SEWARD, NEB. (05/30/2013)(readMedia)-- More than 450 undergraduate and graduate degrees, diplomas and certificates were awarded at Concordia University, Nebraska during its 2013 commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 11.

Commencement speaker Dr. Douglas Tewes used Concordia's theme Bible verse for 2012-13 -- "You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of His household." – to explain a Christian's obligation to serve.

"I think that as citizens of God's kingdom, we have responsibility in our citizenship here in America," Tewes said. In addition to delivering the commencement address, Tewes also received the honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Concordia.

Undergraduates earning degrees from Concordia were eligible for distinction or high distinction honors. Up to 10 percent of those who earned, at minimum, a 3.75 GPA were designated as graduating with high distinction. An additional 15 percent of those who earned degrees with a minimum 3.5 GPA were graduated with distinction. Departmental awards were also announced.

The following are Concordia University, Nebraska graduates from your area:

Kathy Schneiderman, Davenport, Iowa, Master of Education

Stephen Henderson, Davenport, Iowa, M.S. in Family Life

Leslie Rudzinski, Davenport, Iowa, M.S. in Family Life

Concordia University, Nebraska, founded in 1894, is a fully accredited, coeducational university located in Seward, Neb. Concordia currently has over 2,200 students. Concordia offers more than 50 professional and liberal arts programs in an excellent academic and Christ-centered community that equips men and women for lives of learning, service and leadership. For more information, visit www.cune.edu.

ROCK ISLAND, IL (05/30/2013)(readMedia)-- Twenty-two Augustana College students studied abroad in Accra, Ghana, for six weeks during January and February. During their time in Ghana, students engaged in service-learning internships throughout the city and lived with Ghanaian families in Accra.

Students who traveled to Ghana include:

Stormy Almanza, a senior from Rock Island, Ill., majoring in sociology.

Alannah Golden, a senior from Davenport, Iowa, majoring in elementary education.

About Augustana: Founded in 1860, Augustana College is a selective four-year residential college of the liberal arts and sciences. Augustana is recognized for the innovative program Augie Choice, which provides each student up to $2,000 to pursue a high-impact learning experience such as study abroad, an internship or research with a professor. Alumni include 140 Academic All-Americans, a Nobel laureate, 14 college presidents and other distinguished leaders. The college enrolls 2,500 students and is located along one of the world's most important waterways, the Mississippi River, in a community that reflects the diversity of the United States.

ROCK ISLAND, IL (05/30/2013)(readMedia)-- After spring classes concluded, 34 Augustana College students traveled to Rome for 11 days. This trip is part of a Christian Traditions and Faiths in Dialogue class the students took during their spring term. The program focuses on Rome and the Roman Catholic Church, examining various perspectives on issues such as the doctrine of justification, war and peace, social and economic justice, and technological intervention in human procreation. Students also are given the option of completing service learning in the Quad-City community as well as in Rome, at the Nafuma Refugee Center.

Students who traveled to Rome include:

Ashley Heppner, a senior from Erie, Ill., majoring in theatre arts and communication studies.

Kjerstin Hurty, a senior from Moline, Ill., majoring in business administration-marketing.

Megan Kirik, a junior from Moline, Ill., majoring in political science and communication studies.

Kylie Koger, a junior from Davenport, Iowa, majoring in classics.

Jessica Larrison, a senior from Hampton, Ill., majoring in English.

Eric Palmer, a senior from Moline, Ill., majoring in political science.

Lauren Schneiderbauer, a senior from Sterling, Ill., majoring in biology.

About Augustana: Founded in 1860, Augustana College is a selective four-year residential college of the liberal arts and sciences. Augustana is recognized for the innovative program Augie Choice, which provides each student up to $2,000 to pursue a high-impact learning experience such as study abroad, an internship or research with a professor. Alumni include 140 Academic All-Americans, a Nobel laureate, 14 college presidents and other distinguished leaders. The college enrolls 2,500 students and is located along one of the world's most important waterways, the Mississippi River, in a community that reflects the diversity of the United States.

ROCK ISLAND, IL (05/30/2013)(readMedia)-- Thirty-six Augustana College students studied abroad in Ireland for 11 weeks. The students arrived in March and returned home at the end of May. The eleven weeks were divided between Galway (in the West) and Dublin (in the East). Places visited included Saint Patrick's Purgatory, the Dingle Peninsula, O'Brien's Tower on the Cliffs of Moher, The National Museum and Dublin Castle.

Students who studied in Ireland include:

Mariah Bardo, a junior from Sterling, Ill., majoring in business administration-advising.

Dalinda Widdop, a junior from Milan, Ill., majoring in biology.

About Augustana: Founded in 1860, Augustana College is a selective four-year residential college of the liberal arts and sciences. Augustana is recognized for the innovative program Augie Choice, which provides each student up to $2,000 to pursue a high-impact learning experience such as study abroad, an internship or research with a professor. Alumni include 140 Academic All-Americans, a Nobel laureate, 14 college presidents and other distinguished leaders. The college enrolls 2,500 students and is located along one of the world's most important waterways, the Mississippi River, in a community that reflects the diversity of the United States.