Katie Pece, the Director of Field Experience at Concordia University Chicago, shares her journey and insights into the vital role of educators in shaping the future of church work and Christian education. With a background in classroom teaching and a passion for mentoring, Katie emphasizes the importance of listening to people's stories and investing in their lives as a way to foster genuine connections. She discusses the challenges faced by new educators, including burnout and the need for ongoing support and professional development. Throughout the conversation, the theme of community and collaboration shines through as Katie highlights the significance of intergenerational mentorship and the support systems available to students and teachers alike. Ultimately, her message reflects a deep commitment to nurturing the next generation of church workers and inspiring them to embrace their unique callings in education and ministry.

In this engaging conversation, Rev. Dr. Keith Haney speaks with Katie Pece, the Director of Field Experience at Concordia University, Chicago. They discuss Katie's journey into education, the importance of listening to people's stories, and the impact of mentorship. Katie shares her experiences with diverse students and the challenges they face in today's educational landscape, including the need for more church workers and support for new teachers. The conversation emphasizes the mission of Christ at the Center and the value of hard work and dedication in education. In this conversation, Katie Pece discusses the significance of community in education, the development of curriculum, and the importance of continuing education for teachers. She shares her journey in education, her upcoming doctoral studies, and the supportive environment at Concordia. The discussion emphasizes the need for mentorship and the legacy of love and service in teaching.

Katie Pece joins Dr. Keith to share her inspiring journey in education and ministry, reflecting on her new role as Director of Field Experience at Concordia University Chicago. The conversation explores her passion for nurturing future educators and church workers, emphasizing the importance of mentorship and community support in teaching. Katie discusses her background as a classroom teacher and the pivotal moments that led her to higher education, including the impact of her mentors, such as Coach Brenda Weitzel, who instilled values of hard work and perseverance in her. Through anecdotes and insights, Katie highlights the challenges faced by current educators, particularly in engaging with diverse student populations and addressing the needs of first-generation college students. She expresses her commitment to fostering an environment where students feel valued and supported, echoing the sentiment that real connection and understanding are vital in education. The episode culminates in a heartfelt reflection on Katie's legacy, centered around love, listening, and serving others, emphasizing the joy of following Jesus in all aspects of life.

Takeaways:

• Katie Pece emphasizes listening to people's stories to build genuine connections.
• The role of mentors in education is crucial for supporting and guiding students effectively.
• Concordia University Chicago focuses on Christ-centered education while embracing diversity in their community.
• Katie discusses the challenges faced by first-year teachers and the importance of mentorship.
• Continuing education is vital for teachers to adapt to the evolving educational landscape.
• The legacy Katie wishes to leave is one of love, care, and genuine investment in others.

Companies mentioned in this episode:

• Concordia University Chicago
• Concordia

Well, Katie, welcome to the podcast.

How are you doing today?

Very good.

Thank you very much for having me.

Dr.

Haney.

I'm looking forward to talking to you.

We connected on so many different levels, but we haven't done this officially.

So I'm looking forward to seeing where God guides this entire conversation.

Amen.

So am I.

We've talked on the phone, we've talked on zoom meetings with Bible studies and so many different things.

We haven't talked since your new role as a doctor and with those doctor letters in front of your name.

And I'm just honored to be in front of you this afternoon and to have this conversation with you.

So thank you for the invitation.

Well, great.

So for my guests who don't know you, give us a little bit of your bio about who you are, what you do at the University at River Forest.

Yes.

Yes.

So my name is Katie Peacey and I am the director of Field Experience at Concordia University Chicago.

Actually, so many people will say River Forest, but we are actually Chicago and some want to change the name to Near River Forest.

So we kind of, we're getting all, all of those kind of suggestions.

I attend many conferences now and our alumni love the River Forest.

Just kind of history and nostalgia.

But we are proudly serving the Chicagoland area.

So Concordia University of Chicago, I also took on the role of synodical placement for the university this year.

And so I am placing all of our church work, church work students, very excited for the whole set apart to serve initiative put out by the LCMS and just kind of looking for ways to recruit new church workers and to bring more students into our programs and then place them out into our Lutheran schools and churches and congregations.

Just we, we certainly need more church workers.

And prior to my time at Concordia University, I've been here a very short time.

