The Luke Scholars Program forms a grand community where the students can challenge each other and learn from each other, building relationships in the process.
Concordia University senior Esther Langness of Englewood, Colorado is majoring in Christian Educational Leadership and Theology and plans to become a DCE. Following graduation, she hopes to work in an intergenerational ministry opportunity while focusing on youth ministry.
Two of Esther’s older siblings attended Concordia Nebraska, so when the time came for her to choose a college, she was already familiar with the Seward campus, class offerings and campus atmosphere.
“I was already strongly considering attending here, but what ultimately led me to choose Concordia Nebraska over another school was the Lutheran-based education and community,” she said. “I knew I wanted to go into church work, and Concordia Nebraska has an epic DCE program!”
Esther heard about the Luke Scholars program from her Concordia admissions counselor and thought the program might compliment her DCE program studies.
“The Luke Scholars program takes students that are interested in learning and thinking, and provides them with opportunities and classes that build on that,” she explained. “It challenges the students to look at topics from a variety of disciplines rather than being tied down by their singular major. As an added bonus, the Luke Scholars program forms a grand community where the students can challenge each other and learn from each other, building relationships in the process.”
The Luke Scholars curriculum includes an introductory foundational course, three unique interdisciplinary seminars, some general education courses and a six-hour capstone experience.
“I have enjoyed all of the Luke Scholars classes, but my top favorite class is ‘Becoming a Luke Scholar’. This is the first class that freshman Luke Scholars take,” said Esther.
“”It examines a liberal arts education and really helps the students to look at what education is, why they are at a university, and how it applies to their future vocations. This class is especially helpful in that it creates a sort of mindset that you can apply to all your classes at college. Rather than being frustrated by the gen-ed requirements, it helps you to see the benefits of those classes.”
Esther said another class that stands out in her Luke Scholars experience is the Jerusalem class offered by Dr. Meehl.
“This class covered the entire history of the city of Jerusalem, giving a better context for the events in the Bible, and also showing its historical significance after the time of Jesus,” she said. “This class was fantastic on its own, but it paired well with the Israel trip that Dr. Meehl leads every few years. I fully appreciated seeing how the various disciplines such as politics, history, and theology, all played a large part in the events in Jerusalem.”
In addition to the thought-provoking and educational classes provided in the program, Esther said the friendships she’s formed with other program participants are priceless.
“The fellowship is fantastic! The program creates a unique environment where you are surrounded by people who truly want to learn,” she said. “You can have deep conversations discussing and debating issues or topics and people are actually interested in them! You can end up with a group of students who love just staying up late talking about philosophy, theology, and anything else that comes to mind. And throughout the semester, when you start getting tired or wearied by assignments, there is a community that encourages you to do your best and keep up on the academic side of college. I can honestly say that the Luke Scholars Program and the community it formed is one of my favorite aspects of my experience at Concordia.”
Esther said in some ways it’s hard to succinctly describe the Luke Scholars program to someone who’s not familiar with it. The program is not what she expected when she signed up for it, but she said without a doubt the experiences she has had with the program have been fantastic.
“When I signed up for the program, I was a rather flustered senior in high school. I only had a brief explanation of what the program was, and envisioned a collection of rather dull lectures,” she said. “When I started the program, I discovered that those lectures I thought would be dull were some of my favorite and most engaging. I also never imagined the sort of relationships that I would be able to build through being in the program.”
Esther said she loves Concordia Nebraska because of the close-knit campus community and the location of the university within a small town. She said her Luke Scholars experience has enriched her time at the university beyond anything she could have ever imagined. Although she accidentally stumbled upon the program, she said it has caused her to remain motivated in her studies and enjoy her time at Concordia tremendously.
Esther said this program is a great compliment to many different majors and interests and could be a great fit for many different Concordia Nebraska students.
“If you enjoy learning and digging into deeper topics, I highly recommend the program. It is challenging, but it is a beneficial challenge,” she said. “Be open to learning about subjects that may not have interested you previously, and engage with your fellow students whenever you can! You'll grow as a student, and you'll grow in your interactions with others as well.”