By: Cora Saddler, Communications Associate  

It’s hard to describe church work students at Concordia University Chicago. They’re exceedingly sincere, abundantly generous, passionate about their beliefs, and, above all, committed to serving God through their unique callings. Concordia-Chicago nurtures these callings faithfully, intentionally, and—through our Prepared to Serve program-affordably so students can focus on what matters most.  

The initiative, which began fall 2025, offers eligible freshman or transfer students pursuing one of our six church professional majors a maximum $5,000 cap on tuition and mandatory fees each academic year. Whether they enroll in our Classical Lutheran Educator, Deaconess, Director of Christian Education (DCE), Director of Parish Music, Lutheran Teacher Education (LTE), or Pre-Seminary program, the guarantee allows our students to pursue their vocations without the fear of financial debt.  

This spring, the first group of students impacted by the Prepared to Serve program completed their first year, a success made possible by generous donors. Now, they share what the program has meant to them and how it has prepared them to serve thus far. 

In this issue, meet just some of the students whose callings are being nurtured through the tuition guarantee. Students like Cory Dobrowolsky and Kyle Plante are preparing for ministry through the Pre-Seminary program, while students like Annie Hughes, Kaitlyn Pullin, Joan Tiefel, and Joanh Witte are learning how to serve future generations through the LTE/DCE program. Together, their stories capture the many ways the Prepared to Serve initiative is making a meaningful difference in our students' lives and callings.  

To see how each has been called to serve, check out the summer 2026 edition of Forester magazine.