I've been here just coming up on a year and a half.

I've, I was a classroom teacher for about 20 years and I started my journey in a Christian school in Oakbrook, Illinois, teaching kindergarten for six years, Oakbrook Christian School and from there moved into teaching at St.

John's Lutheran School in LaGrange, Illinois in the northern Illinois district.

So love our friends in the Northern Illinois district.

Is, which is where I met you actually back in those days when you were serving in the Northern Illinois district.

So taught for many years there, second grade, did a lot of coaching, teaching wonderful things there.

And just through those roles and through my connections, got to know many people within the Northern Illinois district, got to be part of some wonderful accreditation teams And I was itching to get out of the classroom a little bit and itching to do something a little bit more in ministry and preparing future educators.

And God had plans to lead me into this field of higher education.

And so far, I haven't looked back.

Just so.

There's a lot to look forward to.

And I'm thankful for the journey and the ride and all that I've learned just in this very short time that I've been here so far.

Well, we thank you for what you do and the important work that you do at Chicago.

I can't wait to hear.

You can say River Forest.

Everybody does.

It's okay.

Everybody does.

Yes, I do want to.

My favorite question to ask my guest is, what's the best piece of advice you've ever received?

Yes, that's.

That's a good question.

And, you know, I.

In a lot of different trainings and studying that I've done over the years and just kind of diving in to personal Bible study, and I.

In discipleship, discipleship training.

I've been learning a lot about listening to people's story.

I think I've even heard that a lot from you, Dr.

Keith.

I really have.

Listening to people's story.

And through Covid, I think all of that, just taking that extra time, I was looking up a quote today, actually, to kind of go along with that.

And I think there's kind of ties to Theodore Roosevelt about people don't care how much you know, until they know that you really care.

And, you know, I think that Jesus was the greatest example of that.

Right.

He really sat down with people.

He.

He ate with people, he walked with people, he talked with people.

He was willing, even after a hard day of serving.

And, you know, just.

Just everything, you know, that he did throughout his ministry, he was willing to listen to people.

And some of the greatest gifts and blessings I feel that have come in my life have been through those times of just taking the time to sit back and actually listen to someone's story.

There's always jobs to be done.

There's always work to be done.

But when you really sit down and listen and get to know someone and listen to the story and their history and kind of what they're passionate about, that's.

That's when the real work is done.

That's when the real work is done.

Yeah.

And as a pastor, I know it's been fun to sit back and hear those stories.

Some of those stories, honestly, are heartbreaking.

Yes, absolutely.

But some of them are just filled with inspiration and joy.

And you can see God's hand in all those stories, whether they're ones that are painful or ones that are joyful.

You can always see God's hand in that.

Yes.

Along those same lines, I'm always curious when I talk to guests like yourself.

And you think about the people in your life who have come alongside you, who have meant so much to you, who are some of those people that maybe served to inspire you or be a mentor to you.

If you want to give them a shout out and use their name and thank them for the important role they played in your life, here's a chance to do that.

Yes.

Yes.

Thank you.

So certainly I think back to my high school days.

Certainly I am inspired and enjoy my work in church work and Christian education and ministry.

But I also had some humble beginnings in just public education as well.

And I truly believe in the value of a good public education as well, and just the value of a good education.

And I had some good teachers and mentors throughout those younger, formative years that truly, I think, inspired me to want to go into teaching and to want to just continue to relate to students and on so many different levels.

And when I think about what has led me to where I am today and even connecting to where I am, and God puts all these pieces together so intricately, it's just amazing.

But, you know, one of the core values of our university is in our conceptual framework is integrity and truth, freedom and vocation.

We try to live out those, those pillars and those core values.

And I had a coach in high school, Coach Weitzel.

She coached basketball for many, many years.

And she just instilled the value of hard work, hard work and dedication.

And recently in my teaching time, I was, after, I coached basketball for some time when I was teaching at the elementary level.

And after practice one day, just because I enjoy shooting around, shooting baskets, I would sit, or not sit, but stand at the free throw line and just for almost kind of therapy, shoot some baskets.

And I was shooting, shooting.

Some parents were talking on the sidelines and they're like, wow, like you haven't missed one.

And I said, well, you know, thinking back at it, we were not allowed to leave practice without making 50 free throws.

