What drew you to Concordia?
The quality of the early childhood education program and that it was a private school education. I really wanted that. Being an educator is like my family’s profession. Plus, I wanted to stay close to home; that helped me make the decision. I have a big family and it was important to me to be able to stay around for them.

What was your first day like?
I moved in on a Friday and then went home over the weekend to be there for a family get together. I came back Sunday night to the dorm where I lived with two girls. At first it was a little weird, not knowing the people but we walked around together, found everything on campus, set everything up in our room. We got to know each other really well and now they’re some of my best friends.

We all just learned how live with each other, and you learn how to be responsible for yourself too. It’s not like high school where homework is due right away, you need to learn how to schedule your time and figure it out for yourself.

Kim’s Do’s and Don’ts
Get on campus as much as you can, get involved in things. I didn’t do a lot of stuff on campus at first and I wasn’t as connected. But once I got involved, and started attending services at The Haven on Sunday nights, it made me feel much more comfortable and I started to get more involved with the kids and the rest of the campus life.

Kim’s favorite spot to study on campus?
If I have to be there for a project, the computer lab. But otherwise, on my bed. With the TV on.
People can’t understand how I study with the noise but I just need stuff going on.

On extra-curriculars
When I graduated from high school, my heart wasn’t in track anymore. But our new coach has been a blessing. I’m so glad I went out for it again and now I want to use the rest of my eligibility. I didn’t think I’d miss it as much as I did. I’m a sprinter and I do high jump too. I ran the 400 open and won the conference! It was really exciting for me.

I coach track at a city high school too, and that takes up a lot of my time. I also tutor and help with the children’s ministry and kid’s spring carnival. There’s a lot of opportunities to get off campus and it helps for education majors. It helps you get ready before your student teaching starts.

I also really get into intermurals. Volleyball in our sand pit courts or inside courts, basketball, it’s all fun laughs but it does get a little competitive. And you can have alumni, boyfriends or anyone else play with you too.

On the personal impact a professor can make
A professor in my minor, Dr. Hall, really helped me make a connection with special education. I enjoyed working with special ed but wasn’t clicking too much when it came to teaching it. She shared her personal stories with me and when I worked with her it really hit home. The difference she wants to make encouraged me to work at that level as well.

You’re able to contact the teachers as often as you want. They give you home numbers, e-mail, Web sites – they know you on a personal level so you can go to them with personal issues too. You can call them and get your answers right away. You’re here to learn and it’s so worth it in the end because you’re getting experience and education that you won’t necessarily get elsewhere.

On campus worship
I love The Haven. It’s a contemporary service and I love worshipping in an atmosphere like that. It’s serious, it hits home, but it’s still fun. We have contemporary music, prayer buddies, people to work with and talk to. It’s not ritualistic, there’s a message and it’s carried through song and prayer but it’s also really personalized.

On her Admission Counselor
I didn’t decide on Concordia until much later and Jeff, my counselor was just great. He was really good to me. I missed the sign up days but he set up special times to meet with me and help figure everything out. He cared about my education. If it was a half hour meeting, a phone call or an e-mail, he took the extra time away from everything else just to work with me.

On the lake view
It feels really peaceful. My family goes to the ocean a lot and I love being by the water and in the sun. It makes me feel like I’m at home, it’s such a pretty view and really shows you God’s creation. It’s important to be reminded of that daily and now, being able to go down and be close to it, it’s really calming, pretty and relaxing.