Concordia University Texas - Impact Report 2022-2023

THRIVING. IMPACT REPORT | 2022-2023

Table Of Contents For I know, the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

— Jeremiah 29:11

Letter from the President

01.

Ayudando a los Estudiantes a Prosperar

02.

Beyond the Buzzer

04.

A thriving Lutheran Tradition

06.

Courses of Nature

08.

Building on a Family Legacy

10.

A Celebration a Century in the Making

12.

Letter from the Board of Regents Chair

16.

Donor Honor Roll

17.

Concordia University Texas’s strategic plan calls for our community to build, connect, and thrive.

The proof that we’re building and connecting is all around us. Together, we’re building new physical facilities and new relationships. Together, we’re forging meaningful connections with each other and with the Austin community.

So, what does thriving at Concordia look like? Our campus ministry theme this year comes from 2 Corinthians 12:19, in which God says to the Apostle Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you.” The message in that scripture is that God’s grace is enough.

For me, the essence of “thriving” is having enough. It’s having the resources, the confidence, the enthusiasm, and the faith to fully engage in whatever comes next. Financially, Concordia is better off than we’ve ever been. In 2016, we had $2.5 million in the bank. Today, we have $15.3 million*.

Our leadership team has never been stronger. We have a diverse board of trustees who know and truly understand Concordia University Texas and have complete ownership of our mission. We are decisively and effectively pursuing our strategic plan to build, connect, and thrive every day. And most importantly, we are deeply committed to our Christ-centered mission and to our Lutheran Theology, history and practice.

A Letter from the President THRIVING is a team sport.

Dr. Donald Christian President & CEO Concordia University Texas Concordia University Texas’s strategic plan calls for our community to build, connect, and thrive.

Because Concordia is thriving in these four key areas, we can lean into new possibilities with confidence. This report highlights just a few examples of how Concordia is thriving right now, in this moment, and how we are poised for those exciting possibilities ahead.

Of course, “thriving” may look different on other university campuses. But our definition is shaped by our unique Concordia culture. While we’ve developed a mentality of “enough” that has sustained us in difficult days and lean years, it’s our faith that has allowed Concordia to thrive for almost a century.

As Christians, we know that we can never truly thrive on our own. We alone can never be enough. But because of our relationship with Jesus Christ, we will always be enough. He is enough. And through Him, together, we thrive.

In Christ,

Dr. Donald Christian President and CEO

*As of December 31, 2023

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Ayudando a los Estudiantes a Prosperar HELPING STUDENTS THRIVE Concordia University Texas receives a $2.5 million grant to support Concordia con Corazón In a signif icant step toward fostering inclusivity and access to higher education, Concordia University Texas received a f ive-year, $2.5 million Title V grant to support educational opportunities for Hispanic students.

Administered by the U.S. Department of Education, the Title V grant is awarded to Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), colleges and universities that have an undergraduate enrollment of at least 25% Hispanic students and take intentional steps to empower those students in their pursuit of higher education. Title V grants support programs designed to increase retention, improve educational outcomes, and promote a sense of belonging among Hispanic students.

Concordia Texas will invest $2.5 million in programs related to its Concordia con Corazón initiative. The English translation of corazón is “heart.” Concordia con Corazón – Concordia with Heart – is an initiative designed to help Hispanic students – who make up approximately 37% of the University’s student population – thrive.

“Our Hispanic enrollment is reflective of our central Texas demographics,” says Cindy Melendez, vice president of student services and the HSI off icer on the Concordia Texas equity team. “If our student population at Concordia was not reflective of that, it would tell me that we’re closing a door on students who may want to pursue a higher education.

The more our student population mirrors what’s true outside of our institution, the more it tells me that we’re providing access to a Concordia Texas education to those who want it.”

Kaitlyn Ruiz is one of the many Hispanic students thriving at Concordia Texas. Ruiz is president of the Concordia Texas Student Government & Leadership Association, a member of the University’s volleyball team, and a junior admissions counselor.

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“As an HSI, we’re saying to Concordia Texas’ Hispanic students, ‘We see you,’” Ruiz says. “’We appreciate you coming to Concordia Texas, and we want you to know that we see you for who you are.’”

The Title V grant will support the University’s Summer Bridge Program, an enrichment program for students who have met the minimum academic requirements for acceptance to Concordia Texas but would benef it f rom college readiness preparation prior to beginning their f reshman year. The four-day intensive helps participants enhance their skills in English and math and introduces students to support programs that can help them thrive.

“Summer Bridge is a conf idence builder,” says Melendez.

“One of the biggest benef its is advanced face-to-face time with f inancial advisors, tutors, academic advisors, and other resources around campus, so when these students arrive for the fall semester, everything isn’t foreign to them. They have already interacted in a close, private setting.”

Summer Bridge began as a pilot program limited to 15 students. The average GPA for those who completed the program was an impressive 3.44.

While the Title V grant is awarded specif ically to Hispanic Serving Institutions, the programs the grant supports are open to all Concordia Texas students. The grant will allow the University to scale the Summer Bridge program to serve more students. The grant will also fund a STEM Summer Bridge Program designed to help rising sophomore STEM majors hone their skills and begin their sophomore year of college better prepared.

Concordia Texas’s service to Hispanic students goes beyond academics. The University is home to organizations and special events designed to make Hispanic students feel not only welcome but an integral part of the Concordia Texas community. LASO, the Latin American Student Organization, stages regular events showcasing Hispanic culture, f rom a Day of the Dead observance to loteria night, which sees the residence halls hosting Hispanic games. Concordia Texas also celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with a full calendar of events promoting Hispanic cultures.

“We are thrilled to have received this prestigious grant, which recognizes Concordia Texas’s commitment to inclusivity,” says Dr. Kristi Kirk, provost & executive vice president of Concordia Texas.

“This grant will enable us to continue developing innovative programs that serve not only our Hispanic students but also students f rom all backgrounds who are ready to pursue an outstanding Christian education at Concordia Texas.”

“There are a lot of different communities and cultures on campus that Concordia Texas brings together into one community,” Ruiz says. “It doesn’t feel like there is any separation between the diverse cultures because, at Concordia Texas, we encourage and embrace everyone equally. Regardless of what culture you come f rom, you’re going to be celebrated. There’s just so much authenticity and genuine love for each other all across this campus. When it comes to supporting one another and advocating for one another, there’s no hesitation.”

The Tornado Trailblazers Program Concordia Texas programs like Summer Bridge and Trailblazers help first-generation college students thrive.

Trailblazers is a oneyear program that prepares freshmen, most of them first-generation students, for success. Trailblazers participants connect with resources on campus and with each other, forming a cohort of students who share the same challenges and support one another.

Students who complete the Trailblazers program receive a scholarship.

25% 25% Hispanic undergraduate enrollment required to be designated a Hispanic Serving Institution.

30%

30% of Concordia Texas students are firstgeneration students

30

30 students on average participate in the Tornado Trailblazers Program each year

3.19

3.19 Average Tornado Trailblazers’ GPA

75%+

Retention rate for Trailblazers ranges from 75% - 80%

37% 37% Concordia Texas’s Hispanic undergraduate enrollment

3.44 3.44 Average GPA for freshman Summer Bridge students

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Beyond the Buzzer Stacie Watkins McCollum ’96 receives the inaugural Linda Lowery Achievement Award “Playing college sports at Concordia Texas gave me the work ethic I needed to succeed in business,” says Stacie Watkins McCollum ‘96.

“Sports taught me how to lead, how to motivate teams, and how to build consensus around a common goal. My foundation as a business leader is grounded in what I learned as a student athlete and Stacie Watkins McCullom ‘96 VICE PRESIDENT AND HEAD OF CONTENT what I learned f rom Coach Linda DRAFTKINGS Recipient of the Linda Lowery Achievement Award Lowery.”

McCollum is the inaugural recipient of the Linda Lowery Achievement Award, created in honor of longtime Concordia University Texas Coach and Athletic Director Linda Lowery.

The award recognizes alumni who not only excelled as student- athletes, but who have made extraordinary professional achievements in their lives beyond Concordia Texas.

A former Concordia Texas volleyball player, McCollum is vice president and head of content with Draftkings, a sports entertainment and technology company. McCollum oversees all of the company’s content initiatives, including the Draftkings Network, the Sports Betting Network, and DK Studio Productions and Operations. Prior to joining Draftkings, McCollum was vice president of programming and acquisitions with ESPN. “I was blessed to have Linda Lowery as my volleyball coach,” McCollum says. “I wasn’t a superstar on the team, but Linda believed in me and gave me every opportunity to compete and lead. She believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself.

Linda encouraged me to chase my dream of a career in sports media. I would not have the career I have today if not for her and the support I received f rom Concordia Texas.”

25%

4

25% of Concordia Texas students participate in an NCAA sport

Linda Lowery, Former Athletic Director

Lowery enjoyed a trailblazing 28-year career at Concordia Texas, serving as head volleyball, basketball, and golf coach, as well as director of athletics. Concordia Texas hosts the annual Linda Lowery Invitational Golf Tournament in her honor. Lowery retired in 2008, but remains a diehard Tornado fan.

