Leanna Thesken’s (22) time at PLNU was marked by connections, community, and growing confidence through moments of challenge.
A Hawaii native, Thesken recalls how when she first arrived on campus she was looking for ways to make PLNU feel like home.
“I started a bit anxious but excited,” Thesken said. “By the time I was leaving PLNU, I grew into a more confident and well-rounded person with lots of experiences.”
As a media communication major, Thesken spent time learning a variety of skills and participating in on-campus media production through Point TV.
“Those experiences in line with my field of study and working with other students who shared my same passions really helped me get momentum and find the drive to succeed alongside my classmates,” Thesken said.
When she wasn’t in the studio recording or editing shows together with her classmates she was working with the Center for Justice & Reconciliation (CJR) as a social media marketing intern. Thesken also took full advantage of the opportunities to connect with other students on campus by participating in a variety of clubs and extracurricular activities. Her involvement helped her make the campus feel more like home.
“Knowing there were other students just like me from out of state, especially from Hawaii and getting involved with the Hui ‘O Hawaii club helped a lot,” Thesken said.
Thesken used her work both with her major classes and in her extracurricular positions to pursue her passion for helping people communicate effectively. When she took over the social media responsibilities for the Center for Justice and Reconciliation (CJR), her work sparked an interest in social justice that she would take with her into her first career.
“I’ve always been inclined to be a part of something bigger than myself,” Theksen said. “All of the leadership at PLNU pushed us to get involved, and I really heard the call to push myself even further.”
During the course of her time working for CJR, Thesken was asked to coordinate and plan the social media strategy for the Roots of Giving event. This annual ethical holiday market gives PLNU students and the community a chance to purchase holiday gifts that are produced by local artisans, farmers, immigrant businesses, and other community members.
“It really stood out as one moment where I was asked to help with the media and promotion of an event that had a purpose,” Thesken said. “We were all collaborating on it and able to put together a successful event and promote it.”
Thesken also points to her introduction to journalism course with former PLNU professor Stephen Goforth as an introduction to the world of writing and the power of storytelling.
“I got to connect with a lot of interesting and unique people within PLNU,” Thesken said. “[Goforth] pushed us to write news articles and feature stories and taught us how to really connect and ask those questions in an authentic way to tell [individual] stories.”
Along with her training through CJR and journalism classes, Thesken’s career philosophy was inspired by PLNU’s approach to help students fully become who they are called to be. Finding a role where she could continue to pursue a purpose-driven calling was important for her. Fortunately, she was able to find that role shortly after graduating at Powerful Web Design for Utilities. She has continued to work with Powerful for the past few years.
Powerful specializes in creating web platforms for utility companies across the United States and internationally. Thesken’s first role with Powerful involved managing projects and working with utility communicators across the nation to coordinate their needs. After success in her first role, Thesken was promoted to senior implementation specialist in March 2025.
In this role, Thesken combines her passion for communication with social justice by creating accessible websites for rural communities around essential services like utilities. Even though it’s only been a few years since she began working for Powerful, Thesken already sees it as a perfect nexus between her calling to help those in need and communicating through storytelling.
“I know that I want to keep uplifting people and helping others tell stories and communicate effectively.”
“It’s become my whole world,” Thesken said. “A lot of rural communities don’t have proper web tools or design to really make those everyday tasks and essential services accessible. It’s my job to make sure those tasks are accessible to everyone regardless of disability or location. I know that I want to keep uplifting people and helping others tell stories and communicate effectively.”
Thesken’s inspiration to work in a career providing access to essential utilities and services to rural communities came as a result of her time at PLNU.
“PLNU really shaped me into the person I am today, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Thesken said. “It propelled me into my future and helped me start and grow my career.”
