Junior Bethany Gebhardt follows family’s footsteps to Concordia Nebraska

Junior Bethany Gebhardt of Seward, Nebraska is majoring in elementary education with art concentration, minoring in Spanish and pursuing a Lutheran Teacher Diploma. She is a member of the university’s A Cappella choir, serves as a resident assistant, works in the Alumni and Events office on campus and is also a member of the Concordia Ambassador Students in Education (CASE). 

“I chose to study at Concordia Nebraska because of the Christ-centered community and the excellent education program,” she said. “Concordia Nebraska is different from other universities, because Christ is the center of all that we do here. The students and faculty and staff show the love of Christ to each other in their work and studies.” 

Attending Concordia Nebraska is something of a family tradition for Gebhardt’s family. 

“Many members of my family are Lutheran teachers, and my parents, aunts and uncles, cousins and grandparents all attended Concordia Nebraska,” she explained. “I moved to Seward when I was in second grade, and I have been around the Concordia community since then. It has been really special to be a member of this community while attending school here.” 

Concordia Nebraska is preparing me to be a Lutheran teacher by providing me with experiences to grow my faith, knowledge and skills so that I am equipped to support my future students and bring them closer to Christ.

She said she has greatly enjoyed many things about her time on campus, but that studying music and performing in music ensembles at Concordia Nebraska is special and different from other universities.  

“We share our faith through our music,” she said. “In rehearsal, we talk about the meaning of the text that we are singing, and how it relates to our faith. We also strive to reach a high degree of excellence in our music because we are working for Christ and not ourselves. One of my favorite performances at Concordia is ‘Christmas at Concordia’ because all the ensembles work together to share the story of Jesus’ birth and our salvation. It’s special to get to share this message with the Seward community and visitors from across the country.” 

Gebhardt said her time at Concordia has been filled with many learning experiences and memorable moments, but the best thing about her time on campus is the relationships she has developed with others. 

“I have found mentors in my professors, my bosses in the alumni and events office, the student life office team and Pastor Matthias,” she said. “I have also developed life-long friendships with my classmates and fellow choir members. All these relationships are rooted in Christ and help me to become the person that Christ has called me to be.” 

She added that her professors have helped her to discover her purpose by teaching her about the vocations that we have in Christ, and how to serve Him in all that we do. 

When she’s not in class, Gebhardt enjoys creating art (her favorite mediums are ceramics and oil painting), traveling and reading. She especially loves children’s literature and historical fiction.  

“When I travel, I like to take pictures, try new foods, learn about history and culture and try to speak new languages, especially Spanish,” she said. 

Following graduation, Gebhardt dreams of serving as a teacher in a Lutheran school, where she can guide students to grow in their knowledge and faith. Her mother teaches third grade at Seward’s St. John Lutheran School, and her father teaches chemistry and physics at Seward High School. Her older sister Macy ‘24 teaches fourth grade at a Lutheran school in Tampa, Florida. 

“Concordia Nebraska is preparing me to be a Lutheran teacher by providing me with experiences to grow my faith, knowledge, and skills so that I am equipped to support my future students and bring them closer to Christ,” she said. “My faith has grown significantly since attending Concordia through the classes, worship opportunities and faith mentorships that I have experienced here. I feel like my faith has become more my own, and I have learned more about trusting God through all of life’s circumstances and what it means to live for Christ.” 

Concordia Nebraska’s education program prepares teachers to lead, teach and serve from a foundation of faith that asserts the value of every individual. Education majors sharpen their God-given gifts as they learn to minister to future students, families, churches and communities.