You know, kind of that was our last task before we, we left practice was we had to make 50 free throws.

And, you know, just that value of hard work, determination, and, you know, not giving up in anything.

You know, it certainly when I was having to make 50 free throws every practice back in high school, I'm sure I Wasn't loving that.

But, you know, to look back on that today, that value of hard work is so important, and it certainly carries out to what we need to instill in our youth of today.

You know, I see that that's lacking in so many ways, and I truly hope to lead by example with that and to inspire those around me just through the own.

My own work that I do and my own work ethic and the integrity that I have with the work that I carry out.

So that.

That Brenda Weitzel, she was a huge, huge mentor to me in high school, but kind of pivoting a little bit with mentors, I certainly have had the value in the experience of having many intergenerational mentors.

I lead a Bible study currently that has people in it from 85 years old to 45 years old and even a little bit younger has been at the time.

And, you know, I think as I was trying to find my way when I was younger, I was, oh, I need to find a young group.

I need to find a 20s group, I need to find a 30s group, I need to find a singles group.

I need to find this type of group to.

To do Bible study with.

And I've.

I've ended up in this intergenerational group of women.

And I have learned more from these women and these ladies in my Bible study group that many of them were former teachers and colleagues of mine along the way and, and mentors as well.

Mentors, friends, colleagues.

But just those intergenerational relationships have been so, so valuable to me to see the different perspectives that life offers and life brings at various times.

I love that.

I always like talking to professionals like yourself and wonder what was the moment that you felt God was calling you into education?

Cause, you know, for pastors, we have that moment where it's like, okay, I remember the day or the time or the season.

What was that for you?

I think it was really in Sunday school.

Sunday school.

When I was very, very young, I loved listening to stories in Sunday school.

I feel like around kindergarten, that first grade time, I remember being in the nursery and Sunday school.

My mom was a single mom growing up, and so it was often time that was her time to kind of, you know, be alone and to enjoy worship.

My sister and I spent a lot of time in the nursery and in Sunday school in those years, growing up and those, Those teachers and those.

Even in that time, those older ladies that really just embraced us and cared for us and so lovingly taught us those stories, I.

I wanted to be Just like them.

I remember writing about, you know, one of those, those pre Sunday school, preschool, kindergarten teachers in my why do I want to be a teacher Essay, going to college, you know, and, and just remembering those fond moments of listening to those Bible stories sitting at their feet.

And now, you know, it's come full circle where, you know, I have had little children sitting at my feet and just enjoying those stories that I read and share the gospel with them.

And it's just a beautiful gift.

That's great.

I noticed that Chicago is a very diverse campus and a very diverse setting.

Yes.

I'm curious, how do you, in this very interesting time we live in, how does Concordia kind of recognize all the different people and groups that are on your campus?

Yes, we certainly.

We are very diverse and we're becoming more and more diverse, you know, as the years progress.

And I certainly feel, Dr.

Dawn, even as the president of the university right now, is embracing that and he is feeling that God has placed Concordia University for such a time as this and to, to provide the truth that the world so desperately needs.

The theme and mission of the university is Christ at the center.

And you know, we hold to that firm truth of Christ at the center and, and Christ in all that we do.

And you can't find that too many places anymore.

And certainly we embrace the diversity.

We embrace those around us.

We're looking to break down those barriers, meet people where they are, get into our schools, neighborhoods, provide the experiences for each of our students to meet their needs, but hold fast to that steadfast truth that Jesus Christ is at the center of all that we do.

I love that.

So you work with Director of Christian Education also teachers in terms of the placement.

For those who don't understand how our system works, I know teachers have a different system than the first call that a pastor gets.

We don't really get to choose correct where our first call is.

How does it work for teachers and commission workers?

So really we have, it's kind of a mutual process.

So certainly as our teacher candidates and our church workers as a whole are, are very, we.

We need them in many.

They're very, they're very desired among congregations and there's not enough to them to go around.

We know the statistics that are out there.

And so certainly if they, if a student has had a good student teaching experience, I do help drive those placements for them as well.

That's where kind of my role in the Director of field experience that I serve in has transitioned nicely into the role of placement as well.

