Concordia has a very tight knit community where everyone knows everyone.
Kylee Sullivan has felt the impact of this community even from her first visit to Concordia. “On my first visit, my parents left and told me that they’d be back at the end of the day. I had been invited to go to eat popcorn with the Directors of Christian Education (DCEs), but I got completely lost in Thom. One of the students I had met earlier that day recognized me and showed me the room. I really appreciated that.”
One of the main reasons Kylee was drawn to Concordia Nebraska was the DCE program. “I wanted to be a DCE and they have a great program here. I applied to Irvine and Austin and they just weren’t the right fit for me. Both DCEs from my church came from here, and they loved it. I’ve honestly been loving it too.”
Kylee has been interested in different aspects of Christian education leadership for a long time. “Since sixth grade, I’ve loved volunteering, doing service projects and mission work.” This sparked Kylee’s interest in becoming a DCE. “I knew I enjoyed mission work, but when I found out that being a DCE involved networking, serving others and learning more about God, I knew it was the right choice for me.”
A trait of the Christian education leadership program is that students are required to pursue an additional major with it. Kylee is currently majoring in psychology and behavioral science, in addition to being in the DCE program. “I think psychology and behavioral science are helpful, because I believe that you have to know a person before you can help them, and you can learn how to know them through the skills I’ll learn from psychology and behavioral science.”
Getting to know people has been a very important part of Kylee’s journey. “Don’t be afraid to jump in when you get here. For the first three weekends of my freshman year, I sat in my room by myself and watched Netflix.” Since then, Kylee has branched out in a variety of ways. “I eventually left my room and made some friends. I’ve also started working in the mailroom and at 10:31, the coffee shop on campus. I think, in general, the more you get involved, the more you’ll get out of your college experience.”