Hayley Steinbauer ’22 followed God’s calling to serve in Cambodia with Concordia Welfare & Education Foundation

For Hayley Steinbauer ’22, attending Concordia University, Nebraska is something of a family tradition. Her grandfather Vern Harnapp HS '54 CO '58 attended Concordia High School and then-named Concordia Teacher’s College. Her two aunts Vanessa (Harnapp) Schefer '83 and Veloyce (Harnapp) Dorn '86 and mother Venita (Harnapp) Steinbauer '88 also attended Concordia Nebraska.  

“God led me to the same place!” she said. 

Steinbauer has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and behavioral science with a minor in marketing from the university. She said her time was filled with priceless friendships, encouragement from professors and many opportunities to grow her faith in Jesus Christ. 

“I found my life-long friends at Concordia. I was surrounded by a Christian community during one of the most important growing seasons of my life and it profoundly shaped me into a strong Jesus follower and young professional,” she said. “I was undecided for a year and a half, but my advisor stuck with me and helped to lead me to declaring my major in business. When I was in the classroom, I was not just a number. The smaller class sizes allowed me to build relationships with my professors. My professors gave me encouragement and pointed out what I was naturally good at. How many people can say that multiple professors pulled them aside to give them feedback and encouragement? It’s unique.” 

God gave me life experiences and proddings that have led me to international missions. I am excited to see how He will use me!

Although she was not a theology student or an education major at the university, she chose to audit multiple religion classes at the university during her time on campus. 

“The religion classes grew me in my faith but also made me reconsider what it means to be a missionary. I never thought I would go into missionary service overseas but God kept watering me in that area through the religion classes I audited,” she explained. 

She said that daily interaction with other Christians during her time on campus was truly impactful.

“You can read and study Christianity all you want, but it's in interacting with Christian people that you better understand Jesus,” she said. “I saw the fruits of the spirit modeled to me by staff members. Faith lived out is infectious and inspiring. They made me want to know Jesus more. Rebekah Freed and Pastor Matthias were two that became role models for me during my years at Concordia Nebraska.” 

After graduation in 2022, Steinbauer completed a string of internships with Samaritan's Purse, a large Christian non-governmental organization based in Boone, North Carolina.  

“I lived in North Carolina and worked as an HR intern before transitioning as an operations intern in Hanoi, Vietnam, with Samaritan's Purse. I worked in Vietnam for six months, specifically working with their education team,” she said. “We ran events and training programs for visually impaired students in Hanoi and disadvantaged teenagers from the surrounding villages.” 

After a year of working with Samaritan's Purse, she returned to her hometown of Lincoln, Nebraska, and worked at her church as worship coordinator. Over the past year, she has been preparing to move and work as a Mission of Christ Network mission partner in Phnom Phen, Cambodia, with Concordia Welfare & Education Foundation (CWEF).  

“I will be a program impact coordinator, helping the organization to communicate with donors, improve current programs and share the love of Jesus,” she explained. “CWEF provides scholarships to young adults from rural areas as they pursue higher education in the capital city. They also lead and organize health and sanitation trainings in villages outside of the capital city. I will be there for two years until God tells me to go elsewhere.” 

She has three sisters and a much-loved golden doodle golden retriever named Olive. In her down time, she loves to read, go for runs with her sisters, quilt, play sand volleyball and visit coffee shops. Steinbauer said that although she was unsure of her path for a time in college, it is clear that God has been guiding her every step of the way. 

“I started out in business and then realized I could use that to tell people about Jesus,” she said. “It is in no way where I thought I would go professionally, but God gave me life experiences and proddings that have led me to international missions. I am excited to see how He will use me!” 

Concordia promises to always deliver a Lutheran, Christian higher education that will equip students not only with a set of skills and a degree, but also a sense of Christian vocation and purpose for the future, emphasizing the Christ-centered message of the Gospel in the higher education it delivers to its students.