Category Archives: Featured Student

Clarissa (“Lissa”) Hutcheson recently earned her MA (Theology) with a concentration in Ecclesial Service. She currently works as the director of catechetical ministry at Mary, Star of the Sea Catholic Church in La Jolla, California. She serves as a Master Catechist and also teaches for the San Diego Diocesan Institute.“I am forever grateful to CDU for offering the gift of continuing my education in a format that allowed me to fully participate in my ordinary life of work, home and play,” Lissa says. “I only hope that I am able to share what I have received with whomever God send’s into my life.”After earning a BA degree in political science and history from the University of La Verne, California, Lissa participated in classes at the University San Diego while discerning a Master’s degree in history. But she developed an interest in theology after taking classes at the Diocesan Institute in San Diego. “Having received a certificate in catechetical ministry, I sought to know more,” she says.

After considering Boston College and the University of Dayton, where she had taken some online courses, she chose Catholic Distance University.

“The Holy Spirit led me to CDU,” Lissa says, and she remembers the day very clearly. “When I thought to apply, I just really had a sense that CDU was the place for me. The professors are at the top of their field of study, and working with students from around the world appealed to my nature.”

Through studying theology at CDU, Lissa says she has come to know the Trinity more profoundly and understands her call to evangelize in and through her daily living experience.

“I have gained a greater sense of belonging to a Catholic community, deeper knowledge and a renewal of mind, and a joyful encounter with Christ,” she says. Her education has fostered a passion to share the Catholic faith with others as well.

Lissa, who is a lay Dominican, finds peace and comfort in praying the Liturgy of the Hours. She has been married to her husband, Todd, for 33 years. Together, they have raised two beautiful daughters and are deeply in love with their three grandchildren and their sons in law.

Aiko Foster-Sutherland, a wife and mother living in Okinawa, Japan, recently earned her BA degree in Theology. A convert to Catholicism in 2011, she began her studies at CDU because she wanted to learn the truth from a Catholic perspective. Aiko worked as a portrait photographer and ran a guesthouse until last year, when she took time off to raise her 2-year-old daughter.

Aiko enjoyed the opportunity to interact with people she might not have met otherwise. “One can be in a classroom with a member of the military, a stay-at-home mom, a homeschooled teenager, and a brother who is on his way to priesthood! CDU is truly international and friendly to anyone who wants to deepen one’s faith,” Aiko says.

Far from being impractical, the study of theology helped Aiko integrate her faith with her work as a portrait photographer. “My main goal is to empower young women through photography to help them to know they are beautiful just as God made them, and they don’t need to be anyone else or try to fit into the standards of society.” I want them to understand, “you are precious in my eyes.”(Isa 43.4) “Learning theology changed how I approached my clients,” Aiko adds.

Learning about the significance of man’s body and soul in her Fundamental Moral Theology class struck a chord with Aiko. “The idea was not foreign to me when I read it, but it spoke to me,” she says. “Although physical beauty fades away, there is spiritual side that can’t be neglected if one is to be the kind of person that God wants one to be.” Aiko says it was a bit difficult at first because her business was to sell beauty, but she knew in her heart that her work and faith could not exist separately.

Aiko has also handed on the faith to others. She was at a party mingling with prospective clients and began a conversation with a woman in her mid 20s. Their conversation led to friendship; Aiko shared her faith with her new friend and was able to answer questions she asked about Christianity. “A year later, she got baptized in the Catholic Church,” Aiko says. “Because I was studying theology, I was able to share not only my experiences of God but also theological answers to questions she had.”

In Japan, Catholics comprise just 0.5% of the population. “In my church, you can count young families on one hand,” Aiko says. Many priests are from overseas, and there are few Japanese priests in her diocese. “There is an interesting history behind how the Catholic Church came to Japan, and it is profound to know how the missionaries did their work in such an unfamiliar culture,” she says. “It’s culturally challenging for Christianity to grow here. There is a lot of work to do in the Catholic Church in Japan.”

