Melena Weber is building her academic path around her interests, leading her toward her calling.
Melena Weber’s time at Concordia has been formative. Through trial and error, she has discovered a passion for serving others. “I think I’m called to people,” she said. “I want to be part of something I truly care about, where I can live out my faith and serve others.”
As a junior majoring in mass communication and minoring in hospitality and event business, Weber is very active across campus. She writes for “The Beacon,” CUW’s student newspaper, and serves as membership coordinator for the Campus Activities Board.
In that role, she recruits and leads 30 ambassadors and helps plan up to 15 of the 40 to 50 events hosted each semester. She also works as a student engagement intern for the Concordia Crew, which welcomes and guides incoming students.
At Concordia, Weber has found ways to connect what she studies with how she serves, bringing together communication, leadership and event planning in meaningful ways.
During her first year, CAB in particular gave her a place where she could have fun, build relationships and step outside her comfort zone. “I felt overwhelmed and unsure of what I wanted to do,” Weber said. “Now, as part of CAB’s executive team, I can see how much that experience helped shape me. It helped me realize part of what I want to do in the future.”
Her passion for community continues to shape her academic and professional path.
Establishing a community
Feeling uneasy during her first year of college, Weber relied on the Lord more than ever. Having grown up attending Lutheran schools, her faith played a key role in her decision to attend CUW.
“I felt lost because I knew I was supposed to be at Concordia, but I didn’t know what I was supposed to study,” Weber said. “That uncertainty pushed me to rely on the Lord more than I ever had before. Looking back now, I can see how much He was working through that season. By junior year, I feel like I’m living in the answers to a lot of prayers.”
With prayer part of the daily rhythm in the classroom and faith woven naturally into campus life, Weber found space to pause, worship and build meaningful friendships. She also serves on the prayer team for Haven, Concordia’s student-led worship gathering.
“It has been a really meaningful way to serve,” she said.
For students new to CUW or still discerning their calling, Weber encourages them to seek out professors, advisors and peers. They should ask questions and build connections. Getting involved, she said, played a key role in helping her find direction.
“I kept circling back to the things I genuinely loved, and eventually I realized those interests could become a career,” Weber said. “Sometimes the path isn’t obvious right away, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t there.”
Growing in purpose
Family, faith and community have shaped Weber’s journey.
Choosing to attend CUW was not easy. “I’m very family-oriented, and I came here knowing almost no one,” she said, acknowledging her family’s steady support. “They’ve been my prayer warriors, and they’ve encouraged me to keep going.”
Today, Weber has grown in clarity about her interests and is eager to make a meaningful impact.
Inspired by her mother’s work running a nonprofit and organizing mission trips, Weber hopes to work for a smaller nonprofit where she can use her skills across many areas of the organization.
“My mom works with people across the organization, helping with event planning, handling communication and marketing, all while staying connected to the mission,” Weber said. “That kind of role feels like a really good fit for me.”
Guided by mentors
Director of Student Engagement Kara Janowski and Assistant Professor of Communications Dr. Marnie Lawler McDonough have played a meaningful role in shaping Weber’s college experience. Through their example, they model a steady, student-centered approach to leadership that continues to influence her goals.
In Lawler McDonough’s classroom, Weber found a new way of engaging with media.
“Her classes focus on rhetoric and critical analysis of mass media, and they have been fascinating,” she said. “I catch myself paying attention to how something is framed, what message is being sent and why certain choices are made. That has been really valuable.”
Outside the classroom, Janowski continues to offer mentorship in Weber’s campus roles.
“I was thrilled that she stepped up to join our orientation team—first as a crew leader, then as a crew intern, and now as the student engagement intern,” said Janowski. “It has been a joy to watch her grow in her work across campus. I can’t wait to see what she does next.”
Through those experiences in student engagement, Weber appreciates Janowski’s leadership approach.
“She wants students to have the best experience possible,” Weber said. “She is the kind of leader I would love to be like one day.”
Around the corner
As Weber nears the end of her time at Concordia, she is preparing for what comes next. She has managed people and social media platforms, created graphics and promotions, and spearheaded events—bringing together communication, leadership and event planning in each role.
Last summer, she completed a marketing internship with United Services for Children in St. Charles, Mo. This summer, she will intern with Concordia Publishing House in St. Louis, gaining additional experience in public relations.
With a clear desire to work with people, Weber is still discerning the details of her future.
“I don’t know exactly what that will look like yet, but I know I want to do work that helps people and reflects something bigger than myself,” she said.
“The School of &” blog series highlights the distinctive identity of Concordia University Wisconsin’s School of Arts & Sciences, where interdisciplinary connections shape learning and purpose. Each month, the series features Concordia students and alumni who have paired majors, minors and certificates in thoughtful and creative ways, showing how this approach influences both their education and their sense of calling.
These stories reveal how students connect their studies, develop their gifts and live out their callings in service to the Church and the world.
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Concordia University Wisconsin is a Lutheran higher education community committed to helping students develop in mind, body and spirit for service to Christ in the Church and the world.