Established on 10.31.2021 by Karen Bjornson Shepard
Karen Bjornson Shepard ’60 spent her entire career in education and is thankful for the solid start Concordia gave her. When she graduated in 1960, she moved to Denver, Colorado with friends. While teaching in Denver, Karen met Lee; they married and had two children. Lee was offered an engineering position in the oil industry in Aruba, Netherlands Antilles. From there, she and her family lived abroad in St. Croix, Virgin Islands, and then spent a number of years in Saudi Arabia. The schools were excellent and their children were given unique opportunities that they wouldn’t have had here in the U.S. In Karen’s words, “We are so grateful for these international experiences which have greatly enriched our lives.”
Karen comes from a family with four generations of Cobbers, including most recently, her granddaughter, Shannon Wyatt ‘16, who graduated in exercise science and biology at Concordia. She graduated from Drake University with a Doctorate of Occupational Therapy in 2019 and is currently employed as a hand therapist at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC.
The Karen Bjornson Shepard '60 Family Endowed Scholarship is awarded to students of any class with preference given to those studying in the Health Professions majors or STEM Secondary Education.