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June 2024

Alumni Spotlight!

Answering God's Call


Mason Lindbloom from the class of 2013 was not your average 7th grader. At that point in life, Mason was attending public school and asked his parents if he could go to Concordia. He felt that God was placing a calling on his heart to grow his faith and work in the church one day. Mason's parents agreed to let him go, but not without a lengthy discussion first! He shares, "When my parents decided I could go to Concordia, they sat me down to discuss the concept of sacrifice. We talked about what our family was giving up for me to attend, what they were investing in me, and they asked me to make sacrifices and invest in my education as well." His family was already attending church regularly and involved in many ways, but they took this commitment seriously. Ultimately, both of his parents took on second jobs so that Mason could attend Concordia.


That investment blossomed into many blessings and benefits God's kingdom today. Mason and his wife, Oneill, live in Denver, where Mason works for a church doing photo and video work, and facilitates and leads worship while collaborating with church leadership in planning for future sermon series. "I am the tech guy, a storyteller who creates spaces and environments for people to worship, learn, and grow in without distractions," said Mason. For a look at some of his recent work, check out mbfilmphoto.com. Oneill also works in ministry. She is a Youth Pastor at a mega church and studied at Hillsong. Mason has also recently spent time back in the classroom when he taught art to elementary students at a partner church school. He loved this and it brought back memories of Art class in high school. When he left Concordia, he studied Theatre and Religion, focusing on lighting design, youth ministry, Christian education, and sacred music. All of that has prepared him for the work that he does today. "Concordia also nurtured many of these passions in my life," he shares.


While at Concordia, Mason took part in the Student Council under the leadership of Mr. Phil Meggers and Mrs. Amanda Lee. All the time spent planning student social events has paid off as he continues to plan events for the church. Tuesday morning prayer sessions with Mrs. Reynolds and chapel band practice are all special memories for him. Mason specifically recalls doing a dramatic reading of "The Deathly Hallows" in his English classroom with Ms. Plummer for fun and to engage theater students. "During that activity, I felt like I had a group of friends and a family. It was a space where I belonged and was welcomed, which meant a lot to someone who often felt like an outsider," he recalls. He also holds up Mrs. Anna Cole, a former front office support member, as a person who made a difference in his life. He remembers asking her countless questions when he started, but she was always warm and welcoming.


In a final reflection, Mason shares, "Concordia offers many unique advantages; however, if you don't invest and sacrifice, if you don't put the effort into your education, then you likely won't reap the benefits." With the sacrifices of both Mason and his parents, God's call was answered, and the Kingdom continues to grow!

Alumni Sightings

On Sunday, May 19th, Concordia Omaha celebrated the graduation of 63 seniors. Please join us in praying for them as they begin the next chapter in their stories. We keep them in our hearts as they leave our hallways as Faith Secure, World Ready, Kingdom Leaders.


Several Alumni were in attendance to celebrate their younger siblings' big day.

Jacob '22 and Alecia '16 celebrated sibling Zach Zauha.

Savannah '19 and Emmalynn '16 Walvoord cheered on Mayleigh.

Connor Wilkinson '21 attended as younger sister Kiley walked across the stage.

Hannah McNair '21 attended graduation to cheer on brothers Isaac and Joshua.

Ian Groninga '21 was on hand to congratulate his little sister, Mackenzie.

Jack Burnham '19 cheered on younger brother, George.

Max '21 and Sam '22 Hartman were in the building celebrating little brother, Jack.



Kennedy Goetz '21 attended and cheered on her brother, Isaac.

Transitions

Concordia has several transitions on our faculty. We are so very thankful for the time God allowed us to work with these Kingdom Leaders and we wish them the very best!

Mr. Rob Cooksey is taking on a new adventure by accepting a call to establish a Lutheran high school in Fremont, NE.

Mrs. Dawn Cooksey will work alongside her husband as they take on the challenge of making Christian education an option for even more families.

Mrs. Audrey Sado has accepted a call to teach in Florida. This move allows her and her husband to be closer to family.

Mr. Oscar Gonzalez is making the move to a new and exciting role as the Athletic Director for Mercy High School in Omaha.

Alumni, Ms. Tori Jones '17, is transitioning from second grade in the Academy to LifeGate School where she attended as a student!

Mrs. Rebekah Peterson will be teaching at an Elkhorn elementary school.