Cause I Help guide and place the students where they are going for their student teaching internship and then work with our other program leaders for the church work programs to see where those students are placed among their internships and really kind of look at something letting the Holy Spirit guide to where, where these students are looking to be and to end up.

I've heard some advice recently from a fellow placement director that has mentioned, you know, like, God is part of this and kind of where can you see yourself for the next three years serving and like really let these students kind of experience a first call and getting their feet wet in the field and kind of just helping them.

Them see their gifts and their abilities for this time in their near future.

So can you break down what different commission workers you help find placement for?

Because we don't probably know all the different breakdowns and titles of.

Sure.

So at Concordia Chicago, the programs that we offer are lte, which is our Lutheran teacher education program, and our undergrad.

That also could include bme, which is a bachelor's of Music education.

And so that could be music or teaching in an elementary, early childhood, middle grade or secondary classroom.

And then also I place deaconess students, DCE Director of Christian Education students, and dpm, which is the director of parish music students as well into the, into their first call and first placements.

And so as, as I'm kind of stepped into this role this year, it's been very interesting to just get to, to know these students and to kind of walk alongside them in their journey because this, it's not just like placing them either for an internship.

It's.

It's kind of guiding where their next steps in life are going to be.

And so it's been neat to.

Some of them are married already in college.

Some of them have either a fiance or a spouse who are going to the seminary or have plans to go to the seminary.

And so they have really kind of intricately woven their plans together.

And I certainly say, like, you know, you, we, we, we know that we can create all of our plans, but God, God lays them out in front of us.

Right.

And so some of these students, they really have their plans worked out for them.

We have one even considering international missions this year.

So I'm just inspired honestly by these young students and I'm just hopefully encouraged for the more that we could recruit and put out into the field.

So we certainly know that we need more church workers out there.

That's really interesting.

Part of my doctoral work was we had a class in policy.

And so we went to DC and spent time at the Department of Education.

Spent time at the Department of State, State Department and met like the third, third highest ranked person in the administration.

Wow.

Who deals with overseas placement of education and talked about the need for teachers overseas in these different and environments and how if you're looking forward to it's like just, you know, hit me up and we can get you overseas.

I'm curious, as you think about the educational landscape today, what are some of the challenges you face preparing students from Concordia to go out into this world and teach?

That's a good question.

That's a very good question.

Certainly just time and resources.

I think.

Like we have so many students that even that we're seeing nowadays that are not traditional students.

They're not your traditional college.

What you might have expected a college student to be 10, even 5, 10, 15 years ago, where they come to college and that's their primary focus and goal is their college experience and their coursework and then getting their first job.

Many of these students, we have a lot of first generation students that we have here at Concordia and many of them are working full time.

Many of them are taking care of their families at home.

Many of them, sometimes they're the only family member that speaks English and has to care for parents and, you know, siblings and just so many different things.

And, and so just the ability to kind of break through those personal barriers too and get them to focus on their education and really kind of commit to the, the education process and all.

I mean, because we know education is not easy, right?

The education field is not easy.

It is hard work too, right?

I mean, it is hard work.

Sometimes we hear, oh, I just don't have time for that or I don't have time for what this assignment is or, you know, and so like we have to kind of work and instill those, those values and kind of that work ethic into them to, to prioritize this education so that they can then go out and earn that living for themselves and to then help transpire what the education field is and what the education field is needing out there.

So now that I'm thinking about it, I know I maybe didn't completely answer the question as you stated it, but there I think some barriers to getting our students to where they need to be in education and then just, you know, education in itself is tough.

There's huge burnout rates for teachers nowadays.

We just having support and, you know, mentors available and just, you know, kind of, you know, balance in work and in just the demands of the jobs and family, just keeping everybody kind of afloat and keeping people inspired to remain in education I think is challenging today too.

I remember my very first year as a parish pastor and no matter how much education or preparation I had, that learning curve was steep.

And you just kind of mentioned that teachers have worried about burnout.

How I'm sure you stay connected to those first year teachers.

How does Concordia help those teachers kind of form that bond of people that they can bounce ideas off of as they just kind of learn what it means to teach.

I remember as we had a school, every place I've gone, one of the hardest things we had to learn was classroom management.

Yes.

And if you went to a setting where you had this idea when you were in school, all the kids were well behaved, they all sat in their chairs and maybe that one kid, little Johnny, who got out of their chair was difficult.

