After studying math and business at Concordia Nebraska, Hanna Lina Kirst ’23 serves at Vyoma Space in Munich

Hanna Lina Kirst ’23 discovered Concordia University, Nebraska during her college search because she was looking at women's soccer offerings at National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) schools that also offered strong math and business programs. Concordia Nebraska offered everything she was looking for. 

“My favorite part of my experience at Concordia was being part of the women's soccer team and taking math classes with my close friends,” she said. “Since our classes were small, our professors really knew each one of us personally. They were able to specifically target our needs and guide us towards our goals. The tight schedule I had, with classes, working and soccer practices and trips, helped me develop excellent time management skills. It taught me how to focus on the things that interest me most while managing multiple priorities. Especially finance and programming classes helped me feel secure in jobs I have a high interest in.” 

Kirst double majored in mathematics and business communications. 

My favorite part of my experience at Concordia was being part of the women's soccer team and taking math classes with my close friends.

“After graduation, I moved to Barcelona, Spain, where I earned a master’s in international relations and international business while working in exports and finance for a local company.” 

After finishing her master's, she secured a position in financial with Vyoma Space – a company that focuses on efficiency in space operations for satellite operators and intelligence agencies - in Munich. 

“In my current role at Vyoma Space, I am in charge of managing financial data, using Excel and spreadsheets and ensuring correct bookkeeping. I work closely with my bosses and the CEOs to align our goals and strategies,” she explained. “On a daily basis, I communicate with my team about the company’s next goals, log financial data and ensure accurate bookkeeping. What I find most fulfilling about my job is the company’s innovative mission. Vyoma is launching its own satellite with SpaceX this year, and we develop space debris observation cameras and telescopes to help maintain a safe space environment.” 

Kirst said her family is spread out across the globe, with her sister studying in the Netherlands and her brother working in South America. When she’s not working, she still plays soccer. In Barcelona, she played for Hospitalet, and she is now starting with a new team in Munich. 

Kirst said her time at the university provided her with invaluable learning experiences and opportunities and many treasured relationships. 

“Concordia helped me understand Lutheran faith, which was a new concept for me since I grew up in South America with little to no exposure to it,” she said. “And I’m incredibly grateful for many of my professors at Concordia, especially Dr. Andrew Langewisch, who wrote recommendation letters that helped me gain acceptance to both the University of Melbourne and my university in Barcelona, and I was now even able to use it to get acceptance to an internship at the European Parliament in Brussels, which I had to turn down to be able to come to Munich.” 

Business communication majors at Concordia University, Nebraska learn how to think of organizations holistically, including how consumers receive marketing messaging, how employee interactions with co-workers affect productivity and how an investment by the organization communicates a business’s political stance. With a business communication degree from Concordia Nebraska, students find many doors open for future employment in a variety of areas.