From Sandwich Shop to Seminary
Story: Amy Crawford
Photos: Courtesy Caleb Swor '25
With humor, humility and a heart for service, Caleb Swor shares how God transformed his life and guided his path toward ministry.
If you’d asked Caleb Swor of Allen, Texas, what his dream job was about seven years ago, he would have answered without hesitation: to play hockey in the NHL.
“Clearly, I was way too good at hockey, so I decided to quit so it would be fair to everyone else,” he joked.
When he was growing up, Swor was known as the class clown. And sometimes that label comes with the stereotype that you’re really not very smart.
“You are taunted with jokes like ‘what is 2 plus 2?’ and similar, silly things. It was hard not to take that to heart,” he said. “I carried that with me throughout high school, and I did myself no favors by getting mostly C’s.”
After working at sandwich shop Jersey Mikes for more than five years, Swor found himself in the position of assistant manager at age 21.
“I was managing high school students, but I knew I was meant for more,” he said. “It became harder and harder to reject the calling to be a pastor I had felt for a long time, but getting over the hump of going to and actually graduating from college seemed impossible given my lack of intelligence.”
So Swor prayed.
“I put my trust in God and asked Him to guide me through the scary years of college,” he explained. “I blinked, and now I’m graduating in less than a month. It has certainly been a grind, and I didn’t merely blink my eyes to earn a degree, but something that seemed so impossible and scary felt effortless in comparison with God’s help.
Swor plans to attend Concordia Theological Seminary – Fort Wayne in fall 2025. He graduated from Concordia University, Nebraska with a degree in art therapy in May 2025.
“I’ve learned that one must be flexible when making plans, because they typically don’t go how you expect, but if I had it my way, I’d be a pastor for 10 to 20 years, and then I’d love to teach for the rest of my life after that. Teaching is something I have a passion for, and I’ve always been told I’d be good at it, so it is something I am seriously considering after serving as a pastor.”
So how did Swor end up at Concordia Nebraska?
“My Godparents met here, and my sister went here, as well,” he explained. “A friend that I grew up with begged me to come here, as well. We eventually became roommates when he was here, and he went on to seminary, as well.”
Already familiar with the university due to his friendship with friends on campus, Swor said he also felt it was important to attend a university far from his home state of Texas. He lived with his beloved grandpa Gordon in Texas the summer before he moved to Seward.
“I knew attending a school far from home would give me the best chance to grow as much as possible at a place that is already designed to do just that,” he said.
In addition to majoring in art therapy, Swor was in the university’s pre-seminary program. He enjoys lifting weights and still loves hockey.
He said that the supportive and caring professors had a huge impact on him during his time at the university.
“Dr. Genter, Professor Boyce and Professor Bockelman all make you feel like family and show genuine effort in helping you learn, grow in your faith, and become a more complete human being,” he said. “Dr. Coe, Dr. Blanco and Dr. Genter all have a passion for the Word of God and for loving their neighbor. That is an outstanding example for any young man or woman looking to serve God’s people.”
Something that seemed so impossible and scary felt effortless in comparison with God’s help.
And Swor said the university’s Christ-centered focus and daily opportunities to study God’s word were priceless.
“Dr. Genter has helped me understand the nature of being the man God has called me to be. By washing His disciples’ feet, Jesus calls all men to humble themselves and serve those around them,” he said. “Dr. Genter also helped me realize the significance of the callings of our lives that many people see as insignificant. The calling to be a father, uncle, brother or neighbor are no less important than the calling to be a lawyer, doctor or pastor, and need to be seen as they are; direct callings from our Heavenly Father that we are to live out every day with our whole heart.”
He said his time at the university has been life-changing, but the best part by far has been meeting and marrying his wife Hannah, who works as an admissions counselor for the university. They met in Galveston, Texas, at a Lutheran singles retreat in the summer 2021 before Swor began his studies at the university in August 2021. They were married July 22, 2023.
“She has attended chapel with me, come home over lunch to eat with me and has loved and supported me in any and every way she knows how and really made my college experience at Concordia as good as it could have been,” he said.
The thought of leaving Seward leaves Swor with mixed feelings. He and his wife have loved their time at the university but know that God is calling them to serve.
“Learning from outstanding professionals like Professor Boyce and Dr. Genter for these last few years, I feel very equipped and confident to begin my studies at the seminary,” said Swor. “Though there is nothing in and of myself that makes me especially worthy of pursuing the holy ministry, it will be essential that we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and trust in Him alone. Helping shepherd a congregation full of God’s people is one of His many callings for me, and because of that I am convinced He will help me through my studies at the seminary and during my time as a pastor. It is also obvious to me that the time He has given me with not only Dr. Genter but Professor Boyce as well has been a gift. God has used His people to instruct me and equip me with what I need to be a servant to my brothers and sisters in Christ, serving them in body and soul in every way I can.”