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Sisters Pris Strom '72 and Ginny Strom '72 have been around the world and back again, recently retiring together on Lookout Mountain. They grew up as missionary kids in India, and each returned to the US to complete a grade 12 year at Cono Christian School in Iowa. Ginny was not yet 16 when she arrived in Iowa and decided to stay another year before going off to college. She worked in the kitchen at Cono while younger sister, Pris, finished her grade 12 year, and then they both went off to Covenant College together. 

Ginny's Story: From Lookout Mountain to the Himalayan Mountains

Moving so far away from everything she knew to live on top of the mountain and attend Covenant was a big transition. Ginny speaks fondly of "the love and care of the faculty and staff鈥攅specially to me as an MK [missionary kid] who was halfway around the world from her parents." There was some initial uncertainty about what to study at Covenant. Ginny thought she might do something in the area of English but was encouraged by both her mother and her professors to consider studying education. "I had a bad stutter and did not think I could ever be in a career that called for 鈥榩ublic speaking' of any kind. I enjoyed language and grammar and thought I would go into Bible translation or something like that. But due to my mother's encouragement, I took those early education courses. My education teachers never discouraged me. I am so thankful. Teaching has brought me immeasurable joy and professional satisfaction!"

After graduating, Ginny taught English and Bible for a year at Lookout Mountain Christian School (now Chattanooga Christian School) and third grade for two years in Memphis at Evangelical Christian School. She then went on to get her M.A. in Teaching English as a Second Language from UCLA. The next twenty-seven years were spent teaching in India, twenty-four years of which were at a Christian international boarding school located 7000 feet up in the Himalayan Mountains. Her parents were still missionaries and lived at the bottom of the mountain, thirty-five miles away. Ginny loved teaching ESL and started the ESL program at the school. She had students from Afghanistan, Iran, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Germany, Russia, and more. "I loved the deep bonds the boarding school environment forged with students and staff. I loved having students in my home to give them a break from dorm life. I loved being able to share my faith openly and disciple young people, as only half the students were from any kind of Christian background." 

She left India in 2004 but continues to have a heart for those from other countries. She works regularly with refugees and other immigrants in Atlanta and Chattanooga. She's also hosted many Covenant international students in her home. Ginny reflects back on her time at Covenant, saying, "There is no better place, in my opinion, if you want an education of the highest caliber combined with spiritual formation of an equally high caliber. The community you will find there, with both faculty/staff and fellow students, will enrich you for the rest of your life."

Pris's Story: From Covenant to Emory to Surgeon with MTW in Bangladesh

Pris was a chemistry major at Covenant. She long planned to return to missionary life in India and intended to be a nurse. "I grew up planning to be a missionary nurse and pre-nursing was what I enrolled in at Covenant. But the meddling of three members of the faculty and staff was used by God to force me into medicine." In fact, Pris was the first Covenant graduate to get into medical school. This was right around the time when Covenant was first being accredited by SACS. It was her high MCAT scores that stood out to the medical schools. She reports that her professors prepared her well for the exam and for medical school. "I was as well prepared for medical school as my roommate from Yale." Pris went to Emory University School of Medicine and describes it as "the most fun, intriguing, and all-consuming thing I had ever done." She became the first female graduate of the general surgery residency program at Emory.  

Pris had an impressive career in medicine. After medical school, she did a residency in General Surgery as well as a Fellowship in Trauma, followed by ten years as a surgeon in Bangladesh with Mission to the World. She then returned to the States to first work as a general surgeon and then as a breast surgeon in Gainesville, GA. She also worked in surgical education and ended her career as the program director of a General Surgery residency. 

She is grateful to Covenant for encouraging her and preparing her for her career in the medical field. "I really owe my career and ministry to my professors." She also credits Covenant for teaching her the importance of the church. "The emphasis on being part of the church (local, national, international) led me to be involved in the church all my life. I wrote my senior project (Phi Chi, back then) on the validity and importance of Christians being involved in medicine. Now my passion is encouraging bioethical thinking on the part of Christians." Now that she's retired, Pris enjoys auditing classes at Covenant and speaking to students about ethics in the medical field.

Retirement: A New Adventure Together

What's it like for two sisters to retire together in the same house? Ginny says it is fun to be together again on the mountain. Though they have different personalities, they make a good team. Pris agrees, "Living with Ginny is easy; we like the same music, food, activities, and traveling." Ginny is thankful and happy to be so close to Covenant with the beauty of the mountain and a strong network of good friends from their Covenant days. She adds, "Being able to be involved with international students and third-culture kids like ourselves helps me feel less homesick [for India]."

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