“I’m truly honored that this award is named after me,” Lowery says. “I was raised by loving parents who instilled in me a strong spiritual background in the Lutheran faith.

When you get out into the world, it can be easy to forget where you came f rom and lose focus on the more important things in life. Those 28 years at Concordia provided me with daily reminders of those important things as I was always surrounded by people of faith.”

Today, McCollum is following in Lowery’s footsteps as a role model for female athletes. McCollum is a volunteer mentor with the Global Sports Mentor Program, which brings women f rom around the world together to support and grow women’s sports.

“One of the most important life lessons I learned at Concordia Texas was the importance of authenticity,” McCollum says. “Working in sports means I’m often the only female in the room. I’ve been successful by staying true to myself and not conforming to someone else’s perception of who I should be. I’m a better mother, daughter, and executive because of Linda Lowery and my athletics journey at Concordia Texas.”

Game Changer

Summer Sports Camps

A strong athletics program is an integral part of the Concordia Texas educational experience. Collegiate sports don’t just benefit student- athletes. Gathering in the stands to cheer on the Tornados builds comradery and unity among the entire student body and faculty.

And whether they supported Concordia Texas when the mascot was the Tornado, the Stag, or the Cardinals, rooting for the University’s sports teams strengthens alumni’s bond with the institution.

Summer sports camps brought more than 1,200 young athletes to the Concordia Texas campus in 2023. Concordia Texas coaches and student athletes helped boys and girls ages six to 14 hone their skills in baseball, basketball, soccer, volleyball, and softball.

Concordia Texas hopes to further strengthen those ties by expanding its athletic facilities. Future plans include adding a soccer field, track field, tennis courts, and an athletic support building. The new facilities will allow the University to host more athletic events on campus, bringing athletes, students, alumni, and fans together as a united Concordia Texas community.

“As our athletic programs grow, we must continue to grow our athletic facilities to keep pace,” Ronda Seagraves, vice president and director of athletics, says. “Our men’s tennis team won a championship this year and our soccer team won the year before.

Even with limited facilities on campus, we’re already competing at a very high level. Those performances and our game day atmosphere are only going to get even better once we have on-campus facilities.”

“The coaches and volunteers get a lot of satisfaction in seeing the joy in these younger players’ eyes,” says Clint Mokry, Concordia Texas head baseball coach. “When they have the opportunity to step onto our big, beautiful baseball field, their eyes just light up.”

Summer camps are part of the University’s community outreach, offering youth a safe, funfilled environment and the opportunity to learn from Christian coaches and student athletes.

The camps typically conclude with young players asking Concordia Texas athletes for their autographs and parents expressing gratitude for their children’s experiences. Young campers and their families often return to campus to watch the coaches and student athletes they’ve come to know compete in collegiate action.

“Campers not only get a personal introduction to our athletic facilities, they get to know our coaching staff and our current athletes,” Coach Mokry says. “The summer camp experience gives them lasting memories about Concordia Texas and the caring, talented people who make up our University.”

1,200

Youth attended summer sports camps 5

A Thriving Lutheran Tradition Over its rich, nearly 100-year history, Concordia University Texas has expanded its programming, relocated to a scenic new campus with ample room to grow, and adapted to meet the ever-changing needs of its students and faculty.

Yet, one thing has remained a constant since 1926.

“For 97 years, Concordia University Texas has been rooted in its Lutheran identity,” says Dr. Don Christian, Concordia Texas president. “We are a place that is Christ centered. And because of that, you cannot separate our Lutheran beliefs f rom anything else we do, whether it’s learning in the classroom or online, living on campus, or playing on an athletic team. Every aspect of living and learning at Concordia Texas revolves around Christ.”

ABIDE Concordia University Texas honors Christ by sharing the Gospel and teaching through a faith lens. The University’s commitment to welcoming all stems directly from a desire to honor Him. Concordia Texas is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion because of our faith, a faith in which we are called by Christ to love and serve our neighbor.

Concordia Texas has developed a meaningful acronym that summarizes the University’s intentional effort to share Christ’s love with people from all racial, ethnic, and faith backgrounds and from all walks of life.

Above all, Concordia Texas is a place where Christ is honored, and all are welcome. More than a university, Concordia Texas is a mission f ield.

Many of the students who come to Concordia Texas have never been to church or heard the Gospel until they arrived on campus. The University’s calling is not just to teach these students about business or nursing or education and point them toward a career. It’s to point them toward Jesus Christ.

“The idea of being saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, I see that played out through the conversations and interactions I have with my professors,” says Concordia Texas student, Ty Broyles, Spring ‘25.

“Our professors are helping us f ind what our calling is, what God has called us to be,” says Kareleen Lakamp, Fall ‘24. “Then they help us grow into that calling and prepare to live out that vocation after we graduate.”

The mission of Concordia Texas is to empower students of all backgrounds to lead lives of critical thought, compassionate action, and courageous leadership. As the business of higher education changes, Concordia Texas’ strategies to fulf ill that mission may need to adapt. However, the University’s mission and it’s Lutheran identity that inform that mission, will remain steadfast for the next 100 years and beyond.

“We as Lutheran Christians see our vocation as being about giving glory to God and serving our neighbor. We do our work well because we have been gifted by God with certain talents and put in a role to live out. If you take faith and our Lutheran identity out of that, Concordia Texas is just another good college. But when you put Jesus at the center of it, Concordia Texas is a place that changes lives.”

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A CC E SSIB I LI T Y | B E LON GIN G | IN CLU SIV IT Y | D IV E RSI T Y | E Q UI T Y CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY TEXAS

ABIDE centers on the access, belonging, inclusion, diversity, and equity that is found in Christ and how Concordia Texas shares those ideals with others. The University gives students access to spaces that feel welcoming and safe, where they feel they belong. In these spaces, students can talk openly about their differences and how their faith shapes their lives.

“Concordia University Texas is a place where Christ is honored and all are welcome. So, when we talk about ABIDE, it is rooted in the Scriptures,” Dr. Christian says. “It is rooted in Jesus Christ and His love for all. And if we welcome all, then all need to feel as if they belong, and have a place where their voices can be heard.”

2023 Missional Youth Retreat An annual, week-long event held on the Concordia Texas campus, Missional Youth Retreat (MYR) gives high school students f rom Lutheran churches in Texas and other states an opportunity to participate in meaningful, hands-on mission work.

MYR 2023 STATS

58

STUDENT PARTICIPANTS

LEADERS 40+ STUDENT & VOLUNTEERS

Geared toward the most engaged students in youth ministry programs, MYR has often been an event during which God has called students into professional ministry. Concordia Texas has hosted MYR since sometime in the late 1970s.

“I know pastors in their 60s who heard the call to ministry as high school students at MYR,” says Jake Youmans, Concordia Texas’ Professor of Religious Education, who coordinates the annual event.

“The key to the MYR experience is that the kids aren’t just talking about ministry, they’re actually ministering at a wide variety of places all over Austin,” Youmans says. “When you feed a person who hasn’t had a meal in a couple of days, it changes your life. When you spend time with a lonely senior citizen who hasn’t had another human interaction in weeks, it changes your life. When you connect with kids with special needs and see the joy and the love they have to give, it changes your life. We’re giving these kids an opportunity to experience these life-changing things. And f rom a preparation standpoint, the best way to learn if God is calling you to perform ministry is to experience it.”

Concordia Texas sophomore Brooke Martin attended MYR as a high school student in 2019. Her MYR experience helped lead her to enroll in Concordia, and prompted her to serve as an associate director at MYR in 2023.

“That week at MYR really pushed me out of my comfort zone. I had conversations with college leaders and adult mentors who worked in ministry, and ministry suddenly became a very real possibility for me, too…I’m excited to see what the Lord has in store, and I’m eager to go where He wants me.”

MYR also gives Concordia Texas an opportunity to serve the church at large by helping f ind and equip more future church leaders and full-time workers.

Student participants have come to MYR from Lutheran churches in Texas, Colorado, Florida, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.

A group of students from Hong Kong is slated to participate in the 2024 MYR.

“Of course, everyone won’t become an off icial church worker,” Youman says.

“But every follower of Jesus needs to understand their role in service to the church and to the world at large. If these students are called into full-time professional ministry, praise God. If they’re called to be doctors, lawyers, or whatever else, praise God. MYR helps them to see how their vocations, whatever God has called them to, can be a ministry.”

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Courses of Nature The Texas Master Naturalist Program

Concordia University Texas views stewardship of God’s creation as a part of its mission. In 2014, Concordia Texas established the f irst collegiate chapter of the Texas Master Naturalist Program, a program that trains volunteers to provide community education and outreach on the conservation of Texas’s natural resources. Volunteers certif ied through the program provide valuable support to the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife and the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension.

Dr. Sam Whitehead, chair of Concordia Texas’ Department of Environmental Science and Conservation, led the effort to f ind a Texas Master Naturalist chapter at the University.