But when you walked into our school in inner city, you had a lot of Johnny's.

So how do you help support that teacher who's just trying to figure out how do I strike the proper balance of control in my classroom so we can have a learning experience and just, you know, just that, that balance of all that.

Yeah.

So actually we're really working on developing that type of, that type of programming here at in Concordia Chicago.

And our center for Christian Education has just raised up a new director this past year, Dr.

Antis, and she has started a new teacher mentoring program that just launched this fall actually, and it is available to Lutheran teachers, Christian teachers across the country.

It's a, I think an eight week mentoring course to all new teachers.

And they do target things like classroom management.

They target things like beginning the school year, just new type of topics as you're describing, that new teachers face and just kind of providing that extra layer of support.

And I think the amazing thing about a small Christian institution like ourselves is that we truly have the ability to care and connect and to individualize and help students along the way, both within our own programs.

And then something like this mentoring program.

I know I work very closely with the director of the center for Christian education, Dr.

Teas, and she has been working even one on one outside of this mentoring program with some of the students that she has that are teachers in the classroom.

They're no longer students of the university.

They're part of this mentoring program and just helping them within their field.

Some of them are former students of ours.

And so it's kind of just continuing that support for them.

We're hoping then to build them that into, you know, kind of our master's pipeline and, you know, even, you know, continuing education and just continue to provide that support along that educational journey, both in their own educational journey, but also for what they're, they're carrying out in the field in which they work as well.

And I think, you know, knowing that you're surrounded by a community and that you're not alone, I know so much of even, you know, community, community this, the bridge builders this, you know, everything that, you know, you have so much of what you talk about just on a regular basis is community and building community.

And so how important that is and building a network of support around you.

And that's exactly what the center for Christian Education and the New Teacher Institute is striving to do in this next year.

We're looking to offer professional development series coming up in the spring.

And we just have excellent leadership and support to carry out that type of programming.

I love that.

I noticed your master's degree is in curriculum and instruction.

Yes, as I look at that, I'll go, my mind explodes thinking about curriculum.

Tell us what that degree was designed to help you do better.

That degree was designed so in a Lutheran school.

It's very interesting because, you know, you are actually sometimes designing curriculum from the ground up when you don't have it.

And I did that a few times in the, in the Lutheran school that I taught at.

Actually when I was teaching kindergarten, I developed from my, it was a half day kindergarten program when I started and I kind of developed that into a full day kindergarten program.

So just kind of developing curriculum and programming to enhance what was already there.

So just throughout those time of teaching, I felt like that really, you know, helped equip me to do those type of things that were needed.

You know, certainly updating curriculum, helping within, you know, our Lutheran school setting, we have to work on accreditation reports and accreditation to just kind of continue to work on improving our school and our, our culture.

And so oftentimes that involves curriculum.

And so that knowledge and certainly that skill set has come, become very valuable for that.

And so I think during that time of teaching, that was certainly very valuable.

And now that I'm looking into this new chapter, which is, you know, why I love connecting with you and the journey that you just went on, I am looking to begin doctoral program this coming fall in educational leadership.

So I'm looking to just expand that knowledge and skill set.

And when you're saying, you know, you were looking at policy, like those are the type of things today that are inspiring me and that are like, oh, I wonder what he like, learned in that class.

You know, those kind of things that are really, you know, kind of interesting to me today.

Back in those days, I thought like, oh, I just want to be a master teacher.

And I wanted to do all that I can with the curriculum and instruction and certainly that served a time and a place and I certainly did value all of that time and I'm certainly been using that.

I feel like now, I'm sure in my current role, but I'm looking to expand that knowledge even deeper into that educational leadership degree that I'm going to begin pursuing coming up here.

Well, if you want any advice, you can always connect with me offline.

I do know, I do know how to connect with you, so thank you.

I, I feel like you're always, you're always such a go to in so many different topics.

And when, you know, when I found out with that you were completing your doctorate this past summer, it was right.

That you kind of finished up.

Was it?

Yeah, I was just, you know, again, just very inspiring to me and especially with all of the work that you do in ministry and, and so much.

And I'm like, you know, to see someone like you be able to carry out a degree like that amidst all of the work that you do and all of the people that you serve in the congregation and the roles that you do, again, I just, I feel very inspired by that.

