Our Story

Under the leadership of Reverend Tomas Angon, Gloria Dei Hispanic Mission, and the Northwest Indiana Lutheran Hispanic Mission Society, a variety of classes were started to serve the local immigrant community.

Having served as a volunteer since the beginning, Jessica Burkman was entrusted with leadership over the classes being offered.

Classes began being held at the same time and in the same location. Participants representing many countries and many languages, not just Spanish speakers, began to attend. To reflect the diversity and the whole-family-studying-together approach, this community took on a new name: Compass International Family Center.

Due, in part, to a significant influx of international students and visiting scholars at Valparaiso University, Compass experienced dramatic growth in support of these visitors and their families, welcoming approximately 100 participants on a nightly basis with the help of 50 annual volunteers.

Compass became a registered non-profit organization.