on the wall,” as Grandpa said. One uncle, after quickly establishing himself in Boston, went back to fetch his wife and children. He was never heard from again. One aunt was rejected at entry due to illness. She was forced to return to France alone at the age of 13 where she served as a housemaid to a French family while she struggled through smallpox, the disease that caused her to lose one eye. After a couple of years she was allowed to rejoin her parents here in the U.S.

    Everyone, whether or not their family immigrated to America, and whether or not they know of it, has a rich past filled with interesting, exciting, inspiring stories. I agree with your labeling this an “emotional bank account,” as I have drawn on my ancestors’ strength many times. I encourage all to find their stories!

  5. I really do enjoy your writing because it always inspires me to stop and think. Your perspective is very valuable as it puts our identity in a context that encourages a substantive foundation that can be built upon. Thanks.

  7. Thank you kristy,
    My heritage and is so important to me. We are so lucky to have a family that kept our traditions and history alive. I miss having long talks with Grandpa Junald. I want so badly to pass on the memories that he gave me to my children and grandchildren. You are such a talented writer. I’m so thankful I found this article. I’m so thankful I found you. I would really love to read some of Grandma Sena’s writings on how it was to be a woman homesteader in North Dakota. I think she was only 1 of 26 women homesteaders at that time. Again, what a great article.

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