Humans of Southwestern: Dancer/Theologian Lonnie Kucinski

by Kaedi Strother

Alonzo “Lonnie” Rene Kucinski, a freshman theology and English major at Southwestern Adventist University, spends much of his free time doing creative things. He enjoys reading, writing, creating videos, and doing photography, specifically portrait photography. Whenever he’s not behind the camera, he often likes to play board games and card games with friends.

Lonnie Kucinski

Many people might not know that he has been and is passionate about dance.

“Back in the day [and sometimes still currently], I was big into dance. Everything from pop & lock to krump, tutting, and a little B boy-ing. I would constantly be in awe, watching videos of routines by Les Twins, Poppin’ John, and Mr. Wiggles, and OG of pop&lock. It’s been something that when me and my brothers would go to events, and there was music playing, it was only a matter of time before I found myself gravitating towards the dance floor.” Whether through creative hobbies or time spent with friends, his interests show who he is beyond the classroom.

“Southwestern was a college I’ve been hoping to enroll in over the past eight years, but due to financial concerns, I'd been unable to pursue that dream. Last year, I was allowed to finally make the jump and decided that it was now or never to further my education.”

Passionate about ministry, for the past 8-9 years, Lonnie has worked in different avenues of ministry, ranging from summer camp to homeless ministries.

“I’ve worked on outreach, recruiting, and as a guest speaker. I was still contemplating whether I should come to SWAU or stay at my well-paying tech job. I was unhappy that the job didn’t fulfill me, but I knew if I went to college, I would have to quit this job to fully secure my space and time needed for college.

“So during this deep thought, I had a conversation with Pastor Olga Falakiseni, who told me: ‘You’re already doing all of the ministry, you might as well also be getting paid for it.’ And she had a point. I was sitting there, worried I wouldn’t be able to handle the workload of a pastor while ignoring the fact that over the past eight years, I was already doing all the things a pastor did!” That is what pulled Lonnie towards theology.

While he finally made it to SWAU, like many other students, finances were a big challenge. Sometimes, Lonnie found himself having to pick between studying and homework or working.

“During my second semester, it came to a point where I was so worried I wouldn’t be able to afford my next semester that I started to see it as, ‘Well, why bother putting so much work into classes then?’ And while I believe this mentality was valid, I don’t think it was beneficial.

“Some things that helped were churches, donations, and the kindness and blessings of friends and faculty. I know I want to be here; I want to be the first in my family to go to college. And thankfully, due to that determination and prayer, I have been consistently blessed and highly favored. While I might not be the smartest, I am for sure one of the hardest-headed. I know I want to be here, and God wants me here too.”

While there have been challenges, there have also been good moments and impactful things about his time here at Southwestern.

“The vespers, spontaneous worship nights, the events are all beautiful to me, but what I would personally say is my golden moment would be seeing how the staff here at SWAU are willing to pull for you and help you. While I won’t say a specific moment, I want it to be understood that many moments run through my head where the staff truly showcased that when it comes down to it, they aren’t just a teacher, a president, or a financial advisor. They are a person who is willing to understand and care as long as you communicate with them honestly.”

Throughout his SWAU journey, there has been change. He is slowly becoming more open. “I think when I first arrived, I fully secluded myself and had the ‘I’m only here for a degree’ mentality. While completely valid and reasonable to have, for someone like me who is naturally social, it was not satisfying to keep that mentality. At first, I didn’t want to break it, I didn’t want friends, and I didn’t want anything new. I just wanted to go to class and be done with it. Fortunately, that didn’t last long, and there were not only students, but staff members who reached out to me and spoke with me and got me to realize this place is safe and it’s okay to feel safe again.”

People have never been meant to be alone. And when it comes to something that has truly

impacted Lonnie during his time here, he says it has been friendship. Lonnie talks about one

of his favorite moments in the Old Testament found in the book of Numbers.

“Basically, Moses is going THROUGH IT, and he’s complaining and screaming to God about the people he has led out of Egypt, he’s getting fed up with their needs and whining, and all the uncertainty of this situation. One of the final things he says is, ‘If this is how you are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me if I have found favor in your eyes and do not let me face my own ruin.’ God’s response to this is not demeaning, not disappointing, not discrediting. Instead, He listens and gives Moses a community of people to help hold him up, people to lean on, people where he can become assured he is no longer alone in this position. That is the beauty of it, the answer to an expression and begging for death was answered with life. And that is what has impacted me during the moments where death feels evident, where there is a feeling of only one way out, where there is a thought of maybe it’s better if, in those moments, the answer that is given is life through community and friendship.”

“I’ve loved the phrase, ‘home is where the heart is.’ I could call so many things a house, but a building would never be a home unless love was there, and there’s a lot of love here at SWAU. Different kinds of love, too. Everything from stern parental love to, as some have been blessed to find, romantic love. As I go through my semesters here, I begin to realize that this for me isn’t a ‘once I graduate you’ll never see me again’ type of experience.

"This is my home.”