“Like a lot of volunteer organizations, the program’s demographics were skewed towards retirees,” says Dr. Whitehead. “The Texas Master Naturalists were interested in getting younger people involved who would hopefully become lifelong volunteers, and who might translate their volunteer work into a full-time career in natural resources.”

Whitehead had previously launched a Texas Master Naturalist chapter in Lubbock and saw a natural partnership waiting at Concordia Texas. He reached out to the program’s president and pitched the idea of a pilot program – a college chapter that would increase participation by young adults.

The result was the Balcones Canyonlands Chapter at Concordia University Texas. Open to Concordia Texas students and participants f rom the larger Austin community, the chapter has since grown f rom a pilot program to one of the largest Texas Master Naturalist chapters in the state. Current membership stands at more than 200 volunteer conservationists.

Concordia Texas students who complete the classroom training and f ield work required for certif ication as master naturalists also receive college course credit. The program attracts Concordia Texas students interested in careers in the environmental sciences, with f ive to seven students typically earning Master Naturalist certif ication each academic year.

“This is a valuable educational tool for our students,” Dr. Whitehead says. “The Master Naturalist program covers so many topics, and every class is taught by a different environmental professional.

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The program also offers meaningful networking and mentorship opportunities. Students have a chance to get valuable life and career advice f rom people other than their professors who are passionate about this work. And every one of those instructors represents someone who could give my students a job one day.”

“I think that the greatest benef it I'll receive is having a deeper understanding of the ecosystems I come in contact with every day and learning how to support them,” says Concordia Texas senior and Master Naturalist candidate Jasmine Baiocchi. “My future career plans aren’t f irm yet, but I know this information will be incredibly helpful in terms of planning for minimal environmental impact.”

The Balcones Canyonlands chapter focuses its training and volunteer work on Texas’s Eastern Hill Country. While the Concordia Texas campus is home to a 250-acre protected nature preserve, Dr. Whitehead encourages students to do their volunteer f ield work off campus.

“Our students benef it f rom going out there and meeting new people, especially professionals in the f ields in which they may want to work,” Dr. Whitehead says. “It’s a handson opportunity to become familiar with the wide range of career possibilities in the environmental sciences.”

Concordia Texas students may work in wildlife preserves, lead educational tours, test water quality, remove invasive plants, monitor bird life, explore underground caves, or perform countless other forms of “citizen science” work.

“I’m really enjoying the f ield trips,” Baiocchi says. “Seeing the things I'm learning about in the classroom training in real life and doing volunteer work that makes a difference makes the program really engaging. My most memorable experience so far has to be the entomology class. A lot of people are scared of bugs, but they're fascinating once you start learning about them and understand how important they are.”

“So many environmental agencies are poorly funded and don’t have the staff necessary to go out and f ind big grants to support research, so they rely heavily on volunteers,” Dr. Whitehead says. “The Texas Master Naturalist Program is valuable to the state and future employers think it looks fantastic on a resume.”

Since the Balcones Canyonlands chapter was established, at least three other chapters have been founded on other Texas college campuses.

Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.

Psalm 96:12

Of the 47 Texas Master Naturalist chapters statewide, the Balcones Canyonlands chapter has the youngest membership.

“Concordia Texas’ vision in starting the f irst university chapter opened the Texas Master Naturalist Program up to a smart, younger membership,” says Julian Yates, president of the Balcones Canyonlands chapter.

“The college students bring enthusiasm, inquisitive minds, and energy, not to mention advanced tech skills. In turn, our older members enjoy mentoring these students and passing on their knowledge.

The Master Naturalist program shares knowledge about the complexities of our environment, how easily we’re harming it, and what we can do to protect it. Starting with younger people leaves a better, longer lasting legacy for the future.”

50

79

Approximately 50 Concordia Texas students certified as Texas Master Naturalists since 2015

79 Participants in the Balcones Canyonlands chapter’s fall 2023 training class, including 7 Concordia Texas students

250

27,108

250 Members in the Balcones Canyonlands chapter

27,108 Volunteer hours logged by chapter members since 2014

$623,484

$623,484 Estimated value of volunteer service by chapter members to the state of Texas

Naturalists by the Numbers

Dr. Sam Whitehead leading a preserve tour. The Concordia Texas campus is home to a 250-acre protected nature preserve.

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Brothers, Dan and Mark Beto with their wives, Donna and Shelly, on the Concordia Texas campus. Dan and Mark Beto are the sons of George Beto, former President of Concordia Texas f rom 1949 - 1959.

Building on a Family Legacy Dan and Mark Beto never attended Concordia University Texas, yet the brothers made memories on the campus that will last a lifetime.

Their father, George Beto, served as president of Concordia Texas f rom 1949 to 1959. The historic Concordia Texas campus near downtown Austin was the Beto brothers’ childhood playground.

“We had the run of the place,”Mark recalls with a smile. “The trees, the f ields, During Beto’s years at Concordia, he the gym, the construction sites. There helped to transition the school into a junior college, desegregated the always seemed to be a building project in campus, ushered in Texas’ system of prison education and oversaw the first progress. Morris Dunbar, the combination admission of women in 1955. groundskeeper, handyman, and janitor, would let us ride on the floor buffer down the hallways of Kramer Hall, the long, narrow classroom building south of the library.”

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“I remember interacting with a number of Concordia Texas students, some of whom we’ve remained in touch with today,” Mark’s older brother, Dan, adds. “And it was on the Concordia Texas campus that Morris Dunbar later taught me how to drive.” The Beto’s’ father left a legacy at Concordia Texas. George Beto graduated f rom Concordia Seminary in 1939 and accepted his f irst call to join the faculty at Concordia Lutheran College, a decision that, according to his family, he never regretted.

Beto spent 20 years at Concordia Texas, including a decade as the college’s president. He was a visionary leader. During Beto’s presidency, he initiated an ambitious building program, transitioned the school into a junior college in 1951, desegregated the campus in 1953 – prior to the landmark Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education – and admitted Concordia Texas’ f irst female students in 1955.

Dan and Mark Beto, following their late mother’s lead, have been generous donors to Concordia Texas for many years, honoring their father’s legacy and demonstrating their unwavering support for Concordia Texas as the University has evolved over the 60-plus decades since George Beto’s’ tenure.

“We continue to contribute to Concordia University Texas because we believe in its mission and its enlightened leadership,” says Dan Beto.

“While being mindful and respectful of the past, Concordia Texas’ leadership has been moving the University successfully into the future… I think our father would be proud that Concordia Texas has continued to evolve, to improve, to change with the times, and to help meet the changing needs of society.”

“We continue to contribute to Concordia University Texas because we believe in its mission and its enlightened leadership.”

Dan Beto

The Marilynn Knippa Beto Nursing Scholarship Endowment

– Mark Beto

Marilynn Frances Knippa Beto studied nursing when she married

Dan and Mark Beto’s most recent gift to Concordia Texas was the establishment of an endowment in memory of their mother.

Marilynn Knippa was studying to become a nurse when she married George Beto. The Marilynn Knippa Beto Nursing Scholarship Endowment will support nursing students who are immigrants or the children of immigrants.

George Beto, former Concordia

“Our mother was descended from Wendish ancestors who immigrated to Texas in the mid-19th century,” Mark Beto says. “Dan and I wanted to honor those Wendish roots. We believe in the value and strength of immigration and in the American melting pot. Since America’s success – past, present, and future – is based on immigration, we see great value in supporting the education of immigrants and their families. We hope this scholarship will enable some promising students to prepare for a life of service and make this nation a better place.”

Texas President f rom 1949-1959.

“If our father were alive today, I suspect he would be proud and pleased with Concordia Texas’ diversity, its impressive f inancial condition, its strong board of regents, and the administration’s courageous willingness to make diff icult decisions in advancing Concordia Texas to become a world-class Christian institution of higher learning.”

“While being mindful and respectful of the past, Concordia Texas’ leadership has been moving the university successfully into the future,” Mark Beto says.

“Change is extremely important. An organization, be it a university or a society at large, must continue to evolve, break new ground, and explore new opportunities. One should have a healthy disdain for the status quo. I think our father would be proud that Concordia Texas has continued to evolve, to improve, to change with the times, and to help meet the changing needs of society.”

“If our father had the opportunity to visit the current campus and speak with Concordia Texas students today, without a doubt he would be impressed with the physical plant, the many academic offerings, and the vibrant and diverse student body,” Dan Beto says. “I can only imagine how pleased he would be with how far Concordia Texas has come in its f irst century and how much promise the next 100 years holds.”

Education as a Prison Ministry After leaving Concordia College in 1959, George Beto served as president of Concordia Theological Seminary in Springfield, Illinois, then went on to become the director of the Texas Department of Corrections. Beto established groundbreaking educational programs for those who were incarcerated, recognizing the power of education to reduce recidivism. After retiring from the prison system, Beto served as a distinguished professor of criminal justice at Sam Houston State University until 1991. At the time of his death, George Beto was serving as chief of chaplaincy services at the Texas Youth Commission.

As Mark Beto notes, “Our father brought to his duties both in higher education and in the criminal justice system the same belief in the importance of education, faith, and hard work, and the same love for people.”

