It seems like just yesterday I was interviewing with Josh Sommermeyer for an open tech position when I told him I wanted Concordia to be “the school I would want to send my girls to.” Here I am eight years later and my then second-grader is now an incoming freshman. I have to ask myself if Concordia is meeting the expectations I set nearly a decade ago; is this school I really want to send my daughter to?
I know there is a convenience factor to be considered but convenience does not make a good school. Being intellectually honest with myself I choose to answer this question by looking at it from a STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) perspective as when I made that statement I was really referring to the lack of any computer science offerings. With that criterion in mind, just how far have we come?
In the past seven years Concordia has added three dual-credit computer science courses (the most of any school in the area). We now have an amazing BioMed program, and we just launched an Engineering program that I am pleased to say my daughter is enrolled in. We have a student-led digital signage team, a technical theatre component of our stellar drama program and are the defending two-time TechFest champions.
We were the first school in the area to launch a one-to-one device program and have since expanded it to be more flexible and responsive to student needs. Our cafeteria checkout system is fast and efficient with biometric readers, and the new schedule allows students to pursue additional interests that would not have been possible just a few years ago.
Students are given the opportunity to experience real-world tech experiences including computer repair, soundbooth operation, and wireless access point installation. Finally, I will be demonstrating our commitment to gender diversity in computer science by presenting our Disrupting the Pink Aisle program in Indy at the 2019 Flipping the Switch conference. And we are only getting started!
We have come a long way in a short time and are poised to do so much more.
Among its many strengths, Concordia offers caring teachers who are not afraid to try new things and an administration that is not afraid to let them. Couple the growth of STEM with our rigorous academic standards, rock-solid JROTC program, top-notch athletics program, award-winning band, choir, and arts programs, and that everything we do is done with Christ at the center, and it is clear Concordia has something for all interests.
No matter what your passion I think we can agree that Concordia is a school everyone can be proud of, and if given the choice, is there anywhere else you would want your kids to be? For me, I think not.
Scott Storm,
Computer Science Teacher