BeamS

From the Principal
120 Years of Preparing Students for
Lives of Faith and Service
Table of Contents
Alumni Updates 8
Condolences 9
News & Notes 10-14
Vision4Life 15
One of my favorite places on
campus is CA’s weight-room.
Not because I’m some great
workout fanatic – I wish; but
because on the occasions I do
actually lift weights I almost
always end up meeting some of
our alumni. All summer long
and throughout the school year
we have steady stream of alumni
who come back to use the weight
room - CA’s weight room is one
of the best in the state!
“I’ve got to try and
make a difference, that’s
what you taught us here,
right Pastor B?”
My latest weight room reunion
was with 2009 graduate DeMico
Davis. I remembered DeMico as
an extremely personable young
man who clearly loved the Lord.
It took just a few minutes of
speaking with him to realize
that he was still this same
young man.
When I eventually asked where
he was at in his schooling he
shared that he’d just earned a
BA from Saint Olaf and was
about to begin a Masters of Arts
program in Public Policy at
Loyola University in Chicago.
After that, he told me, he
planned to earn his Ph.D in
Sociology. DeMico then flashed
me that big smile of his and
said, “I’ve got to try and make
a difference, that’s what you
taught us here, right Pastor B?”
“That’s right,” I said, “and make
sure you don’t forget that!” I
doubt very much that he will
ever forget.
This year, Concordia Academy
celebrates a 120 years of
Preparing Students for Lives
of Faith and Service. Founded
in 1893 with the Academy of
Concordia College Saint Paul,
to the merger with Saint Paul
Lutheran High School in 1967,
CA has taught, empowered, and
inspired thousands of students
to live lives modeled after Jesus
himself. DeMico is just one
of the latest in this long and
wonderful legacy. In this issue
of the Beams we highlight
the faith and service of fellow
Alumni, Drew Reuss and
Sarah Hibbing, as well as, our
Vision4Life program.
God using CA for 120 years to
prepare students for lives of faith
and service is truly something
worth celebrating. We invite
you to celebrate with us, rejoice
with us, and pray with us for
God’s continued blessing. With
your prayers and Lord’s blessing
the mission and ministry of
CA will continue to bless the
Church and the world at large
for the next 120 years. We will
continue the great legacy of
preparing students to “make a
difference” through lives lived in
faith and service.
Congratulations CA on your
120th birthday!
Save the Date
The 15th Annual Celebration Dinner Auction will be held on Saturday, November 2, 2013,
at CA. Last year’s event smashed all records…300 people attended and we raised over
$70, 000 after expenses. Mark your calendar now and plan to join us to make this year’s
event even more successful! More details to come…
Remember Prof. P.W. Stor ?
If you attended Concordia Academy any year(s) from the 1920’s to the 1970’s you
probably had him and can’t forget him. For many of us he was the most interesting
and memorable teacher we probably had. The stories about him and his classroom
are endless... and some of them are true. To read one alumnus’ account of his
experiences, visit the alumni page at www.concordiaacademy.com
Beams
Sarah graduated from CA in 2009; she recently completed her studies at UW-Stout earning a B.A. in Retail
Merchandising and Management. While attending Stout, Sarah was involved in CRU (Campus Crusade for
Christ) as a Bible Study Leader and Student Executive Leader. As a Senior she served as the leader of The Bridges
International Ministry sharing Christ’s Love through service activities, cultural events, and Bible studies.
Greetings
fellow Beacons!
While attending CA, Sarah was in His People, a Student Ambassador,
and member of the Girls’ Golf Team. Sarah is the daughter of Russ and
Julie; her sister Kaylin graduated from CA in 2011.
Dear Friends and Family,
It seems like it was just yesterday when my parents were dropping me off in
Menomonie, Wisconsin to begin my first year as an undergrad student at
UW-Stout. Four years later I am a senior and plan to graduate in May with a
degree in Retail Merchandising and Management. Although I am finishing
my education at Stout, I believe I still have a great amount of learning to do in
gaining a global perspective. There is no better way to learn about other cultures
than to embrace them first hand through serving God’s people.
In September of this year I will be embarking on the journey of my lifetime
as I participate in the World Race. The World Race is an 11-month, 11-country
mission trip opportunity in which I will be visiting one country each month.
The route I have selected will allow me to experience the culture, build
connections, and share Christ’s love with people in Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya,
China, Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, India, Nepal, Romania, and Ukraine.
My work in each country will be different based on the current needs of those
we are serving in each location. During previous World Race trips, mission
teams have taught English to local children, built churches and schools, served
food, worked with women enslaved in human trafficking, and provided prayer
to all they encounter along the journey. I look forward to serving in so many
ways and sharing with my friends and family the spiritual and physical needs
of the people I am blessed to meet.
Throughout the entire journey I will be communicating my thoughts, updates, and prayer requests via
blog through the World Race website. I would love to use this blog as an opportunity to share with
everyone stories and updates about real people who face extreme hardships on a daily basis, praise reports
of God’s presence through our work, lessons He will be teaching me along the way, and prayer requests for
my team. I understand that these 11 months will probably be some of the most challenging months of my
life emotionally and spiritually; your encouragement is important to me and I would love for you to join
my team as a prayer warrior. I know that God has called me in this period to global missions. I fully trust
that He will provide the funds necessary for this experience through people like you, His faithful servants,
and through my personal work opportunities. I encourage you to check out my page at sarahhibbing.
theworldrace.org.
I am honored and blessed to be able to share God’s love through service to people around the world at
such a young age. God has given me a passion for helping others, and I know that through service to “the
least of these” I will be worshiping my Father in heaven. If you have any questions or comments about my
trip I would love to hear your feedback! There is a comment section on my blog that allows you to message
me directly. I hope you will partner with me on this incredible journey!
Thank you and God Bless,
Sarah Christine Hibbing
Colossians 3:1-3
2 Beams • Summer 2013 Summer 2013 • Beams 3