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OCTOBER 24, 2026 Concordia Texas will host a joyous centennial celebration on October 24, 2026. Pastors who are alumni and friends will be invited to lead the processional at a campus-wide worship service thanking God for the many blessings Concordia Texas has received over the past 100 years.

A Celebration a Century in the Making The Concordia University Texas Centennial

In 2026, Concordia University Texas will celebrate its 100th anniversary with festivities honoring the university’s rich heritage and looking ahead to its faith-f illed future.

As fundraising goals are met and construction begins, groundbreaking and dedication ceremonies will be added to the calendar of centennial events.

“The centennial is a wonderful opportunity for us to reinvigorate our connections with one another and launch relationships with new students and younger people,” says Melissa Knippa, a former member of the Concordia Texas Board of Regents who serves on the Concordia Texas Centennial Committee. “The young people coming to Concordia Texas today may look and act differently than those who came in the past. Yet, they still need the same kind of nurturance and the same opportunity to know and understand the depth and beauty of the Lutheran faith that Concordia Texas has offered for the past 100 years.”

The Concordia Texas story began in 1926, when the institution was founded as a high school for boys studying for the Lutheran ministry. Over the next century, Concordia Texas would grow f rom a high school to an outstanding Christian university, add innovative academic programs and championship athletic teams, and eventually outgrow its original location and move to a spacious new campus with room to expand. Yet for nearly a century, the Lutheran faith lived out at Concordia Texas has remained a constant.

The Centennial Committee is planning special observances and events to recognize this milestone anniversary, including a campus-wide worship service on October 24, 2026.

The road to the centennial celebration will also include the launch of a capital campaign in early 2024. Campaign goals include growing the University’s endowment and raising funds to expand the athletic facilities and enhance campus worship spaces.

1 st Advertising

Members of Texas’s Wendish community, comprised of immigrants from eastern Germany, announce the opening of Lutheran Concordia College of Texas, a boarding school for boys preparing to become Lutheran ministers. An early advertisement for Concordia Texas asks, “Have you not a boy to send? The Lord hath need of him.”

1926 12

“It’s stunning to me to see what God has done at Concordia Texas and how far the University has come. So much has come f rom taking brave steps, sometimes into areas of discomfort,” Knippa says. “There is a limitless future for Concordia Texas. We continue to see that God has big plans for our University, and we must continue to be open to big ideas. We cannot always do things exactly as we’ve done them in the past and expect to have vibrant growth in the future. Sometimes, taking that next big step is what leads to the next big opportunity for Christ in the world.”

Dedication of Concordia Texas Some 1,500 people gather on 19 acres of prairie land in Austin for the Lutheran Concordia College of Texas Dedication Day. The first building, Kilian Hall, is named in honor of John Kilian, founder of the first Texas Lutheran church aligned with the LCMS. Dedication Day is a joyous celebration marked by speeches, hymns, and prayer.

October 17

1926

Doors Open at Concordia Texas Concordia Texas opens its doors to 26 students under the direction of the Rev. Henry Studtmann, the school’s first president, whose welcoming remarks are drawn from Psalm 108: With God, we shall do valiantly. The dormitory is not yet completed; students sleep on cots in the chapel.

October 26

1926

Financial Struggles

In the face of financial struggles triggered by The Great Depression, Concordia Texas’ board calls a special meeting to discuss whether to press forward or close the school’s doors. Acting on faith, the board votes to continue. President Studtman will later say, “It was only by the grace of God that Concordia Texas survived at all.”

July 13

1933

Dorm Sweet Dorm

Melissa Knippa is a former member of the Concordia University Texas Board of Regents.

Pictured with her husband Rev. William “Bill” Knippa.

What’s in a Name?

Melissa Knippa served on the Board of Regents for nine years, but her deep ties to Concordia Texas go back further than her board service. Shortly after graduating from the University of Texas, Melissa married Bill Knippa, a Concordia Texas alumnus, Lutheran pastor, and Concordia Texas’s dean of men. For the first two years of their marriage, the Knippas lived in Behnken Hall on Concordia Texas’ historic downtown campus.

Over the past century, the Concordia University Texas athletic teams have been named Outlaws, Cardinals, Stags and Tornados. No matter with which mascot our alumni and friends most strongly identify, we are all Concordia Texas.

Outlaws (1926-1936)

“At 22, I moved from the sorority house to the boy’s dormitory and became the dorm mom,” Knippa recalls. “Today, some of the young men who lived in that dorm are Lutheran pastors.

But I will always remember them as the boys who were trash can bowling on the floor above us at 2:00 in the morning or who came knocking on our door at midnight because they’d locked themselves out of their rooms again.”

Cardinals (1936-1951)

Years later, Knippa was serving on the board of regents when Concordia Texas voted to move from its historic original location to its current campus.

Stags (1951-1995)

“It was hard to leave the site where so many memories were made. Change of any kind is hard, especially when people are so deeply invested in the organization,” Knippa says. “But we knew the move was necessary for the future blossoming of a vibrant, important part of Texas Lutheranism that we wanted to see continue for multiple generations. God has the power to continue to lead our University into the future in a way that will be blessed, just as that change when we moved has been a blessing by every measure.”

Tornados (1995-present)

Concordia Texas Recruits Concordia Texas Cardinals

Concordia Texas’ informal sports teams adopt the nickname, “Cardinals.”

Late

1930s

George Beto, an instructor and future president of Concordia Texas, makes a series of promotional films documenting student life. The films are shown in Lutheran churches as a recruitment tool.

1940s

Concordia Texas goes co-ed

Concordia Texas adds a Jr. College Concordia Texas adds a two-year junior college while continuing its high school program.

1951

Concordia Texas integrates Concordia Texas is integrated. Henry Sorrell becomes the school’s first Black student.

1953

Concordia Texas goes co-ed, with Jeanette Wagner recognized as the first female student.

The introduction of female students ends a long-standing tradition among male students of coming to breakfast in their pajamas.

1955 13

The legend of the purple rock High school program discontinued Name change

The institution adopts the name Concordia Lutheran College.

The high school program is discontinued. Concordia Texas now focuses entirely on establishing a reputation as an outstanding institution of higher education.

1967

1965

2008 14

New construction Concordia Texas continues to construct new buildings to accommodate its growing programming and enrollment, pushing the limits of its physical space.

1970s

1968

Expanding & Serving

Settling in

September 2008, contractors finish work on the dorms and help students move into the new campus. Classes are interrupted by electricians and painters finishing work.

In an attempt to postpone taking an exam, a group of students places a large rock in front of the doors to Kramer Hall, blocking the entrance. Now a Concordia Texas legend, that painted-purple rock occupies a place of honor in the Purple Rock Courtyard on the current Concordia Texas campus.

Dedication of Concordia Texas new campus Concordia Texas officially celebrates the opening of its current campus, 82 years to the day after the first day of classes.

October 26

2008

Concordia Texas continues to expand its academic programs and its physical plant to better serve its growing student body and the greater Austin community.

2008 -

PRESENT

Centennial Planning Concordia Texas begins planning its Centennial Celebration.

2023

Last day on the historic campus

Taking a leap of faith At a time when many other two-year institutions in Texas are closing, Concordia Texas steps out in faith and becomes a fouryear college. A member of the first graduating class says, “We were excited to be the trailblazers, the first ones to graduate from a four-year institution named Concordia Lutheran College of Texas.”

1980

New campus purchased Fully accredited

Growing pains

Concordia Texas expands its programming to include new majors and a graduate program in education, earns accreditation as a university, and adopts the name Concordia University at Austin.

The lack of physical space can no longer be ignored. Concordia Texas begins the search for a new campus.

2002

1995

After considering 33 sites, Concordia Texas purchases a scenic new campus in northwest Austin with room for future growth. The institution adopts the name Concordia University Texas.

2007

Concordia Texas marks the last day, July 18, 2008 on its historic campus. The community says a final prayer of thanks for the gifts God bestowed in that beloved place. Artifacts precious to Concordia Texas, including the cruciform, stained-glass windows from the chapel, and the purple rock, are moved to the new campus.

July 18

2008

THE CONCORDIA TEXAS CENTENNIAL COMMITTEE Chelsea Beck Lisa Jahnke Steven Jahnke Bill Knippa Melissa Knippa

Capital Campaign Launches Concordia Texas launches a capital campaign to support future growth.

2024

Mike Linebrink Pixie Linebrink

Concordia Texas celebrates 100 years Concordia Texas celebrates a century of providing a Christcentered, Lutheran education.

2026

Kristin McMinn Suzanne Mueller Rick Rosenhagen Becky Rosenhagen

Stay tuned for other centennial events, including groundbreaking and dedication ceremonies for upcoming facilities.

15

A Letter from the Board of Regents Chair For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

- Jeremiah 29:11

If I had to choose a Scripture that defines this time at Concordia University Texas, I would without a doubt choose Jeremiah 29:11. Right now, Concordia is stepping into the most exciting time in our University’s 100-year history.