Aiko was Protestant before she converted to Catholicism in 2011. “I wanted to deepen my relationship with God but could not find what I was looking for and did not know where to look,” she says. Aiko started reading more books and realized that many were written by Catholic priests “by chance.” “I grew to love Catholicism,” she says. Aiko’s husband was raised Protestant as well, but a priest he met while working in Malaysia inspired him to consider the Catholic priesthood. He chose to marry Aiko instead. “We attended a Protestant church for a while, but both of us felt that we were led to the Catholic Church. After a year of examination and prayer, they decided to become Catholic.

“I searched high and low to pursue a degree in theology as a lay person, but I couldn’t find a school I was interested in. Then I found CDU, or more accurately, CDU found me!” Aiko says.

When asked what she enjoyed most about her education at CDU, Aiko mentions the weekly discussions. “Students have the same faith, yet they have different ways of thinking,” she says. “It was truly interesting to read other students’ posts.” She also appreciated the diverse makeup of students. “Most of the students are from the States, but some were from different parts of the world, and it made the conversations interesting,” she says.

While earning her degree, Aiko was working, studying, and raising a child, which was not easy. “But by the grace of God, I was able to graduate,” she says.

Aiko says that learning theology helped her to fall in love with the word of God and learn to serve Him better. “It transforms your approach to God. Studying theology will not leave you unchanged!” she says. “As St. Jerome said, ‘Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ,’” she adds.

Rev. Christopher Bragg Etheridge, IVE, a priest of the Institute of the Incarnate Word, was recently ordained at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. Father Etheridge serves as the Dean of Studies at the Ven. Fulton Sheen Seminary and the Parochial Vicar at St. John Baptist de la Salle in Chillum, MD. After earning his BA in Theology degree at CDU in 2016, he enrolled in CDU’s MA degree in Theology program.

“My experience in the BA program was such a positive one that it was almost natural to consider CDU as my choice for a Master’s program,” Father Etheridge says. “One of the great advantages of studying through CDU is that I know for sure that what my professors have taught me is the same truth that has been handed on and guarded by the Church for centuries.”

Father Etheridge first enrolled at CDU after entering the seminary. “Our seminary here in Washington is still very young,” he explains. “Getting accreditation takes a while and is very costly, so for those of us who have not completed our bachelor’s degrees, CDU has provided an affordable and trustworthy option for getting a Catholic education.”

“The integrity with which CDU aims to teach the faith was also a major draw for me, considering that in our modern era the devil works with greater subtlety,” Father Etheridge says. “Seeking the truth means seeking the fullness of truth, without compromise.”

As a junior in high school living in Alabama, Father Etheridge began to discern his vocation after going on a mission trip to Akil, Yucatan, Mexico, through the Archdiocese of Mobile. “The experience in Mexico as missionary changed me in ways I didn’t expect,” he says. “It opened my eyes to the reality that life was meant to be ‘spent’ living for others. The volunteer experience also showed me the joy that comes through poverty and the gift of self.”

Father Etheridge did not immediately enter the seminary after high school. “Knowing that God was calling me to a missionary vocation, I was hesitant to enter the diocesan seminary right away,” he explains. “Instead, I went to the University of Alabama to study Spanish, trusting that the Lord would show me where to go next, and He did! Midway through my freshman year I went to Washington, DC, to take part in the March for Life,” he adds. During the March, Father Etheridge stayed with a small religious community, the Institute of the Incarnate Word, which has as its charism the inculturation of the Gospel.

“A month after the March for Life, I returned to DC to take the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, and it was through this retreat that I clearly saw God’s will and was given the grace to follow it,” Father Etheridge says. “After finishing the spring semester at Alabama, I packed my bags and entered the IVE novitiate. Now, a little over eight years later, after ordination I look back and can only marvel at the Lord’s plan and the abundance of His mercy.”

