They Did It! Congratulations to Concordia College’s Class of 2018

More than 400 students received their degree this year

MOORHEAD, Minn. — Erica Lindsey told herself at seven years old that she was going to eventually learn to play the flute.

She finally did when she joined band in sixth grade and it was nothing short of the perfect fit.

“I knew it was going to be an incredible journey. And what do you know? It has been,” Lindsey said.

Although she ended up deciding to study math at Concordia College, Lindsey realized she couldn’t give up what she loved to do the most.

It was in doing so where she found a little slice of home.

But four years later, she and her entire band family at Concordia College are going to perform together one last time at graduation.

They are just some of the 432 students who are receiving their diplomas.

“I’ve been crying all weekend a mix of happy and sad tears. It’s become something very special here at Concordia for me,” Lindsey said. “They’re the people I spend most of my time with and they’re the people that are there for me during the good and the bad. There’s a lot of great groups on campus but it’s different, especially when you can make music with them.”

Lindsey didn’t just find her second family in Concordia’s students. She also found it in her mentors, such as her flute professor Debora Harris.

“I’m going to miss her so much. We see our students multiple times a day so we get very close,” Harris said.

Harris says it’s bittersweet to have any student of hers graduate but now that they are all getting ready to trade in their textbooks for a degree, she hopes they all carry an important piece of advice with them.

“Be yourself and reach for the stars. They’ve been trained really well. Now go out and give your talents to the world,” Harris said.

Lindsey’s post graduate plans include moving to China where she will be a statistics teacher’s assistant at United International College.

She says music will always be in her future and she will never stop being in a band.