Maria Sartin ’24, an international student from New Zealand and recently-graduated business major, started an athletic clothing line in her dorm room and won Concordia’s annual Business Plan Competition. Now she is aiming to represent her home country in the 2028 Olympics in track and field. “I’m really excited,” Sartin says. “My goal since childhood has been to represent New Zealand in the Olympics. That’s what I’m aiming for. Then I will focus on my business.”
She enrolled at Concordia in 2020, joined the track team and soon set the school record for 400 hurdles outdoor, 400 meter indoor, 4x400 indoor and outdoor, and the distance medley relay indoor. “We had the fastest hurdle crew at Concordia,” she says. “Three of us were provisional qualifiers for NCAA DII nationals, which is unheard of.
As a business major, Sartin was also competitive in the classroom. During her freshman year she started an activewear line for women to promote positive self-image. She named the brand “Uncontainable.” “It goes with my lifestyle and values,” she explains. “I saw a gap with women feeling this need to be something society told them or others told them. I started Uncontainable to celebrate their uniqueness, to bring women together and get rid of the limiting beliefs that stop them from being uncontainable.”
The brand is about more than just clothing and seeks to advance a traditional Maori concept called hauora which speaks of spiritual, mental, physical, and social well-being. “I want to create a community for women to come together through social media or in-person to meet friends who support one another and encourage one another in the pursuit of their dreams,” Sartin says.
Read more about Maria Sartin here!
Celebrate the 2025 Alumni of the Year
Cassandra Moore
Cassandra "Cassie" Moore '08, MA '23 is this year’s Alumna of the Year for Professional Achievement. Cassie is an accomplished author, speaker, and leadership consultant dedicated to empowering young people and leaders since 2008. This year, Cassie published three new books, including Saving Andiamo, the debut of her Gallivanter Saga, which ranked as the #1 new release in young adult travel books. Her inspiring insights on youth ministry and leadership have led her to keynote major conferences, including the National Lutheran Youth Workers Conference and multiple district youth gatherings across North America.
Cassie’s contributions to youth ministry are vast, with over 80 articles for YouthESource and several published works, including Authentic Youth Ministry and Faith Notes. She also created the webinar series From A to (Gen) Z: The Church and the Digital Generation. Her expertise extends to consulting for non-profits, schools, and government organizations on youth engagement, strategic planning, and mental health advocacy.
Cassie and her husband, Pastor Tyler, live in Hood River, Oregon, where she continues to inspire others through her passion, leadership, and boundless creativity.
Lonnie Karges
Lonnie Karges '80 is the 2025 Alumnus of the Year for Distinguished Service. Lonnie's path changed at seventeen when he passed on an opportunity to try out for the St. Louis Cardinals and took the road never traveled before in his family - college. After his time as a first generation college student and member of Christ College Irvine’s first graduating class, he devoted 41 years to faithfully serving LCMS churches and schools as a DCE, teacher, principal, and mentor. The story of Lonnie’s life and work revolves around him repeatedly stepping into the breach, against his better judgement, to ensure that the gospel of Christ is proclaimed and that young hearts and minds are reached by it.
Lonnie's love of sports and ability to step-in and step-up prompted him to develop a number of Christ College's sports teams by gathering groups of people from Irvine's city leagues. During his first call in Storm Lake, Iowa, he also started a men's basketball church league and co-ed softball church league. His competitive camaraderie is woven through his time filling in at the pulpit in Iowa, serving as a grade school teacher in Ridgecrest, CA, a middle school teacher at Trinity Whittier, and then an insurance agent at Aid Association for Lutherans in Salinas, CA. Raising four children in Carson City, NV and serving as a middle school teacher and athletic director, he coached a wide variety of boys and girls sports, started an athletic league with the areas local Christian schools (the Sierra Nevada Christian Athletic League), gave chapel talks, taught Confirmation classes, started a Co-ed church softball team (that dominated Carson City in the 1990s), led Bible studies, and organized the school’s geography and spelling bees. He also worked to bring Little League Baseball to Dayton, Nevada and volunteered as a coach and committee member. He used baseball as an opening to share the Gospel and the love of Christ with the kids of semi-rural Nevada. Finally, from 2001 until retiring in June of 2023, Lonnie faithfully served as Bethlehem Lutheran's principal, supporting his staff and pouring into the students to steer the school to become the premier Christian day school in greater Carson City, NV.
Through his tireless and humble service in Lutheran education, Lonnie impacted thousands of lives and inspired many, including his own four children - all Concordia University Irvine alumni - who now serve in the church in various roles.
Scott Esswein
Scott Esswein has achieved the Graduate of the Last Decade (G.O.L.D.) Achievement Award for 2025. Scott graduated in 2015 with a BA in Business Administration and exemplifies the mission of Concordia through his professional achievements and dedicated service to his community, church, and alma mater. As Vice President at Wells Fargo’s Commercial Real Estate Division, Scott has grown his portfolio from $350 million to over $800 million, including leading his team’s first UK-based transaction. Known for his servant leadership, he mentors colleagues and prioritizes relationships with clients and coworkers, earning a reputation for integrity and excellence.
Scott’s dedication extends beyond his career. He has served as President of Concordia’s Alumni Association, co-chaired the 2023 Gala (raising a record $650,000), mentored students, and participated in numerous campus events. His service to his church communities includes roles as Treasurer at Peace Lutheran Church, confirmation mentor at Bethany Lutheran Church, and volunteer for school resource programs. He also donates blood regularly and supports local missions.
Through his professional success and steadfast commitment to serving others, Scott embodies Concordia’s mission to live a life of service and glorify God in all he does. His impact is felt across his industry, church, and alma mater, making him a deserving recipient of this award.
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