The Concordia Texas Board of Regents seeks to lead the University in a way that allows it to flourish as an academic institution and fulfills Concordia’s ultimate mission as a part of God’s Kingdom. That means not only preparing students from all walks of life to pursue the vocations to which they are called, but also introducing students from all walks of life to the Lutheran faith.

Enthusiastic feedback from our students, parents, faculty, and the employers who hire our graduates tells us that Concordia is fulfilling that mission. The diverse members of our community are more excited and inspired by the atmosphere on our campus and the Christ-centered educational experience we offer than ever before in our history.

Concordia is thriving. Our mission outreach is growing. We can measure that growth in terms of student enrollment, in increased financial resources, and in the planned facilities we’re building. We can also measure thriving in terms of the optimism, confidence, and faith that’s palpable on the Concordia campus.

The future for Concordia is bright. Our board is steadfast in its pursuit of the Christian mission and the Lutheran faith upon which Concordia was founded, which will always be at the University’s center. It is our Christ-centered mission and our Lutheran faith that guide us toward the hope and the future we believe God has planned for Concordia University Texas.

I know I speak for our entire community when I say that I can’t wait to see what the next 100 years will bring.

In Christ,

Christopher J. Bannwolf Chair, Concordia Texas Board of Regents

16

Board of Regents 2022 - 2023

Michelle H. Abrego Quentin Anderson Christopher J. Bannwolf, Chair Kristy Carr Theodore Crofford Sandra Doering Mary Beth Gaertner Lonnie Gonzales Peter Hames Raymond L. Kym Heidi Lewis Scott Linebrink Michael W. Newman Denise Patrick Deborah Rich Herczeg Sylvia Schmidt Stephen Sohns Betty Voshage

Donor Honor Roll

The Concordia University Texas Centennial Concordia University Texas is grateful for the support of donors who make our mission possible.

The following list includes contributors who gave between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023 and over $250. If you would like more information on opportunities or how to give, please contact philanthropy@concordia.edu.

INDIVIDUALS Rev. Dr. Alan and Mrs. Audrey Abel Ms. Grace Adloff Mr. Billy Moyer and Mrs. Ashley Alaniz-Moyer Mr. Roy and Mrs. Sharon Albe Mr. James and Mrs. Deborah Albers Mr. Quentin and Mrs. Eileen Anderson Ms. Nancy Anguish Dr. Joanne Antrim Mr. James and Mrs. Laura Arldt Mrs. Elizabeth and Dr. Jeffrey Atherton Mr. Scott Austin Mr. Johnny Ayala Mr. Christopher J. Bannwolf Ms. Linda Beatty Mr. Brian and Mrs. Kim Becker Ms. Aubrey Becker Mr. Mike and Mrs. Joyce Best Mr. Dan and Mrs. Donna Beto Mrs. Marilynn Beto † Mr. Jeffrey and Mrs. Christine Bibler

Ms. Dorothy Bice Ms. Kassandra Bills Mr. Fred and Mrs. Candace Bleeke Mr. Stephen and Mrs. Sandra Block Dr. Matthew Bloom Mr. Eugene and Mrs. Katherine Bode Mr. Mark and Mrs. Carolyn Boerger Rev. Jacob and Mrs. Nicolette Boessling Ms. Daniel Bojorquez Rev. Richard and Mrs. Delores Boyer Mr. Patrick and Mrs. Jane Brant Mr. Russell Bridges Mr. Robert Brown Mr. Calvin and Mrs. Ruby Buesing Dr. Brent and Dr. Prairie Burgess Mrs. Catherine Burkhard Mrs. Joanne and Mr. Kevin Burks Mr. Andrew Burns Mr. Paul and Mrs. Carol Burns Mr. Charles and Mrs. Debbie Busse Mr. Richard and Mrs. Cathy Bye Mr. Patrick and Mrs. Kara Carlove Dr. Kelly Carmichael Mr. Rodger and Mrs. Jean Carr Mr. Adam and Mrs. Michelle Case Ms. Leila Cash Mr. Edgar and Mrs. Ekaterina Casillas Mr. Juan Carlos Castelan Dr. Thomas and Mrs. Penny Cedel Mr. Wayne Charley Mr. Richard Chavez Ms. Amy Chavez Dr. Donald and Mrs. Deborah Christian Ms. Susan Clark Ms. Sarah Clawson Mr. Jame and Mrs. Pat Cleary Mr. Frank Cogborn Mr. Clayton and Mrs. Michelle Cole Mr. John Crow Rev. Martin Danner Mr. Dan and Mrs. Gina Darden Ms. Marla Davis

17

Ms. Yolanda De Hoyos Mr. Rex and Mrs. Janet Delventhal Mr. Del and Mrs. Lil Deterling Mrs. Laura Dinda Mr. Joel and Mrs. Marci Dittmer Mr. Francisco Nieves Rev. Martin and Dr. Sandra Doering Mr. Rick Donovan Mr. Mike and Mrs. Tracey Dorsey Mr. Ronald and Mrs. Kim Draeger Mr. Michael Dubois Ms. Anna Dunn Mrs. Nettie Ehlers Dr. Lori Einfalt Ms. Rebecca Ellington Ms. Anne Ellison Ms. Denise Encarnacion Mr. Marshall England Mrs. Shari and Mr. Wayne Eskew Rev. Steven and Mrs. Pat Fick Mrs. Elinor Fischer Rev. Harold and Mrs. Jean Fleischhauer Mr. Nicholas and Mrs. Aimee Franz Mr. Paul and Mrs. Marla Franz Mr. David and Mrs. Carole Frederking Mrs. Angeline Frerichs Ms. Nancy Fryer Mr. Thomas Garza Ms. Linda Gattis Mr. Philip and Mrs. Carol Gersmehl Rev. Dr. Curtis and Mrs. Nancy Giese Dr. John Gillis and Dr. Lynette Gillis Mr. Johnny and Mrs. Erica Gonzalez Dr. Erik and Mrs. Christina Green Mr. Theodore Greenwald Mr. Daniel and Mrs. Mandy Gregory Mr. John and Mrs. Antoinette Griffin Dr. Daniel Guerrero Mr. Edwin and Mrs. Margaret Haas † Mr. Lester and Mrs. Marlene Hahn Mr. Frank Hale and Mrs. Lupita Machietto Mr. Peter and Mrs. Suzann Hames Mr. Paul and Mrs. Merry Hamilton Rev. Thomas and Mrs. Sally Handrick Mrs. Ida Hansen Mr. Ben and Mrs. Margaret Harris Mr. Phillip Harris Ms. Jennifer Harvill Mr. Vince Hash Mr. Curtis Hawley Ms. Karen Hayes Mr. Charles and Mrs. Susan Heather Mrs. Joyce Heckmann Mrs. Juanita Helmer † Mr. Efrain Hernandez Mr. David and Mrs. Dealey Herndon Dr. Drew Herron and Dr. Alex Herron Mr. Arden and Mrs. Donna Hetland Dr. Tom Hilgendorf Rev. Nate and Mrs. Candice Hill Rev. Ralph and Mrs. Lynn Hobratschk Dr. Jennifer Hofmann Mr. Kenneth Holley

18

† Deceased

Mr. Donald Hopp Mr. Kevin Hoppman Mr. Glenn and Mrs. Mary Horn Mr. Levon and Mrs. Susan Hovnatanian Rev. Paul and Mrs. Lois Howe Mr. Michael and Dr. Carol Huebner Mr. James and Mrs. Debbie Huff Mr. Rick and Mrs. Jacqueline Huggins Mrs. Pamela and Mr. Michael Hughes Mr. Larry and Mrs. Martha Huseman Mr. Stephen and Mrs. Patricia Hyle Mr. Jamian and Dr. Elaina Jackson Mr. Steven and Mrs. Lisa Jahnke Dr. Betty Jensen Mr. James Jensen Mr. Robert Jones Ms. Jackie Jungemann Ms. Winifred Kajs Mrs. Elizabeth Kalbacher Mr. John and Mrs. Myla Kaster Mr. Matthew and Mrs. Amanda Keeter Mr. Curtis and Mrs. Karen Kelly Mr. Marvin and Mrs. Margaret Kelm Mr. Jimmy and Mrs. Jane Kersten Mr. Ron and Mrs. April Kerwin Mr. Charles and Dr. Lauren Kieschnick Rev. John Kieschnick Mr. Jonathan and Mrs. Olga Kieschnick Mr. Jason Kieschnick Ms. Kassi Kincaid Mr. Daniel and Dr. Kristi Kirk Mr. Charles and Mrs. Patricia Kleinert Ms. Nancy Klesner Mr. Maury and Mrs. Evelyn Knape Mr. Gary and Mrs. Carroll Knippa Rev. Dr. William and Mrs. Melissa Knippa Mr. John and Mrs. Marjorie Koehler Mr. Glen and Mrs. Joyce Kokel Mrs. Evelyn Krause Rev. James and Dr. Norma Kretzmann Mr. Raymond and Mrs. Patricia Kym Mr. Michael and Mrs. Cathy Lacey Dr. Howard Lacey † Mr. Leslie and Mrs. Margaret Lakie Mr. Mark and Mrs. Deborah Lamb Mr. David Lancaster Ms. Sheri Land Mr. Jeffrey and Mrs. Graciela Landel Mr. Bryan and Dr. Margaret Landwermeyer Mr. Paul and Mrs. Mary Larson Mr. Gilbert and Mrs. Jan Larson Ms. Cynthia Leftwich Ms. Barbara Lettunich Mr. Tim and Mrs. Heidi Lewis Mr. Milton and Mrs. Elizabeth Liese Mrs. Jean Linderman Mr. Steven and Mrs. Kathryn Lindsay Mr. Scott and Mrs. Kelly Linebrink Mr. Shane Lollar Ms. Darla Lorber Ms. Linda Lowery Mr. Larry and Mrs. Beverly Luedke Mr. Greg Maldonado

