Senior Lance Kiango completes internship on East Coast

Seward, NE (11/02/2026) — Senior Lance Kiango of McKinney, Texas, is studying psychology and behavioral science at Concordia University, Nebraska and spent the last four years playing for Concordia's men's soccer team.

Kiango first heard about Concordia while attending Faith Lutheran High School in Plano, Texas. While at Concordia, he has enjoyed the opportunities that Concordia's Christian professors and coaches give him to talk about his faith.

"What makes Concordia different from other universities for me are the professors, coaching staff and campus ministry," he said. "At Concordia, they truly care about you and your overall wellbeing. Over the years, I have developed great relationships with the professors, coaching staff and campus ministry at Concordia. That is what makes this place unique for me. Having Christian professors and coaches allows me to talk about my faith and how it is such a central part of my life."

Kiango is choosing to study psychology and behavioral science in preparation for the pastoral ministry and counseling. After his graduation in December, he plans to attend Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne to pursue his Master of Divinity degree.

He has enjoyed being able to study psychology at Concordia because the professors teach from a Christian perspective. This is especially relevant to Kiango as he works towards bringing psychology and theology together in his future career.

"I believe my psychology and behavioral science studies are well-suited for the pastoral ministry because being a pastor is a people-person job. My studies in psychology of deepened my understanding of the complexity of human life and strengthened my desire to serve God's people with compassion."

Kiango plans to use the knowledge he has gained at Concordia in tandem with what he will learn at seminary to help the church at large be a place of refuge and healing.

"As I pursue the pastoral ministry, I want to use what I have learned to walk alongside God's people and help the Church be a place of refuge and healing for the brokenhearted," he said. "In seminary, I will be formed and equipped to preach, teach and apply God's Word in my ministry and learn how to serve the Lord and His people."

This summer, Kiango had the opportunity to complete an internship through Living and Learning East Coast's Baltimore Urban Studies program. He worked for Helping Up Mission, a non-profit addiction recovery clinic in Baltimore, Maryland. The organization offers year-long residential programs that combine clinical counseling, behavioral health support, spiritual development, 12-step principles, education, workforce development and community into a holistic recovery path.

Kiango worked as a spiritual recovery intern under director Mike Rallo. He sat in on the organization's classes on identity development and spiritual growth. He was also given the opportunity to preach his first sermon at one of the Sunday morning chapel services.

Kiango is originally from Tanzania, East Africa. His dad works as a data engineer and his mom as a healthcare provider. He has one younger brother named Reese, 14, who just started high school.

Outside of classes, Kiango enjoys attending chapel and student-led devotions such as Praise and Evening Prayer. He also loves soccer and enjoyed watching the FIFA World Cup this past summer.

"It is a pure joy to look back and see how much I have grown and changed throughout my time here," he reflected. "Every season and semester of my college experience has looked different. What I do value is seeing God's handiwork through every chapter of my college career. I am a living testimony of His faithfulness."

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