Seniors share four years of memories

Four years of college gives Concordia seniors countless memories of fun times with friends and teammates.

Photo credit: Nora Betts

By Leonardo Lopez and Elizabeth Salo

This article is featured in the May print edition of the Sower newspaper. 

Concordia students graduating during commencement exercises on May 9 will have more than their diplomas to take with them; they also will have unforgettable memories of fun times with friends and teammates.

Creighton Urban, Kylie Burken, Elizabeth Salo, Mary Bennett, and Nathan Feusse on Wind Symphony Tour in 2026. Photo: Nathan Feusse.

“An unforgettable memory was finishing competing in a season conference tennis match against a university at 1 in the morning,” said senior Michael Bedrosian, who is majoring in accounting. “I remember that after having played and finished so late, we went to the McDonald’s drive-through because we were all hungry and tired, and when it was time to order food, we could only order two meals at a time, and there were about eight of us, so it took us an hour to order. From there we had a good time in the van until we returned very tired at 4 a.m. to Seward.”

Senior Music Education and Lutheran Teacher Diploma student Grace Donnelly said that her favorite memories center around the Music Department, especially Christmas at Concordia performances and impromptu hymn sings with friends.

Grace Donnelly and her family at Christmas at Concordia in 2022. Photo: Grace Donnelly.

Her sophomore year of college, her whole family, including both of her sets of grandparents, attended Christmas at Concordia, and she said sharing that part of her college experience with them was very cool.

Senior Nathan Feusse, a business major, has many fun memories from his involvement with Concordia’s Music Department, specifically during his participation in Wind Symphony tours.

“My freshman year [on tour] we went all the way down to Florida, and so we spent about 15 days going down to Florida and back, and that was the first time I had ever done anything in such a small group for such a long time,” said Feusse. “One of my favorite, or more interesting, memories from that tour was we had a church stop in Nashville, and our crowd was about 10 to 15 people, so it was very small. Because of that, there were not very many hosts. So, the girls stayed in a hotel, and most of the guys slept in the basement of the church on cots.”

The 2025 NAIA Women’s Tennis National Tournament in Alabama. Photo: Mariana Molano.

Senior Mariana Molano, who is majoring in business administration and marketing, said that representing Concordia’s tennis program and sharing one of the most important moments of her life with her teammates and coach were amazing.

“My most memorable moment during my time at Concordia was when we won the [Great Plains Athletic Conference] tournament and went to nationals,” said Molano. “The excitement we felt at that moment was different because it was something we had dreamed of.”

Molano said that “more than the result of winning, it was the process that took us there, and I think knowing that your teammates had your back meant everything, knowing that you were fighting and that beside you they were also giving their 100% on the court. I remember that on the plane to Alabama, people started celebrated us, and everyone was very happy.”

Rileigh Watts, a senior student in the Director of Christian Education program, said that many of her fun memories from her time at Concordia include taking part in the O-show during LAUNCH Weekend, and she said she enjoyed how it brings people together who may not have met otherwise.

The O-Show is a performance of student-written comedy sketches meant to reflect life at Concordia that is performed by LAUNCH leaders for the incoming students during their first weekend on campus.

Her favorite O-show skit that she participated in was from LAUNCH Weekend 2025, in which she helped with a Student Life skit that included a very funny section regarding public display of affection, which is often referred to as simply PDA, on campus.

Hugo Fuentes, a senior student majoring in mathematics and physics, said he holds many great memories from time spent with tennis teammates, recalling how a single moment can be turned into a completely different story.

The men’s tennis team goes out to eat in 2026. Photo: Michael Bedrosian.

“My favorite memory was last year in my junior year, when we won the semifinal against Mount Marty University in the conference GPAC tournament,” said Fuentes. “The team was very good that year, and I was the one who clinched the match 4–3. I remember I served underhand in the last game of the match, and he did not expect it, so I won the point to have two chances of winning in that game. When I was 5/3 in the deciding set and 40/30, I won the match point, and my team ran at me to celebrate. It was definitely an unforgettable moment.”

Senior Arabella Blakeley, who is majoring in behavioral science and psychology, said she is very thankful for the experiences she has had during her time at Concordia, including her participation in music-related extracurriculars and exploring Nebraska with her friends.

“Freshman year, I had a lot of good times with friends in our hall,” said Blakeley. “Me and a couple friends this year went to Nelson’s Farm. It’s in Valley, Nebraska, and they had a tulip festival there, and it was really fun to go see that. We also have gone to the Arbor Day Tree Farm in Nebraska City, and that was really fun to go see that, just getting out there and seeing more of the area that I’ve never been to has been really fun.”

Blakeley also said that her time at Concordia has really helped her grow in her relationship with God and in her understanding of herself. She said she would not be who she is today if not for the experiences and learning opportunities she has had here.