Dr. Robert and Mrs. Ellen Malzahn Rev. James and Mrs. Evelyn Mann Mr. Kenneth and Mrs. Linda Markert Mr. Steven and Mrs. Elizabeth Martens Mr. Dave Martens Mrs. Jane Martens Mrs. Stephanie Martens Mr. Darren and Mrs. Courtney Masur Ms. Hillarie Matthews Ms. Kristi Matus Mr. Stephen and Mrs. Rose McIntyre Ms. Connie McMillan Mr. Brandon and Mrs. Kristin McMinn Mr. Francis and Mrs. Lynne Meagher Mr. John and Mrs. Patricia Meiller Dr. Victor and Mrs. Beverley Michalk Rev. Wilbern and Mrs. Betty Michalk Mr. Ken Miertschin Ms. Jean Minsch Mr. Tim and Mrs. Jolie Mittlestadt Mr. Dick and Mrs. Joyce Moeller Mr. Alfonse and Mrs. Barbara Mokry Mr. Samuel Narvaez Rev. Michael and Mrs. Cindy Newman Rev. Dr. Richard and Mrs. Paula Noack Mr. James and Mrs. Judy Noffke Mr. Jim and Mrs. Sandy Nowinski Ms. Tracey Officer Mr. Jose and Mrs. Marian Olivarez Mr. Cory Pack Ms. Kristy Palmer Rev. Vincent and Mrs. Marianna Parks Mr. Sairam and Mrs. Hillary Pathi Mr. Kelly and Mrs. Mollie Payne Rev. Richard and Mrs. Cynthia Pieplow Dr. Melissa Pope Mr. Tooter Porter Mr. Michael and Dr. KC Pospisil Mr. Phil and Mrs. Rebecca Powers Mr. Kenneth and Mrs. Christine Prinz Rev. Mark and Mrs. Laura Pulliam Mr. James and Mrs. Sheryl Rank Mr. Ronald and Mrs. Cathy Reck Mr. Jimmy Redding Mr. Terrance Redmann Mr. Charles and Mrs. Julie Requadt Ms. Geovanna Ricaldi-Cepeda Mr. John Paul and Mrs. Skye Richardson Mr. Randy and Mrs. Krista Richter Mr. John Riley Mr. Curtis and Mrs. Donna Riske Mrs. Virginia and Mr. Ronald Ritter Mr. Wyndell and Mrs. Carolyn Rivers CH COL James and Mrs. Vicki Robinson Mr. Larry and Mrs. Carolyn Roepke Mr. Michael Rondini Mr. Brad and Mrs. Lisa Rosenhagen Capt. Vernon and Mrs. Carolyn Rosson Mr. Bruce† and Mrs. Carol Rudi Mr. Mike Rummelhart Mr. Jose Salinas Ms. Rhonda Scales Mrs. Sherry Schaefer

Mrs. Jeanette Schaefer Mr. Brent Schaekel Mr. Nelson and Mrs. Sylvia Schmidt Rev. Richard and Mrs. Mary Schroeder Ms. Tricia Schroeder Mr. Wyatt and Mrs. Lynne Schultz Dr. Ann Schwartz Mr. Oliver and Mrs. Janice Schwausch Mr. Bob and Mrs. Ronda Seagraves Mr. Wayne Shaw Ms. Jane Shilts Mr. Joe and Mrs. Elizabeth Shortino Mr. Eric and Mrs. Carla Silber Mrs. Layne Smith Mr. Charles Smith Rev. Dr. Stephen and Mrs. Ursula Sohns Mr. Andy Spangle Mr. Larry Spangle Mr. Jamie and Mrs. Rhea Ann Spiegel Dr. Kristin Spindler Mr. Derek Staedtler Ms. Carol Stapper Ms. Kristine Stephens Rev. Norman and Mrs. Cathy Stoppenhagen Mr. Greg Stowers Dr. Frederick and Mrs. Ann Strieter Mr. Mark Strub Mrs. Kelly Szilagyi Mr. Trey Taparauskas Mr. Michael and Mrs. Karla Tate Mr. Dennis Teague Ms. Tammy Tebrugge Mr. Carl and Dr. Claudia Teinert Mr. David and Mrs. Doris Theiss Ms. Victoria Thibodeaux Mr. Colely and Mrs. Allison Thompson Mr. Kyle and Mrs. Rachel Thoms Mr. Mark Toungate Dr. Carl and Mrs. Carol Trovall Mr. Brian and Mrs. Lisa Tuchenhagen Mr. Tristan Tully Mr. Ryan and Mrs. Meghan Ullmann Dr. Jeffrey and Mrs. Christa Utzinger Mr. David and Mrs. Laura Van Soest Ms. Mary Ann Vasquez Ms. Stephanie Vasquez Rev. A.J. and Mrs. Krissy Vega Mr. Stan and Mrs. Sandra Voelker Dr. William and Mrs. Janet Voelter Ms. Betty Voshage Mr. Robert and Mrs. Stephanie Wadas Rev. Richard and Mrs. Madge Wagner Mrs. Mary Waiser Mr. and Mrs. Watkins Mr. Fred and Mrs. Dee Watkins Mrs. Vicki Watts Mr. Milton and Mrs. Eudoris Weiser Ms. Andrea Wenke Rev. Kevin and Mrs. Tammy Westergren Mr. Mike Whitten Mr. Thomas and Ms. Reina Wiatt Mr. Erik Wiik Mr. Barnabas and Mrs. Yolanda Willis

Mr. Bob Wilson Dr. Chris and Mrs. Miriam Winkler Ms. Kathy Wishert Dr. Leslie Wisner-Lynch Rev. Bill and Mrs. Julie Woolsey Mr. Al Worthy Ms. Lisa Wysocki Mr. Colin and Mrs. Tracy Yates Dr. Jacob and Mrs. Christy Youmans Mr. Donald and Mrs. Judith Young Mrs. Charlene Young Dr. Donald Zielke † Mr. Erwin Zoch

CHURCHES & RELIGIOUS GROUPS ACTS Church, Lakeway ACTS Church, Leander Amazing Grace Lutheran Church Bethany Lutheran Church Christ Lutheran Church Christ Our Savior Lutheran Christ The King Lutheran Church Faith Lutheran Church Gethsemane Lutheran Church Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Grace Lutheran Church King Of Kings Lutheran Church Memorial Lutheran Church Messiah Lutheran Church Mount Calvary Lutheran Church Our Redeemer Lutheran Church Our Savior Lutheran Church of Rockwall Our Savior Lutheran Church of Austin Peace Lutheran Church of Hurst Peace Lutheran Church of Texas City Peace Lutheran Church of Groves St. John Lutheran Church St. Matthew Lutheran Church of Westfield St. Paul Lutheran Church LWML Texas District LCMS Trinity Lutheran Church of Borger Trinity Lutheran Church of San Angelo Trinity Lutheran Church of Houston Trinity Lutheran Church of Odem Trinity Lutheran Church of Navasota Trinity Lutheran Church LWML Zion Lutheran Church

ENDOWMENTS & SCHOLARSHIPS A. B. Klein and Rosa Klein Endowment Fund A. W. and Adell Knippa Family Scholarship Endowment Adolph and Ann Heiner Scholarship Endowment Albert J. Goeke Memorial Scholarship Endowment Alfred & Elvina Miller Scholarship Endowment Alumni Association Scholarship Alvin & Esther Schmidt Scholarship Endowment Annie Mae Hilsberg Memorial Scholarship Endowment Arline Dinda Memorial Choir Tour Support Endowment Aurora and Erwin Moerbe Scholarship Endowment Barbara A. Baeder Scholarship Endowment Beglau Family Scholarship Endowment Bernard & Ruth Meyer Gastler Austin Children’s Choir

