When I think back to my high school experience, I smile at all the great memories I made here at CLHS. I was surrounded by likeminded friends who, in the end, became family.
I still keep in touch with several of my high school friends. I am so grateful we met at Concordia, and I believe we will remain friends for a very long time.
During my time at CLHS, I was involved in a number of extracurricular activities that helped me to stay connected and truly enriched my high school experience. I always loved that there was something for everyone at Concordia with such a large number of extracurriculars to choose from. However, what I loved more is that the majority of my closest friends weren’t involved in the same activities I was. You see, we were friends with people from all different groups. There were few “cliques” within my class. The athletes might not have had much in common with the drama students, but that didn’t stop them from creating lasting friendships with one another.
Going into college, I felt prepared for the academic rigor of my new classes. I have Concordia to thank for that. Not only was I surrounded by great friends here, but I was also supported and challenged by dedicated faculty and staff members. My teachers knew my name, and they made it their goal to help me and my fellow classmates succeed with Christ at the center of it all.
The teachers, counselors, and coaches I met at Concordia all pushed me to grow into the strong Christian that I am today. I couldn’t be more thankful for the impact they have had on my life.
Most importantly, I am grateful to CLHS for giving me a high school experience focused on Christ. One of my favorite memories is singing the doxology at the end of sporting events, concerts, and more. It was a humbling experience to stand side by side with my best friends, giving all of the glory to God for our shared victories. This is a tradition that I hope continues for many years to come.
After such a wonderful high school experience at CLHS, I was thrilled to receive an opportunity to intern at the high school two years after graduating, earlier this summer.
Currently, I am working toward a degree in English from Ball State University with two minors in Spanish and Strategic Communications. The internship involved working for Ashley Wiehe, the Communications Manager at CLHS. I was excited to work with people with kind hearts that live for Jesus. I couldn’t think of a better place to gain my first professional experience within my chosen field, and these people did not disappoint. I received a warm welcome back from the faculty and staff members, and I felt grateful to be eased into this new work environment. I am happy to say that the experience I gained was all that I hoped it would be.
Upon completion of my internship, I now feel more confident and prepared to go out into the workforce (next year).
It was truly fulfilling to be able to put into practice everything I had learned so far within my college career. I couldn’t be more thankful to my Concordia family for blessing me with yet another valuable experience.
Lainey Bentz ’19,
CLHS Communications Summer Intern