Meet Concordia Nebraska Director of LCMS Placement and Assistant Professor of Education Preston Sunderman CO ’13 GR ‘24

Concordia University, Nebraska recently announced that Preston Sunderman CO ’13 GR ‘24 has been named as the university’s director of LCMS placement and assistant professor of education. In the near future, he will also assume responsibility for the university’s colloquy program. 

“My job is to help mentor our church worker students - teachers, DCEs, directors of parish music and classical Lutheran educators - during their time at Concordia Nebraska and help prepare them to receive their first call,” he explained. “I also get to walk with them through the call process as they are contacted by calling bodies, discern where the Lord is calling them and help make sure all the paperwork gets to where it's supposed to.” 

Sunderman will also teach an introduction to education course at the university and serve as one of the student teacher supervisors. 

“I loved my time here as a student. It was an important and formative time for me and my faith life. I also was able to serve as Student Senate president for three years, so I had the blessing of working closely with many different faculty and staff members at the university,” he explained. “As an alum, since my first call was to Norfolk, Nebraska, I was able to stay connected and make it back to campus to visit people and attend conferences here.” 

Last summer, Sunderman was elected to serve on the Concordia Nebraska Board of Regents for the Nebraska District. 

“I loved every minute of serving in that capacity. It was a great blessing for me to be able to get to know and serve alongside the other regents, but also to be able to give back to Concordia,” he said. “To be able to have served as a regent and now as a called employee at Concordia is really humbling and exciting for me. I would not have guessed that the Lord would bless me with these opportunities, but I'm glad He has!” 

Sunderman said that he always knew he wanted to serve as a Lutheran school teacher, and that made the decision to attend Concordia Nebraska an easy choice. He has a bachelor’s degree in secondary education with social science and theology endorsements from the university as well as a master’s degree in history from the University of South Dakota and a master’s degree in educational administration from Concordia Nebraska. 

“I had many teachers throughout my grade school and high school serve as mentors and set such a great example of what it means to be a teacher. Concordia Nebraska was the obvious choice, both for its renowned education program but also because it was close to home,” he said. “I loved the small, friendly campus where even if I didn't know everyone's name, we still knew each other. I loved being surrounded by people who believed and confessed the same thing and being able to live, study and worship together. I loved the professors who gave endlessly of themselves to teach, support, challenge and mentor us. I loved the emphasis on vocation and how it was connected to everything we learned.”  

“My job is to help mentor our church worker students - teachers, DCEs, directors of parish music and classical Lutheran educators - during their time at Concordia Nebraska and help prepare them to receive their first call. I also get to walk with them through the call process as they are contacted by calling bodies, discern where the Lord is calling them and help make sure all the paperwork gets to where it's supposed to.”

He said his professors helped him discover his purpose in a variety of different ways. 

“They were always open for conversations and discussions. Whenever there was a concept or idea that I was wrestling with, whether it was academically, personally or theologically, they always made sure they were available to help me process things,” he said. “One of the most impactful things for me was learning more about our teaching of vocation and connecting it to the verses about how the body of Christ works together.” 

After he graduated with his bachelor’s degree, Sunderman accepted a call back to his high school - Lutheran High Northeast in Norfolk, Nebraska, where he taught world history, U.S. history, government and modern problems and served as speech coach and mock trial coach. In 2023, he gave up teaching world history and serving as the speech coach and became a part-time administrator as the activities director where he served until his current call to serve at Concordia Nebraska.  

“I loved my time at Lutheran High…I also love teaching and being able to work with and encourage people,” he said. “I had so many good mentors and teachers throughout my educational career and I try to be that blessing for my students as well.” 

Sunderman and his wife Leah married in 2016.  

“We met because her older sister married my best friend from high school; she was the maid of honor, and I was the best man at their wedding. Gotta love how the Lord works!” he laughed.  

Preston and Leah love traveling to visit family. When he’s not working, you’ll find Preston playing cards, chess and board games, watching movies and reading. 

He said his time at Concordia Nebraska definitely prepared him for his current service. 

“It showed me what it means to be a body of believers working together, whether it be in chapel, in the classroom or in our regular comings and goings,” he said. “It showed me how to invest in the people around me. The professors demonstrated what it looked like to mentor and support students. I attended Lutheran schools from grade school through college. It's pretty easy to start to think that you've heard all the stuff before, but Concordia did a great job teaching humility and adding depth, meaning and clarity to my faith…It helped me understand that faith isn't just about head knowledge, while at the same time doing an incredible job of teaching doctrine and practical theology; it taught me about vocation and how the body of Christ works together to sustain creation. It taught me the importance of worship life and the value of doing so regularly with fellow believers.”  

Concordia University, Nebraska's career services and placement office helps conduct job searches, secure internships, prepare cover letters and resumes, and, for LCMS church worker students, facilitates placement in churches and schools.