Scholarship Endowment Bert and Mary (Herzog) Kelm Memorial Scholarship Endowment Besch Biological Sciences Distinguished Speakers Endowment Bethlehem Lutheran Church Scholarship Endowment Beto Academic Center Endowment Bob and Anita Schjerven Business Scholarship Fund Bob and Anita Schjerven Church Work Scholarship Fund Bokenkamp Student Center Endowment Brian A. Hunt Memorial Scholarship Endowment Bruce Schierloh Memorial Scholarship Endowment Business Merit Scholarship Calvin Rathgeber Memorial Scholarship Endowment Carl and Hazel Huber Scholarship Endowment Carl and Ruby (Liberty) Gromatzky Scholarship Endowment Carl E. & Dorothy Ellebrecht Schroeder Scholarship Endowment Carl F. & LaVerne K. Rathgeber Church Work Endowment Carl W. & Alma S. Zersen International Christian Student Scholarship Endowment Carol Sharp Palmer Scholarship Endowment Carolyn D. Besch Memorial Scholarship Endowment Cecil J. and Luanna C. Unruh Scholarship Endowment Charles H. & Penny B. Moerbe Scholarship Endowment Charles Haschke Scholarship Endowment Charles R. Heather Scholarship Endowment Charles W. & Abbie D. Voelter Scholarship Endowment Chris and Jeff Hunt Family Scholarship Fund Christian and Clara Voelter Scholarship Endowment Clarence and Blanche Wolf Scholarship Endowment Clarence Y. Best & Georgia Becker Best Scholarship Endowment Clifford Horn & Bettie Horn Bendewald Lutheran Pre-Seminary & Education Scholarship Fund Clifton A. Walker ‘52 Memorial Scholarship Endowment Club Sembradores de Amistad Scholarship Endowment Concordia Guild Scholarship Endowment Concordia Players Endowment Concordia Texas Scuba Scholarship Curtis and Ruth Doering Scholarship Endowment Curtis W. & Marilyn (Kelm) Mickan Scholarship Endowment Cynthia Karianna Liwen Memorial Scholarship Fund David and Michelle Albers Scholarship Endowment David White Business Travel Endowment DCE Scholarship Endowment Del Kieschnick Scholarship Endowment Don and Jean Hilsberg Lutheran Teacher Scholarship Endowment Dorothy Zielke Scholarship Endowment Dot and Ernie Lueck Inspirational Scholarship Endowment Dr. Alan and Audrey Abel Scholarship Endowment Dr. and Mrs. Arthur Ahlschwede Scholarship Endowment Dr. Arthur Graf and Mildred Graf Scholarship Endowment Dr. Bernard and Ruth Meyer Gastler Fund Dr. Bertand du Castel Memorial Scholaship Endowment Dr. Carl A. Gaertner Scholarship Endowment Dr. Fred Growcock Alumni Scholarship Endowment Dr. J. Robert and Mary S. Cade Scholarship Endowment Dr. John D. Jungemann Scholarship Endowment

19

Dr. Karin M. Anderson Endowment Dr. La Verne John Fitch Scholarship Endowment Dr. M. James and Dody Moritz Scholarship Endowment E. A. Heckmann Scholarship Endowment Edith & Alfred Leja English Award Edwin E. and Bobbie E. Domaschk Scholarship Endowment Edwin H. and Carolyn A. Moerbe Scholarship Endowment Elizabeth Kuttruff Scholarship Endowment Ellen Rae and Marvin M. Haschke Scholarship Endowment Erna Elmshaeuser Ammons & Esther Schmidt Bobo Scholarship Endowment Ernest & Elsie Biewener Memorial Scholarship Endowment Ernest A. Bolland & Miss Katherine Bolland Church Music Scholarship Endowment Ernest E. & Gertrude M. Koenig Wiederaenders Scholarship Endowment Esther Herbrich Heather Memorial Scholarship Endowment Ewald and Gertrude Haschke Scholarship Endowment Ewald Hempel Scholarship Endowment in memory Johanna Hempel F. R. and Marie Leschber Student Assistance Endowment Feucht Family Scholarship Endowment Fir Scholarship Frank S. and Geraldine W. Breshears Scholarship Endowment Frederick J. & Ann E. Strieter Scholarship Endowment G. E. and Martha Wolf Scholarship Endowment George C. & Letha F Nicklow Endowment Fund George J. Beto Memorial Scholarship Endowment Gerhardt and Dolores Hartman Scholarship Endowment Gertrude T. Wiederanders Student Assistance Endowment Glendower and Mildred (Kieschnick) Haedge Scholarship Endowment Glenn & Sherry Schaefer Scholarship Endowment Godfrey and Marie Cadra Scholarship Endowment Goetze Sisters Greek Award Scholarship Fund Greene Lecture Series Greyson B. Johnson Neurodiversity Scholarship Endowment Hames Family Scholarship Endowment Harold & Ida Seibel Scholarship Endowment Harold and Jean Fleischhauer Scholarship Endowment Harriet I. Hartman Scholarship Endowment Harris Jean Besch Scholarship Endowment Harry and Meta Krusemark Memorial Scholarship Endowment Hayes, Freeling, Cowan Student Assistance Endowment Hearts for Jesus Scholarship Endowment Hebrew Award Scholarship Fund Heitshusen Family DCE Endowment Henry & Emily Staffeldt Zielke Memorial Scholarship Endowment Herman and Clara Henrichs Scholarship Endowment Herman and Clara Krause Scholarship Endowment Herman and Doris Teinert Scholarship Endowment Herman Schaefer Memorial Scholarship Endowment Hilmer & Edna Schaefer Memorial Scholarship

20

† Deceased

Endowment Hilsberg Family Scholarship Endowment Hirschi Maintenance Homer Haseloff Scholarship Endowment Horn Family Church Work Scholarship Endowment Howard/Anderson Scholarship Endowment Ida J. (Froelich) Lacey Scholarship Endowment Immanuel Rudi Memorial Scholarship Endowment Jack and Christie Bauer Scholarship Endowment James A. and Artice Fay Tate Scholarship Endowment James C. and Sophie Rode Werchan Scholarship Endowment James D. & Florence P. Thieme Memorial Scholarship Endowment Jamin Barrett Nitsche Scholarship Endowment Jeffrey Michael Nelson Memorial Scholarship Endowment Jesse H. Jones & Mary Gibbs Jones Endowed Scholarship Fund Jim and Charlotte Hughes Endowment Jim McConnell Scholarship Fund Jim Smith Endowment Fund Joan E. Goodson and Teri T. Sherman Endowment Johann Dube Scholarship Endowment John and Linda Simko & Alvin and Laverne Giese Scholarship Fund John and Patti Golden Business Mangement Scholarship Endowment John C. G. Krause Scholarship Endowment John E. and Hilda M. Albers Scholarship Endowment John Guest Scholarship Endowment John H. Kieschnick Scholarship Endowment John Horn Scholarship Fund John W. and Mildred L. Barstow Scholarship Endowment Joyce Mackey Scholarship Endowment Jubilee Church Work Scholarship Endowment Judith Ann and David Timothy Stein Scholarship for Nursing Education Judith Lynne Growcock Memorial Scholarship Judy Pietsch and Doreen Bohrer Endowment Julia Krumm Aspiring Organist Scholarship Endowment Justin Surratt Memorial Scholarship Endowment Kahanek Wuensche Professional Church Work Endowment Keith A. Loomans Excellence in Education Awards Kenneth D. & LaVerna R. Ramming Scholarship Endowment Kenneth Haunschild Scholarship Endowment Kiesling Family Scholarship Endowment Leaders and Learners Leo & Thelma Gastler Music Scholarship Endowment Leonard F. Schroeder Scholarship Endowment Leonard Scott Smith Library Endowment Leslie & Elaine Koeneke Boyer Scholarship Endowment Lester & Elaine Robbins Scholarship Endowment Lifetime Learning Institute of Austin Scholarship Endowment Lin Charles Pfluger Scholarship Endowment Lin Rey Biar Scholarship Endowment Linda C. Lowery Endowed Scholarship Fund Linebrink and Pieper Families Scholarship Endowment Lois and Les Bayer Scholarship Endowments Lori Calder Harris Scholarship Endowment

Louis George Reim Scholarship Endowment Lutheran Brotherhood Jubilee Scholarship Endowment Lutheran Brotherhood Scholarship Endowment M. G. and Lillie A. Johnson Foundation Scholarship Endowment Margaret Wolf Hart Scholarship Endowment Marilyn Erickson Bauer Memorial Scholarship Endowment Marjorie Wilke-Baker Chaplaincy/Counselor Endowment Markert-Schneider Families Scholarship Endowment Martha Lamar Scholarship Endowment Fund Martin and Elaine Schur Scholarship Endowment Marvin W. & Lucille L. (Voss) Menzel Church Work Scholarship Endowment Mattil-Thiele Church Work Scholarship Endowment Meissner Biology Field Trip Endowment Melita Fund Endowment Melvin E. Heins Scholarship Endowment Rev. Dr. Guido Merkens Merrie Leigh Orton MacInerney Scholarship Endowment Mildred and Lawrence Lieder Scholarship Endowment Milton and Esther Sweet Scholarship Endowment Milton H. Riemer Stratford Scholarship Endowment Minnie Sprain Fund Monroe and Helen Karcher Church Work Scholarship Endowment Mr. & Mrs. Eugene Bode, Sonia, Sarah Scholarship Endowment Mr. and Mrs. Arnold E. A. Koepsell Scholarship Endowment Mr. and Mrs. Otto A. Manske Assistance Endowment Mr. Jacob F. & Mrs. Anna M. Theiss Church Work Scholarship Endowment Norma and Elmer Hohle Scholarship Endowment Norman B. and Margie H. Moerbe Scholarship Endowment Norman W. Holmes Business Merit Scholarship Endowment Nursing Scholarship Fund Otho Haunschild Family Scholarship Endowment Otto & Norma Schaefer Endowed Chair in Literature Otto C Riske of Trinity, Port Arthur Church Worker Scholarship Endowment Our Savior Men’s Fellowship Student Assistance Fund Patricia and Donald Bokenkamp Scholarship Endowment Paul Nerger/Minnie Nerger Thiele Scholarship Endowment Peggy Krueger Turnipseed Scholarship Endowment Perry and Elaine Wells Scholarship Endowment Peterson Family Scholarship Endowment Pietsch Scholarship Grant Pilgrim Help Train Pastor/Teacher Endowment Professor and Mrs. Howard Lacey Scholarship Endowment Professor Harold and Viola Rutz Music Department Endowment R C & Adele Michalk Scholarship Endowment R. E. Geren Memorial Scholarship Endowment Ralph Salinas Scholarship Endowment Ray & Kathryn Schkade Scholarship Endowment Ray F. and Jane Martens Scholarship Endowment Reina Wiatt Endowed Scholarship

