Stokka will be available for Norwegian students when they need someone to talk to. It could be regarding illness and accidents, or if a student is having a hard time during study abroad and just wants a conversation. Stokka says that all students are more than welcome to call her or to send her an e-mail, but if they are in the neighborhood she definitely would recommend that they stop by for a face-to-face talk. The student pastor says she will travel immediately to meet and support a student in an emergency situation.
Stokka says that she realized that students were meant to be her target group, and she is very happy with that. Being able to work with young people, who are in a period of life that is marked by many changes and where their futures begin to take shape, she feels is a great privilege.
After nine years as a student priest at the Menighetsfakultetet in Oslo, she has now moved to New York to work as a student priest in North America. She says she is fond of America and knows the country after studying here.
“To have a job where you have to travel a lot makes it essential to have a home base. Therefore, I used the first few weeks here in New York to establish a home and make contacts with campuses, the General Consulate and the Embassy.
Now I’m using my time getting to know the students in New York and the rest of the area I will cover, and that is not so little -- the whole of North America, Canada and parts of Mexico,” Stokka says.
Asked how she would characterize Norwegian students in the U.S., Stokka says, “Many of them are adventures, seeking something different than what they get at home. What this something is, perhaps no one really knows. But the U.S. is still the land of dreams and opportunities. It is so big, and it is so far ahead in so many areas, so students come here because they want to be challenged and learn. However, it can be challenging to be taken out of your usual context.”
Stokka says her role is “to be an adult person who maintains confidentiality, so it is possible to talk to me about anything. These are young people who are far from home, and in the event of serious situations, here or at home, I am part of a crisis team here in the U.S.” But she adds quickly that students may contact her for small things as well; she’s also here just to talk.
Elisa Stokka can be reached by phone at 1 (646) 291-9739 or via email at elisa.stokka@ sjomannskirken.no. Look her up on Facebook: Elisa Stokka.