The way people care about each other on Concordia's campus informs how I will care about my future church members, and I'm very thankful for that.
Makenna’s journey at Concordia began with just that: a staff member, caring about her, and investing in her talent. "Paul Soulek, our adjunct organ professor, heard me playing an original composition at a talent show, and encouraged me to look into Concordia. I had heard about the music program before and decided to do just that.”
Church music is what brought Makenna Clovis to Concordia, but its community is what kept her here. “My very first visit was in the dead of winter. I was about 800 miles from home and was not really used to the weather. Even though so much of it felt so different from where I grew up, I still felt so welcome. During my short visit, the students I was visiting with invited me to eat dinner with them, and just hung out with me while they did homework. It felt normal and comfortable and like somewhere I could call home.”
That community has only expanded and deepened for Makenna as the years have gone by. She has especially seen this in Concordia’s music program “Community, especially in the music world is such an important thing. I’ve made close friends, which has been good for my personal life, but it has also been such a fantastic opportunity to collaborate with a wide variety of talented musicians and build connections for my future career.”
Makenna’s future is approaching quickly, but she is confident with the relationships she now has. “As I get closer to graduating, I get busier and busier. But it’s okay, because as I grow, my friends grow too. We understand ourselves and each other better, and I feel confident moving forward, since I have such a great community behind me.”