Rev Dr Samuel I. Goltermann Christian Leadership Award Endowment Rev Eugene E. and Joyce G. Heckmann Scholarship Endowment Rev William E. Meyer Scholarship Endowment Rev. Albert F. Jesse Scholarship Endowment Rev. Dr. Joel D. & Cheryl L. Heck Texas Lutheran High Church Work Endowment Rev. Dr. Martin J. Neeb Excellence in Teaching Award Rev. Dr. Samuel L. Christian Leadership Award Endowment Rev. Edwin and Cora Bell Nerger Scholarship Endowment Rev. F. W. Siebelitz Scholarship Endowment Rev. Fred H. Stelzer Scholarship Endowment Rev. George and Susan Kolzenicky Memorial Scholarship Rev. George L. Winkler Scholarship Endowment Rev. Harold A. Heckmann and Della (Dieterich) Heckmann Endowment Rev. Jacob and Mrs. Elfrieda Leinninger Scholarship Endowment Rev. John D. and Eunice Fritz Scholarship Endowment Rev. Leo and Rose Merle Symmank Church Worker Scholarship Endowment Rev. Theodore Schmidt Lutheran Ministry Scholarship Memorial Rev. Walter & Bertha Lebien & Oscar & Hattie Fischer Scholarship Endowment Rev. Walter and Margaret Huber Scholarship Endowment Rev. William and Bessie Mueller Scholarship Endowment Richard and Elsie Frank Trust Scholarship Endowment Richard E. & Lydia A. Marburger/J.B. & Ida Hansen Scholarship Endowment Richard J. Hansen Scholarship Endowment for International Students Robert A. Brunig Scholarship Fund Robert and Anita Schjerven Scholarship Fund Robert and Mary Bauer Theology Professorship Endowment Robert L. and Loretta V. Eilers Scholarship Endowment Roger and Kathleen Hackman Scholarship Endowment Roy M. Rathgeber Memorial Scholarship Endowment Ruby V. Knigge Scholarship Endowment Ruth and Ernest Bolland Scholarship Endowment S. Wayne and Joan A. Cook Scholarship Endowment St. Paul Lutheran Church, The Grove, Endowment Fund Stewart and Eleanora Nitsche Lakie Memorial Scholarship Endowment Suzann West Hames Nursing Endowment Teacher Bleeke Scholarship Endowment Texas District Endowment Fund Scholarships for Needy Students The Bobbie Lee Ferguson Reim Scholarship Endowment The Jay Sevier Scholarship Fund The Laurence Meissner Scholarship Endowment The Linderman/Knippa Chaplaincy Scholarship Endowment The Louis E. and Meta E. Kissman Scholarship Endowment The Mel Hobratsch and Friends Scholarship Endowment The Richard John Neuhaus Endowed Lectureship

Thiele Ariens Family Scholarship Endowment Thomas H. Orton Memorial Scholarship Endowment Tom and Penny Cedel Christian Leadership Initiative Scholarship Endowment Virginia and Bill Beilharz Scholarship Endowment W. E. and Fay Hemann Student Assistance Endowment Walter & Paula Bielefeldt Ministerial Scholarship Endowment Walter A. and Erna H. Mersiovsky Scholarship Endowment Walter and Edna Schroeder Endowment Wes & Puddin’ Krueger and Family Scholarship Endowment William and Ernestine Haschke Scholarship Endowment William H. & Loretta B. Smith Memorial Scholarship Endowment Zielke Students of Promise Zoch Family Scholarship Endowment

FOUNDATIONS & GIVING FUNDS Austin Community Foundation James Orlandini Foundation Legacy Deo Lutheran Foundation of Texas Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest RecognizeGood Senske Family Fund Tarpey Charitable Lead Annuity Trust The Neeb Family Foundation Texas District Church Extension Fund United Way

PRESIDENTS’ ALUMNI SOCIETY Mr. Jim and Mrs. Deborah Albers Ms. Kassandra Bills Mr. Fred and Mrs. Candy Bleeke Mr. Mark and Mrs. Carolyn Boerger Mr. Robert Brown Mr. Andrew Burns Mr. Adam and Mrs. Michelle Case Mr. Clay and Mrs. Michelle Cole Rev. Martin and Dr. Sandy Doering Mr. Ronald and Mrs. Kim Draeger Rev. Harold and Mrs. Jean Fleischhauer Mr. John and Mrs. Antoinette Griffin Mr. Gary and Mrs. Brooke Grossman Mr. Ben and Mrs. Margaret Harris Mrs. Joyce Heckmann Rev. Ralph and Mrs. Lynn Hobratschk Mr. Kevin Hoppman Mr. Glenn and Mrs. Mary Horn Mr. Jake and Mrs. Lyndsay Irby Mr. Steven and Mrs. Lisa Jahnke Mr. Robert Jones Mr. Curtis and Mrs. Karen Kelly Mr. Marvin and Mrs. Margaret Kelm Rev. John Kieschnick Ms. Kassi Kincaid Mr. Gary and Mrs. Carroll Knippa Mr. John and Mrs. Marjorie Koehler Mr. Glen and Mrs. Joyce Kokel Mr. Michael and Mrs. Cathy Lacey Mr. Paul and Mrs. Mary Larson Mr. Scott and Mrs. Kelly Linebrink

Mr. Dave Martens Mr. Steven and Mrs. Elizabeth Martens Mr. Shawn Matthijetz Mr. Brandon and Mrs. Kristin McMinn Dr. Victor and Mrs. Beverley Michalk Mr. Philip and Mrs. Sara Middleton Mrs. Jolie and Mr. Tim Mittlestadt Mr. Billy Moyer and Mrs. Ashley Alaniz-Moyer Rev. Dr. Richard and Mrs. Paula Noack Ms. Tracey Officer Mr. Sai and Mrs. Hillary Pathi Dr. Missy Pope Mr. Ragan Pope Rev. Mark and Mrs. Laura Pulliam Mr. John Paul and Mrs. Skye Richardson Mr. Brad and Mrs. Lisa Rosenhagen Mr. Rick and Mrs. Becky Rosenhagen Mr. Bruce† and Mrs. Carol Rudi Mr. Brent Schaekel Ms. Rebecca Schelen Mr. Sam Stewart Rev. Norman and Mrs. Cathy Stoppenhagen Mr. Mike and Mrs. Karla Tate Mr. Kyle and Mrs. Rachel Thoms Mr. Brian and Mrs. Lisa Tuchenhagen Mr. Tristan Tully Mr. Ryan and Mrs. Meghan Ullmann Rev. A. J. and Mrs. Kristen Vega Mr. Stan and Mrs. Sandra Voelker Mr. Barnabas and Mrs. Yolanda Willis Rev. Bill and Mrs. Julie Woolsey

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION COUNCIL Mrs. Kristin McMinn (Chair), Class of 2000 Mrs. Bettie Ann Bendewald, Class of 1956 Mrs. Michelle Bradshaw, Class of 2015 Mr. Dan Darden, Class of 2007 Mrs. Lisa Jahnke, Class of 1995 Mr. Jason McGee, Class of 2013 Ms. Rebecca Schelen, Class of 2021 Ms. Jessi Sternat, Class of 2018 Mr. Sam Stewart, Class of 2020 Mr. Greg Watson, Class of 1990 For corrections on names and titles or any other updates, please contact philanthropy@concordia.edu or call (512) 313-4109.

In preparation for the Centennial Celebration in 2026, Concordia would like to gratefully acknowledge those who have included the university in their estate plans. To share your plan to include Concordia University Texas in your estate, or for more information, please contact April Kerwin at april. kerwin@concordia.edu or (512) 313-5101.

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THRIVING. Thriving is a team sport.

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CONTACT 512.313.3000 concordia.edu