Seward, NE (03/20/2025) — On Thursday, February 27, the Uzziah Ag Scholars hosted a luncheon in the Borland Family Collaboration Center with the purpose of launching their Agriculture Academy this upcoming fall.

There was a welcome by Provost Dr. Tim Preuss, and a presentation by Kellie Nelson and Dr. Kimberly Clark. Following lunch there was time dedicated to discussion among the attendees about the enhancement of the Agriculture Academy.

The Agriculture Academy will provide Uzziah Ag Scholars and students at Concordia with the opportunity to experience production agriculture alongside local leaders in agriculture. This will help them to jumpstart their network and gain hands-on experience. This program will have students spend one year working with an agricultural professional and their network, alongside their undergraduate coursework at Concordia. They will be involved in the operation or business and will assist in making business, management, and financial decisions.

This luncheon allowed Concordia faculty and staff to receive feedback from key stakeholders and agricultural leaders to further plan the academy and put it into action. They also had the opportunity to discuss the current program and identify ways to adjust it to better prepare students for real-world challenges.

Around 30 people attended this luncheon, made up of Concordia leadership, faculty, and staff, as well as FSAprogram technicians, cooperatives, commodity board representatives, insurance agents, bankers, loan officers, extension agents, agronomists, producers, and seed dealers.

About Concordia University, Nebraska

Concordia University, Nebraska, founded in 1894, is a fully accredited, coeducational university of The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod located in Seward, Nebraska, which currently serves more than 1,700 students. Concordia offers more than 100 undergraduate, graduate and professional programs in an excellent academic and Christ-centered community that equips men and women for lives of learning, service and leadership in the church and world. For more information, visit cune.edu.

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