Inspirational Feature by J1 Reporters Susana Pettis and Emily Doll

If you were to walk down Junior hall at any given moment, you would most likely hear a hearty laugh coming from Room 315. If you were to walk into the room illuminated with sunlight and happiness, you would most likely come across a woman with a huge smile on her face. This woman, known to everyone as Mrs. Lori Spanbauer, radiates love and her spirituality wherever she goes.

As the equivalent to rainbows and sunshine in human form, Spanbauer befriends everyone she meets. She’s a theology teacher. She’s a wife. She’s a daughter. She’s an inspiration.

Any student that has had Spanbauer can say that she is the kind of person who is led by her faith. She proudly lives the life that God set out for her. This has made Spanbauer an inspiration to many. She is a special addition to the Marian community and her unwavering faith is true proof that all of Marian’s core values are alive and well.

Growing up Catholic, Spanbauer was used to the Church and everything surrounding it. Interestingly enough, she truly became interested in faith as a teenager. She took part in a spiritual retreat and at that moment, she made a true commitment to Jesus. “My story kind of starts in high school because a lot of things happened during that time,” Spanbauer said.

Losing her dad at a young age put Spanbauer through a tough time at the end of high school and into her first few years of college. She admits that her journey hasn’t been easy and many tests have been thrown in her path.The commitment to her faith has had setbacks and challenges.Though she has encountered many obstacles in life, her faith remains strong and lasting.

“I am who I am because of my faith. I do what I do because of my faith. Every single thing in my life is impacted by my faith,” Spanbauer said.

After working at the Covenant house in Florida, she followed her former boyfriend to Omaha. Once the relationship ended, she felt like Omaha was meant for her. After some reflection she even believes that God had helped her in her decision to stay here in Omaha.

At one point in her life, Spanbauer almost became a Sister of Mercy. She spent six months praying and deliberating the decision to become a religious sister. She ultimately did not become one and after seeing a position open in the Campus Ministry department at Marian, she applied. After five years in this department, she took a teaching position and currently teaches sophomore and junior theology.

For many years, Spanbauer believed that she wouldn’t get married. Some time later, she began to reconsider. After searching for years with no results, she finally met her husband online on Match.com. She hadn’t counted on him being Catholic, but this connection only strengthened her faith.

“He challenges me a lot, and I challenge him a lot. Which is only good… We just kind of question each other and it just helps me explain and understand my positions better.”

Spanbauer listed the saints as her main inspirations, but included other un-canonized saints like Dorothy Day, Helen Prejean, Paul Farmer, Dorothy Stang, and Jean Donovan. She also said that her students influence her in many ways.

“I just want to be the best person I can be, because I’m a role model for [my students] and I don’t want them to ever see anything other than Christ in me… I just take seriously the idea that I am a role model and I need to live up to what I say I believe.”

At the end of the day, the amount of lives that Mrs. Spanbauer has impacted may seem small compared to the heaps of people who find role models in celebrities, but to the lives that she has impacted, it means the world.

Her positivity transforms everyone who surrounds her, and she continues to affect people in the best way possible. Not only is she active in her faith, she is also a theology teacher. When she talks, people listen.