You know, it's, it's a true person that, you know, you can connect with and relate with and think like this is attainable and, you know, certainly you've been inspiring in so many ways.

Well, thank you.

It's funny, I joke with people asking me like, none of my degrees match.

My undergrad degrees are computer science.

I have a Master of Divinity, Doctor in education.

So none of them actually match.

So there you go.

But you're just so well versed and so to serve so many.

But that's what a pastor needs.

Right?

A pastor serves so many different, in so many different capacities.

Now you just need like a mental health kind of, you know, the, the school type, some type of counseling.

Right.

And that I'm sure that's encompassed in all of that, but, you know, just cover all the bases.

I'm curious because we just talked a little bit about continuing education.

How important do you think that is for the formation of a teacher?

And then how do you convince.

Like, for me it was easier because where I, where I serve were very, very empowering to do that.

But everybody doesn't always see that as important.

How do you encourage not only the teachers to pursue continuing education, but also there are places where they're called to serve, to support that continuing education.

Certainly, yes.

I think that the more that I.

The more that one thing we know is that things are always changing.

Education is always evolving, and if you are not learning and growing with that, you're going to be left in the dust.

And so, you know, I think about, you know, when you're teaching and instilling the value of an education in young children, you know, it's easy to say, oh, you know, we have to learn this today, and we're going to learn this when you grow up and you're going to do this.

But it's also good to model that as a lifelong learner.

And that's something that I enjoy doing, is modeling that lifelong love for learning and the desire to want to learn and to want to gain more knowledge on so many different levels.

Because that is truly, the more, you know, the more that, you know, you can.

You can instill in others, and the more that, you can, you know, certainly help others along their own journeys.

And I certainly think that that comes in various different ways that comes through continuing education, and it also comes through experience and wisdom and.

And certainly the more you have of all of that, I think the more wisdom and experience you gain throughout the years, the more that inspires and encourages you to want to continue your education.

I know that there was a time and a place in my life I felt like, I'm good.

You know, I'm.

I'm good.

I, you know, I did my master's degree.

I'm going to be the master teacher, going to be that, you know, I don't want to go to be a principal, don't want to go and be a superintendent.

I'm just going to.

I'm good where I'm at.

I'm going to, you know, retire at 65 and just have.

Be the master teacher.

And, you know, I think that, you know, again, God has other plans.

But, you know, I think that when you're a teacher and when you're an educator and when you're seeing things changing and growing, you're often inspired to want to change and grow and learn more with it.

And that just, you know, kind of instills that.

To want to.

To change and grow and continue to learn more.

Yeah.

And I think the most important thing I gained not only from my doctoral work, but just the.

The camaraderie, the cohort of people that you go on this journey with that was.

It was.

I was one of the only guys in my group and I was the only pastor in my group.

So it's really interesting bringing that perspective.

But yeah, there is just something really special about taking this journey of discovery with a group of people that you all start together with and you spend.

We spent three years struggling together, encouraging one another, praying for one another, all different backgrounds and fields and locations from Southern California to the Washington, D.C.

virginia area.

And it was just such a neat experience to kind of go on the journey with some people that will become lifelong learners and friends along the way.

Absolutely.

And now I feel like I even have the perspective in the.

Because we kind of help in.

In various different ways as you know, within ministry.

We just, we do that.

I've been helping with a little bit of advising within the College of Education here as well and just coming alongside of some of these students at our.

We have a Master's of Arts in teaching program.

And these are often second career teachers that are coming into the field.

So they are coming with various different backgrounds and some of them are working in school, some of them are not working in schools.

And it's a big push in Illinois to license more teachers that just because of the teaching shortage.

So we're licensing, licensing paraprofessionals and teaching assistants and just so many different people.

But again, that provides a variety of different backgrounds.

And I'm coming, you know, on the advising side to them and kind of walking along that journey and experiencing that on this side.

And I'm thinking to myself, okay, I'm going to be on the student face.

You know, I'm going to be on the student side here coming up as well.

And just, just being able to have both perspectives and know how much support these students need.

As you said, you know, they need prayer, they need support.

They need.

Sometimes this student just needs, you know, kind of going back to the beginning of the conversation.

