Concordia High School Testimonials
Students who study at Concordia will remember their time here for years to come. Hear what just a few of our alumni had to say about the school and their experiences.
Concordia High School pushed me to be the best I could be academically, athletically, artistically, and spiritually. The faculty took an active interest in me as a person, preparing me wonderfully for university life. The friendships cultivated at Concordia continue to be a blessing to me today.
- Jeff Walz, Class of 1985
The quality academic program at Concordia prepared our daughter and son for their future professions. Tammy is a lawyer, and Jeffrey is a university professor with a doctorate in political science.
During their time at Concordia, my children were taught by a caring, committed, Christian faculty who took an interest in educating the whole person. The Concordia environment led to involvement in civic areas, often helping those who are less fortunate in today’s society.
Concordia is a small, intimate institution where everyone knew everyone on the campus, developing closeness to classmates. Both Tammy and Jeffrey made many lifelong friendships with students and faculty, some who now serve throughout the world.
Concordia instilled in my children a love of music, good sportsmanship and appreciation for travel to see God’s world, inside Canada and in foreign countries.
The Lutheran, Christian education Tammy and Jeffrey received gave them a foundation based on the Word of God for a life here on earth and into eternity.
- Orville Walz; President, Concordia University College of Alberta (1981 - 1991)
As a young child, it was always my goal to attend Concordia and become a Pastor. That was primarily because I had an uncle who was a Pastor and because my older brother had attended Concordia. In those days a student began his/her Professional Education in High School, which took four years.
Concordia had an administrative building, with classrooms and a boy’s dorm. There was no dorm for girls and almost all students attended Concordia as professional students who studied there to enter some kind of church work, which had to be completed at a college or seminary in the United States.
I found my way to Concordia by Greyhound bus, which was a six hour trip from Calgary to Edmonton because it stopped at every little town to drop off and pick up passengers and I was greeted at the College by a returning upper classman who showed me my way around the campus, which was very helpful. All boys had to live in the dormitory which was comprised of two-room suites, one room as a study room for four persons, and the other room as the bedroom for four persons. The person in charge of the room was called the “room buck” who was a sixth year student. Other students in the suite were a fifth year student, a fourth year student, a third year student, a second year student, and a first year student. At that time there were about one hundred students. The girl students stayed with faculty and neighborhood families. Once again they were a mix of High School and College students.
Every evening there were study hours, which was quiet time for study, followed by Evening Devotions in the Chapel, which was followed by “Lights Out”, which meant that the main light switch to the dorm was turned off for the High School students. The College students could go to the classrooms to continue their studies and if you weren’t in bed, you went to bed in the dark. This was followed by a bed-check by one of the faculty members and his trusty flashlight. After bed check I would sometimes tune into a hockey game on my homemade crystal set, with the earphone under my pillow.
To help to keep expenses down all students were expected to volunteer with setting and clearing tables, washing dishes, planting & caring for the flower beds, etc. There were usually two Shower Days a year when people and congregations would bring or send food items, especially garden items to help out in the kitchen.
I was more fortunate than some other students because I had an aunt and uncle who lived within walking distance of the College and my aunt did my laundry for me. When they later moved to Edmonton’s west end, I quite gladly took the bus to their home with my laundry.
As a student at Concordia you were not allowed to play cards or attend dances. The only sports available at the College at that time were baseball and hockey. We flooded the outdoor rink ourselves by taking turns all night for two hours at a time. I also enjoyed singing in the College Choir every year and enjoyed the fine food prepared by Congregation members. Many activities at the College were for both High School and College: for instance playing hockey for the “Concordia Clippers” or baseball; the school paper, the “Aurora Borealis”; the school Choir, “Concordia Choristers”, the male chorus, the “Glee Club”, etc.
- Reverend Don Underschultz