Transitional Leadership & New Hires

Mr. Nathan Domsch - Interim Head of Schools / Academy Principal

Mrs. Kristin Herrera - Interim Director of Development / Operations Director

Mrs. Jennifer Shearer - Interim Finance Director

Mrs. Laura Rice - Director of Admissions

Mrs. Trina McCollister - Development Support Specialist

Mrs. Anne Klappenback - Second Grade Teacher

Mrs. Jenny Carlson - Third Grade Teacher

Mrs. Sarah Love - Ignite 2-3 Teacher

Miss Julia Bloom - History & Theology

Mrs. Tina Kratz - JH Math, Science, & Skills

Ms. Greta Gieseke - HS Spanish

Upcoming Events

Alumni are invited to play Ultimate Frisbee this summer on Wednesday nights at 7pm on the Concordia field! Contact Mr. Senechal for more info.

SAVE THE DATE!

Homecoming 2024 is Friday, September 27th!

Building Update

The excitement is growing as we see construction move closer to completion. Above you can see the new parking area and entrance on the south side (Fort St.) of the campus, the new Academy entrance on the north side of the building, and one of the new high school classrooms! To God Be The Glory!


Thrive

Deeper Roots • Wider Reach


Since 1996, Concordia Lutheran Schools of Omaha has been developing and deepening roots in the wider Omaha community, spreading the good news of God's boundless love for our students.


Please join us in the Thrive campaign as we grow Deeper Roots, Wider Reach throughout our school and community!


Give Now!

We Want to Know!

Update us on your special news and events!

Alumni Update Form

Friends of Concordia, parents, and grandparents,

make sure we have your current contact info!

Contact Information Form

Alumni Updates

Nate '12 and Brenna '12 (Moore) Grasz recently welcomed their second child! The Grasz family currently lives in Lincoln where Nate advocates for faith and family values at Nebraska Family Alliance and Brenna practices part-time as an attorney at the Keating O'Gara Law Firm. They are joyfully adjusting to life as a family of four.

Michael Backer '16 was married to Lauren Weber on May 18th. They first met at Lifegate school! Michael graduated from Creighton Medical School earlier in the month and will now begin his residency in Emergency Medicine at UNMC.

Congrats to Jack Burnham '19 as he graduated from the Colorado School of Mines with a BS in Materials & Metallurgy Engineering. He has accepted a position as a general engineer specializing in metallurgy for the Navy with the Department of Defense. Jack's new home is Bremerton, WA, but his role will involve traveling around the world.

Sophie Mosher '19 has been very busy! She graduated in Spring '23 from Nebraska Wesleyan University with a BS in Biology and Spanish. From there she spent several months doing Data Science Research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. This fall Sophie is starting a PhD program in Plant Breeding at Cornell University.

Austin Kudrna '20 graduated from Kansas State University with a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Technology. He earned numerous flight certifications while there. He will continue to work on his BS in Applied Business and Technology at K-State and certification to be a Flight Instructor. Austin is also a Second Lieutenant in the Kansas Wing of the Civil Air Patrol.

Abby Kulus '20 graduated from UNL with a Bachelor of Journalism degree. She lives in Lincoln and works as a Sales Manager for a local car dealership.

Blessings to Claire Sandeen '20 who graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University with a BS in Exercise Science and a minor in Business Administration. She is a patient scheduler and insurance benefits coordinator for Andrew Gleen, DDS MD, in Lincoln. Claire is also working towards a Master's in Health Care Administration.

Congrats to Mphatso Smith '20 who graduated from Concordia University, Nebraska with an Early Childhood and Elementary Education degree, in addition to her Lutheran Teachers Diploma. She will teach in St. Louis at Christ Community Lutheran School this fall.

A big shout out to Ella Klepser '21 who recently graduated from the University of Michigan with a Biology, Health, and Society major.

We wish Morgan Riffel '23 and Ben Pratt '20 blessings as they recently got engaged! Both are current students at UNL. Morgan is studying nutrition and plans to become a physical therapist. For fun, she is part of the UNL water ski club!

The Concordia website has past issues of the

Alumni Connection under the News & Updates tab:

https://concordiaomaha.org/news-updates/

Concordia Lutheran Schools of Omaha

15656 Fort St.

Omaha, NE 68116

office: 402-445-4000

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www.concordiaomaha.org

Concordia Lutheran Schools of Omaha admits students of any race, color, national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.