Sometimes a student just needs you to listen to them.

They just need to listen if they've had a hard day or if they've had, you know, if something didn't go right.

And many of them, you know, again, are they in a classroom at that Master of Arts and teaching level and they want to tell you about what did not go well in their classroom that day.

And it might not even be about their coursework, but we develop those relationships and walk alongside those students to support them in various different ways.

Great.

So tell us a little bit about Concordia.

Tell us about some of the programs you offer in teaching yeah, so in.

Our College of Education I work with all of our initial licensure programs.

We do have initial licensure programs in education, undergrad, PK to 12, PE, art, music.

We have early childhood to secondary education and then at the Master's level, the Master's of Arts and teaching program.

Again, I don't work too closely with the Division of Educational Leadership, but we do offer many continuing certificates.

I know we just started one in Trauma and Resilience that I don't have too much knowledge in, but I've heard that it's kind of hit the ground running and it's become very popular.

Our curriculum and instruction and certainly all of our teacher leader programs are very popular as well.

And just that those programs at the master's levels can be done online and they're kind of developed towards, you know, a working type of students, like a student who's working and you know, continuing their education alongside that.

And then we also provide, you know, those in person undergraduate courses with the, with the in person just kind of community feel of a vibrant campus that has activities going on that are very faith filled and very engaging again with Christ at the center and all we do that's, you know, just ways for students to get involved in so many ways.

I have a student teacher that's going to be student teaching in the spring actually, and he made a little video clip of why he chose Concordia.

And I like to highlight it because he said he was able to come here and be a student athlete and work and graduate in four years and be in leadership roles and just so just do it all, really do it all be known as a person, not be known as a number.

And I feel like that's something that is truly unique to what we offer here at Concordia Chicago is that our students truly are cared about.

They're truly, they're supported by our faculty and staff and there are just so many opportunities to learn here on campus virtually.

We started a classical education program as well and this is going to be the second summer that that classical education program is sponsoring a trip abroad.

This year it's going to be this summer it's going to be going to Greece and I'm going to be joining that trip.

So I feel like I'll be able to collect, connect with some of those classical classical education students as well, as well as go and learn some wonderful cultural history, historical, biblical history as well, you know, along the way.

So just so many different ways and so many different avenues to pursue learning and have fun doing it too.

That is awesome.

Yeah.

After I started my program, someone said, from Concordia Chicago, why do you come to us?

I'm like, well, because you didn't offer me so much as Irvine did.

Well, we can always find ways to plug in.

We're always looking for ways.

And all of our Concordias are very connected, and it's just a wonderful gift I think that we have in our Lutheran circle is that we are connected and we.

And that we just support one another.

And I know, even through this, the new placement role that I've taken on, that I've been working with other placement directors from the.

All the Concordias, and just the support that we are offering one another, that's a wonderful community, I feel like, for the whole system.

And it's amazing to be part of that group and to feel that support.

And it's that we're.

We're looking to better His Kingdom and, and to place all of our church workers out into these congregations and schools and parishes and not kind of, you know, challenge one another and look to, you know, we're sending them out, right?

We're sending them out.

And certainly there might be a little bit of the.

Like you're saying, you know, what.

Who's going to give me what on the way in, but on the way out, that's where I'm at.

I'm on the way out.

I'm getting to experience sending these students out into their first calls and into their calling invocations and certainly just pray that God has instilled them with those, you know, pillars of truth, freedom and vocation that they have, that they have experienced here to bring with them into their first calls and just blessed, blessed to come along the journey with them.

I can say from teaching at Irvine and being a student there, what impressed me about our Concordia system is, like you mentioned it, is Jesus in the center.

He's in every single classroom.

We start every single class with prayer.

You can feel Jesus through every course that we take.

The way you're interacting with teachers, how engaging they are, how available they are, they're there for you, to support you, because the goal is to help you grow in your educational journey, but also in your faith journey.

And so it's really.

It's a great place to go.

So here's your chance to pitch to someone who's a young person thinking about going into Christian education or whatever ministry there is.

You know, what would you say to someone who's on the fence thinking about, is this the right position for me?

Can I do this?

Is Concordia the Right place for me.

Here you go.

You're Katie.

You are the recruitment director for.

