Concordia Nebraska Competitive Leadership Team Spring 2025 Update

Concordia University, Nebraska’s Competitive Leadership Team was started in 2017. What started with one team of six students has doubled in size in the past eight years. The team has traveled to places like Cleveland, Ohio, and Norfolk, Virginia, for past Collegiate Leadership Competitions (CLC) and this spring traveled to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for the regional competition.  

Concordia’s leadership team meets each week to build relationships, earn trust and collaborate to solve challenges. They work to master the CLC curriculum and strengthen their leadership skills. When asked about their involvement on the team, students commonly respond with growth. Collegiate leadership team students are able to grow their leadership skills and become more engaged team members. Both are skills that will serve graduates well regardless of their future career. 

This year’s Competitive Leadership Teams won the Midwest Regional Championship finishing in first and second place. Team member Victor Santana said that the trip to Oklahoma City allowed the team to grow both competitively and in their relationships with each other. The teams also finished in second and fifth place in the online Global Competition. Other teams that participated attended schools such as Brigham Young University, the University of Toronto, Old Dominion University and Southwest Oklahoma State University.  

Their trip to Oklahoma also helped them to bond as a team. Team member Kaylee Powell said that “My most meaningful experience through CLC has been learning that strong leadership starts with prioritizing relationships. Being part of the team that pushed me to grow by connecting with people from different backgrounds and learning to lead with confidence.” Member Cylee Jameson shared that “One of the special dynamics we created during meals on the trip was that we would pray together before eating, giving one of our leaders the chance to step into a leadership role and prioritize our Christian values in our business club.” 

Besides spending time together on the trip to Oklahoma, the team was also able to tour the KimRay facility, a Christian faith-based company that manufactures valves for oil production. Seeing how the company prioritized leadership within their organization allowed the students to connect the skills they had been learning through CLC to real-world applications in the industry. After their win at the championship, they celebrated by attending the OKC Thunder vs. Lakers NBA game. 

Santana said, “Accepting an invitation to be a part of the Competitive Leadership is the best decision I've made while being a student at Concordia. The memories created and the life lessons learned are something I will cherish forever.” 

Students on this year’s Competitive Leadership Team: 

Brooks Kissinger, sophomore, Ashland, Neb. 

Kaylee Powell, sophomore, Central City, Neb. 

Taylor Larsen, junior, Hazard, Neb. 

Jake Hagerbaumer, senior, Hooper, Neb. 

Mark Arp, senior, McCook, Neb. 

Niah Kirchner, junior, Omaha, Neb. 

Katelyn Smith, senior, Omaha, Neb. 

Cylee Jameson, junior, Thedford, Neb. 

DJ McGarvie, senior, Valparaiso, Neb. 

Paige Melohn, sophomore, Manson, Iowa 

Gabrielle Wagner, junior, Sioux City, Iowa  

Victor Santana, senior, Boerne, Texas 

The Leadership Team is coached by Dr. Curt Beck. 

Concordia University, Nebraska’s Collegiate Leadership Competition (CLC) Team provides students who are passionate about leadership with tangible, high-impact learning experiences for future leaders. Students on the CLC Team participate in national and global leadership competitions where they have moved into consistent top 5 national rankings over teams at universities with student populations 15 times the size of Concordia University, Nebraska. Learn more about the CLC team here.