Former Second Lady of the United States and Educator Karen Pence Inspires Future Classroom Leaders
On Friday, November 15, 2024, the doors of Colorado Christian University’s McDonald Performance Hall opened wide for its premier event, welcoming former Vice President of the United States Mike Pence and his wife, former Second Lady and widely acclaimed educator Karen Pence, into the spotlight on CCU’s Lakewood campus.
The occasion marked the launch of CCU’s President’s Speaker Series, an initiative developed by CCU President Eric Hogue, highlighting exemplary models of leadership across disciplines, with special emphasis on Christian influence in politics, the church, and the culture at large. The series is strategically designed to work toward Hogue’s pillars for equipping each CCU student for significant leadership that transforms the world with grace and truth, as well as being intentional about developing competent and courageous CCU graduates capable of becoming cultural leaders.
The morning lecture session of this inaugural full-day event reflected CCU First Lady Tammy Hogue’s passion for Christ-centered educational leadership, in partnership with CCU’s School of Education and School of Educational Professions. Karen Pence shared her expertise and insights on critical issues in the field of education today while also encouraging and inspiring CCU’s future educators with the charge of viewing teaching as a calling.
Members of the CCU community, including students, faculty, staff, and alumni, attended the event, beginning with a time of fellowship over breakfast with Mrs. Pence. The opening breakfast was held in the Donnithorne Great Hall of the Anschutz Student Center, hosted by Tammy Hogue.
Immediately following the breakfast, Karen Pence took the stage in the Armstrong Center as the highlight of the morning with an uplifting and empowering lecture.
Speaking to a packed McDonald Performance Hall, Pence led attendees through her journey as an educator, balancing 30 years in the classroom with her roles as a mother of three, wife, and supporter of her husband whose extensive political career included 12 years in Congress, a season as the first lady of Indiana, and later the second lady of the United States.
“My desire was to always be a good steward of the positions in which God placed me, using each moment in time for Him and His purposes,” shared Pence, emphasizing the eternal impact of answering God’s call in any vocation.
Though Pence led a storied path in the public eye through her husband’s political career and her own charitable foundations and advocacy for education, she remained confident in her own calling to the classroom.
“All I ever wanted to be was a teacher,” Pence said, encouraging the large number of education majors in attendance. “I loved teaching.”
Outside of her own unique journey, Pence also stressed the importance of her Christian faith in shaping her career in education, alluding to the role of teachers as an illustration of Christ’s hands and feet in today’s education system.
“Do not underestimate the impact your faith will have in the public sector,” encouraged Pence, emphasizing the profession of teaching as both a calling and a mission field.
“This work is exhausting, but the impact you will have is immeasurable,” she said.
Following Pence’s lecture, CCU First Lady Tammy Hogue moderated a panel discussion with CCU’s Dean of the School of Education, Dr. Debora Scheffel, and Dean of the School of Education Professions, Dr. Jeffrey Renfrow. The engaging conversation dove deep into both the challenges and opportunities facing educators today, including topics around the adverse effects of technology on young students, the negative influence of political agendas infiltrating classrooms and the importance of equipping teacher candidates to thrive in today’s cultural climate.
Pence emphasized the need for Christian educators to empower the next generation with the ability to think critically and discern truth.
“Giving students the tools to think and inspiring them to love the Lord and look to the Bible for truth is the best way to equip them,” said Pence.
Concluding the event’s morning session, Pence left CCU’s future educators with words of encouragement to embrace their calling to teach, quoting Proverbs 22:6: “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
“CCU was honored to have Karen Pence kick off the President Speaker Series in such a profound way throughout the event’s morning session, emphasizing the importance of education, the necessity of involvement at the local school board level, and the courage to step out in faith into the classroom,” said CCU President Eric Hogue.
The series launch paved the way for upcoming speaker events, emphasizing CCU’s mission to prepare servant leaders to transform their professions, communities, and culture for Christ.