Well, I'm not that I've been taking many hats, but I'm not this, we do have very good ones at that.

So I, I'm not taking that role, but I, I'll do it for this purpose right now.

You know, I, I, I certainly say find a mentor to come alongside you and connect you with finding the gifts that you have to serve God.

Find what you do and do it well and love what you do, and God will guide you to the place that he has for you.

I pray that that's Concordia Chicago or any one of our Lutheran churches.

Schools to serve into church work, but set apart to serve out there right now.

I think having mentors in place and people that are recognizing these skills and these gifts that young people have and then coming alongside them and raising them up is what it's going to take for these young people to come into these roles.

And so right now I'm not in that role.

You know, I spent a lot of time in those, in those middle school classrooms, in those, you know, elementary classrooms, but now I'm here to accept them and embrace them once they bring them to us.

So I encourage those just mentors and teachers who are out there to embrace those young people, embrace those junior high kids, embrace those high school students, show them their gifts that they have, point them out, walk alongside them and let them know that they're not alone in their walk and that they have support along the way.

You're going to be so much more successful.

As you said, you had people praying for you and meeting with you weekly.

You are going to be more successful if, you know, you're supported.

And you and I truly feel that that is what is going to get those students to, to be encouraged to pursue church work.

And then I'll be ready to accept them once they're here.

I'll be ready to accept them.

Maybe not recruit, but I'll be ready to accept them once they're here.

And I can certainly, I, I, you know, all joking aside, I mean, I'll be attending the youth gathering this summer in New Orleans, you know, with Concordia and with 20,000 other friends, you know, that are youth and youth inspired.

And I will be, you know, just living out the joy of Jesus.

Living out the joy of Jesus.

And when they see that we're loving what we do and having fun and enjoying, you know, enjoying our own vocation, I hope that that is inspiring too, that they see that you truly love what you do, because if you don't love what you do, you're not going to do it very long.

And I certainly think that, you know, even a 20 plus at this point in, in my life, a 20 plus year career in education and continuing to be passionate and be, you know, pursuing other avenues is certainly explicit that I have that joy and passion to want to continue to serve and want to continue to bring more people to Jesus and to get to know him because we know that he's the only way, the truth and the life and, and we have to get more people to know him so that we, we have those, those young ones and, and all of them in heaven with us.

So we, we have to continue to, to do the work.

That's awesome.

So here's my toughest question for you this entire interview.

Oh, I thought that was the tough one.

What do you want your legacy to be you?

I want people to know that I've loved others.

Well, that I've loved others, that I've listened that you, you use Jesus as the example, kind of going back to the listening to people and that I wasn't too busy for them, that I wasn't too busy for them.

That I truly invested in people's lives and that I, I knew people because I invested in them and they knew me because I invested in them.

If they, if they knew that I cared and they knew that I love Jesus, that to me is a legacy.

They knew that I had the joy to follow Jesus.

That is a legacy enough for me that they know that I love Jesus and I want to follow him and all that I do.

That's what it's all about to me is, is just, is serving and, and I have experienced the joy that only that can bring.

That's great.

So Katie, where can people find you and connect with you and learn more about you?

Certainly I've, I've learned along the way that I'm not as up on social media as maybe I, I need to start working on some of those connections.

I am on LinkedIn.

I, you know, it can be found on the website of Concordia Chicago.

I do have a, an active Facebook page that I try to encourage people daily and so just through, through that I hope to maybe see some people at the youth gathering this summer are, you know, potentially some other, other events out just sharing Jesus with others.

I, I would love to connect with anyone in any way that is possible.

Well, thanks so much for coming on the podcast and sharing a little bit about what you do and your passion for our young people, helping them to find their unique calling in music and education and dceing.

So thank you.

Because what you do is important, and the transition from having that call of God on your heart to serving in God's kingdom is such a wonderful thing.

And you get to help them in that first part of their journey to become again this career.

So thank you.

Thank you, Dr.

Keith.

I really appreciate the invitation to join you today.

And again, you're so inspiring to me.

And to just sit alongside and have this conversation is just a joy.

And for those who don't, this was Katie's first podcast, so she did great.

We want to thank her for coming on.

And thank you for sharing that.

That was it.

Many blessings, Katie.

Thank you.

Thank you.