Martha believes God has given her a heart of passion to see worship of Him restored among His people. She has had the honor of leading worship for the Body of Christ for over 25 years. Writing devotionals and studies along this particular topic is something that she loves to do. She hopes her writings will encourage others to examine their understanding of Who God is, what He delights in, and how we respond to His worth.

Mary and her husband have followed God’s call into church planting. She has been married to her high school sweetheart, Brodie, for 23 years and counting. They have 4 daughters and 1 son.

Mary says, “God called me to Northwestern and I consider my role to be more than a job; it is His calling for me in this season. I love working with the team He has assembled at the School of Nursing and am honored to be a part of the students’ lives in a small way.”

Publications:

“A Year of Vertical Moments” – A collection of daily devotionals written and distributed within our church body. Contributing author, (2018).

“Being an Acts 2 Woman of Faith” – Presentation given at a women’s retreat. (2023)

“Restore Creative” – https://maryschockslm.wixsite.com/website/blog (Personal blog, 2022)

Of her teaching philosophy, Melinda says, “I believe students in all settings learn best when they are involved actively in their own learning process. I prioritize learning about the interests and needs of each student, to help me build a strong rapport and relationship with them, as well as structure a class experience that is relevant to as many of the students as possible. I ask students, in return, to come to class with a positive attitude and the willingness to engage with the learning process of the day.”

My goals and role as a nurse educator are to be a positive role model in holding myself to high expectations of preparation, communication with students, student encouragement and rapport, enthusiasm for teaching and nursing, timeliness in grading, and moral integrity. I believe in giving students gentle but honest answers to questions in a respectful manner. I have a goal of motivating and even inspiring students through this role modeling. I am here to foster learning, not impede it through unnecessary directives. I build communication within classes through clarity, frequency, humor as indicated, caring, patience, warmth, and a priority on creating learning communities in whatever setting the class occurs. I strive to enable students to develop transformational leadership goals, which include lifelong pursuit of knowledge, faith, kindness, and genuine interest in contributions of others to become the best versions of themselves. My calling is to carry the torch of nursing knowledge to the next generation of professionals and enact what William Butler Yeats called ‘the [educational] lighting of a fire’.”

Her favorite verse is Philippians 4:6-7 which reads, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” 

Melinda has been married to her husband of almost 40 years, has 3 grown sons, 2 daughters-in-law, and 1 granddaughter. She enjoys drawing, oils/acrylics painting, floral arranging, gardening, reading, and camping. She leads/hosts a small group church Bible study with her husband, assist Women’s weekly Bible study, and is a Prayer Team member.

Teaching experience other than UNW:

–Medical terminology courses at community colleges in Fort Collins and Denver, Colorado
–Extensive nursing staff teaching regarding evidence-based practices in the roles of Director of Nursing Services and of Staff Development Coordinator
–Patient, family and nursing staff teaching in diabetes care as a diabetes nurse educator
–Patient, family and nursing staff educator as a co-author of a Minnesota Department of Health grant regarding end-of-life care in nursing homes

Professional Affiliations:

-Sigma Theta Tau, 2022 – Present
-Nurses Christian Fellowship (NCF), 2022 – Present