Upon the completion of her nursing coursework, Tess Houglum, B.S.N. ’25, stood before family, faculty, and classmates and received her nursing pin. It’s a tradition nurses have carried forward for generations, and for Tess, it marked something deeply personal: the moment years of clinical rotations, late-night study, and quiet resilience gave way to a new calling — trusted clinician, ready to serve on the front lines of patient care.
We don’t think of moments like these as simple milestones. A diploma marks the end of coursework. But a pinning ceremony, a service of sending, a walk across the commencement stage — these mark a beginning. They’re the moments where preparation gives way to purpose, and our students step fully into the callings God has placed on their lives. And none of it happens without you.
A Pinning, and a Calling to Care
For nursing graduates like Tess, the pinning ceremony recognizes something graduation alone can’t capture: the calling to care for others. As students receive a pin, they honor years of hard-won growth and step forward ready to serve.
A Sending, and a Blessing
Preparing students for full-time ministry has been part of who we are since our founding in 1893. We celebrated Liz Rossow, B.A. ’26, and Emma (Giger) Hubble, B.A. ’25, and many others, at Services of Sending — a moment where students are prayed over and sent into the world to live out their faith through their work, whether in churches, classrooms, or communities. It’s one of the most powerful blessings we get to witness each year, and it’s made possible by friends like you.
A Commencement and a Send-Off
For Brendan Frazier, B.A. ’26, commencement meant walking the same stage as classmates headed toward entirely different futures — teaching, accounting, engineering, art — each shaped by their time at CSP, each carrying a different calling forward. Different paths, same stage, same sense of purpose.
Why This Matters to Us
“Your support extends far beyond resources; it includes the thoughts, prayers, and encouragement that sustain our students,” said Rev. Dr. Ryan Peterson, Vice President for Advancement. “This partnership is transformational. While we have served thousands of students this year, each one has a unique story and individual goals to pursue. Without you, our mission to prepare them for their callings would not be possible.”
We’re entering the final year of our Elevate the Promise campaign, and we’re doing it as Concordia — a name that means “one heart.” As Peterson put it, “We are focused on finishing strong for the sake of the students God has called us to serve.”
For Tess, Liz, Emma, Brendan — and thousands of students like them — your generosity became a blessing, a diploma, and a future full of purpose.
Thank you for being part of their story.