When asked how his CDU education has prepared him for the priesthood, Father Etheridge says, “A priest’s whole life involves studying. Ongoing formation is a must for any priest who wants to be an effective instrument in the hands of God; but that ‘ongoing’ formation needs a foundation, which comes through his initial years of education.”

“CDU helped to form that foundation in my life. It provided me with an opportunity to study the truths of the Faith in all their beauty and richness, without compromise.”

Father Etheridge offers the following advice to other students who are considering studying at CDU. “The online format is certainly a great convenience for people with busy schedules, but don’t let that be the only motivating factor; see the eternal advantage to studying at CDU.”

“Yes, ‘eternal,’” he adds. “At CDU you do not simply learn the truth, but you get to know Truth Himself. St. Philip Neri once said, ‘those who seek for anything but Christ do not know what they are looking for,’” Father Etheridge explains.

“By getting a degree through a Catholic university such as CDU, you are giving yourself the opportunity to know the fullness of truth found in Jesus Christ, who is the light for all humanity.”

“Graduating with a BA in Theology this Advent Season is the greatest gift,” says Lan Nguyen, who is now continuing her studies in the MA (Theology) program. “I could not have accomplished this milestone without the grace of God and the support of my wonderful family, especially my husband.”

“Every time someone asks me, ‘why are you studying theology, and what are you going to do with that degree?’ I always reply with a gentle smile and say, ‘I really don’t know, but one thing I do know is that studying theology is like heaven opening the door for me. I feel an angel walking with me through each class,’” she says.

Lan is an active volunteer at Our Lady of La Vang Mission, which currently operates out of St. Veronica Church in Chantilly, Virginia. Though OLL Mission first began with just 30 families, now more than 422 families are registered. On September 3rd , 2017, the Our Lady of La Vang Catholic Community was established as a mission of Holy Martyrs of Vietnam Church in Arlington by Bishop Michael F. Burbidge.

“As our membership has grown, the CCC program has grown along with it,” says Lan. Catechists are always desperately needed, so she volunteered to be a substitute catechist in 2012 and eventually became a regular catechist. Lan currently volunteers at OLL Mission as multicultural representative and diocesan liaison. Her work includes managing the child protection program, working with the Asian and Pacific Island Catholic Community, assisting the DRE as a coordinator of the diocesan CCD program, and serving as a catechist for the Confirmation class. “On occasion, I have had the opportunity to direct the entertainment program, including the Christmas play and Mariam dance for the community,” she adds.

Lan enrolled at CDU in 2015 after completing the Diocese of Arlington’s Master Catechist Training Program, which was led by Rev. Paul F. deLadurantaye, the diocesan secretary for religious education and the sacred liturgy. “After that, I was still yearning to learn more and deepen my faith and my involvement in the catechetical ministry of the Church. Through the Arlington DRE network, I discovered CDU,” she says.

“Going back to school as an adult is quite difficult. It’s even harder when English is your second language,” says Lan, whose first language was Vietnamese. “With these concerns, I was excited to find that CDU has developed a very convenient online program with a great support system.” “Each course has introduced to me a different piece of the Church’s doctrine and God’s Word, where I then find truth and authentic love,” she explains.

“The thing I love most is having access to my coursework anytime and anywhere; and the staff is amazing. They are always there to help and support,” she adds. One of her favorite “places” is the CDU chapel. “I often click in there to just say a prayer or discuss something with God.”

“I am always fascinated with the Bible every time I read it, and therefore find that I have so many questions,” Lan says. “God says, You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:13).”

“I would like to invite those who want to learn more about the Church’s teaching to take one course at CDU,” Lan says. “I guarantee you will have a rewarding experience. CDU has a vibrant learning community that truly reflects the universality of the Church.” She adds, “Theology can be a very difficult subject, but just remember what Jesus said: With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).”

“I am so thankful for the professors and programs at CDU that continue to guide me on this spiritual journey,” Lan says. “These professors are teaching the authentic, life-giving Gospel.”