I chose Concordia because of the faith aspect and you feel at home the minute you step on campus.
For Maddie Owen, Concordia has been somewhat like a home for a long time. “My brother graduated from Concordia in 2017, so I visited a lot before I actually decided to come here. It just became a place that was so comfortable for me, and one day when I visited, I realized this was where I was supposed to be.”
Another serendipitous realization for Maddie was her decision to major in early childhood education. "My cousin owns her own daycare, and I worked there a lot when I was in high school. I realized that I absolutely love working with kids. I'm so excited about it, and sometimes, I just want to jump to the future and start doing my job.”
Despite this fact, Maddie still sees the value of her time in the education program. While Concordia’s early childhood and elementary education program equips students to teach from infants to third grade, Maddie’s personal favorite is working with infants and toddlers. “I have the opportunity to set that foundation and help kids grow and love learning at a young age. That’s such an important stage in life, and Concordia’s Education department is preparing me for it.”
One of the reasons she excels at and enjoys her classes is the supportive community created by the professors. “Something that’s really unique about Concordia is just how kind and supportive everyone is. When you walk into a class and a professor asks how you’re doing and you say, ‘“okay,’” they don’t just pass it over, they ask if you want to talk about it after class.”
Maddie feels that this welcoming spirit extends past the professors. "I did improv in high school. When I got to Concordia, I was not involved in it because I felt like that was in my past. Then, one of my friends invited me just to watch one time, and I laughed harder than I’ve laughed in a very long time. Soon after that, I became a member of the improv group, and everyone was just so supportive and kind. That experience helped me learn that no matter who you are here, there will be people who appreciate and genuinely care about you.”
Maddie’s experiences have led her to realize an important truth for freshmen at Concordia. “Dive in and do all of the things you’re interested in, even if it’s scary. You’ll have a better idea of what you like, and you’ll find friendships that last forever.”