Pam Olson ’72 named Bethel University Alumna of the Year

Pam (Nymann) Olson ’72 first came to Bethel when she was 13, visiting campus with her older sister. She experienced what classes were like, ate in the dining hall, and even went home with a Bethel sweatshirt. Five years later, she returned as a student, beginning a lifelong connection to the university.

At Bethel, Olson studied mathematics and physics and prepared for a career in teaching. She also found a community where her faith could deepen. She remembers professors praying before class and naturally integrating faith into their teaching, which shaped her understanding of her own relationship with Christ. Olson graduated with honors and became the first woman at Bethel to graduate with a physics minor or major. She also contributed to the emerging physics program as a teaching assistant.

As a member of the class of 1972, Olson witnessed an important period in Bethel’s history as the Arden Hills campus took shape and the university transitioned to its new home.

Her years at Bethel also overlapped with a meaningful chapter in her personal life. Olson and her husband, Paul, had known each other since childhood and married before their senior year. Throughout their decades of marriage, Olson and her husband have made generosity and ministry a consistent part of their lives. They began by supporting family members serving as missionaries in Liberia and later became involved with ministries serving athletes, coaches, and college students. Their support helped contribute to what became Uncommon Ministry, and they continue to be involved in ministry efforts today.

Olson is quick to credit God and the people around them for the impact of that work. “We were at the beginning of these ministries, and we’ve stayed involved with them, but it’s really those who came alongside us that brought the impact,” she says. Her connection to Bethel continued, too. Years later, she returned to campus when Paul began working at the university, an experience she describes as “coming home.”

Olson’s commitment to Bethel has continued throughout the decades. She served 12 years on Bethel’s Board of Trustees, participated in the university’s Advancement Committee and her 50th Reunion Committee, and supports students through two scholarships honoring her parents. 

In recognition of her faith, generosity, and lasting connection to the Bethel community, Bethel University has named Pam Olson ’72 its 2026 Alumna of the Year.

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