The College Corps program is a partnership with schools that allows students to serve as “fellows” who will serve in the community while earning money towards their tuition. Concordia has many students enrolled in the program, who will serve a total of 450 hours during the school year. 

“College Corps is really the best of both worlds,” said Lucas Brawner, College Corps Assistant Director. “There is a huge emphasis on professional development and individual growth...while still giving and serving people who desperately need help around us. It's so much more than a job or a grant opportunity...it's a life-changing community here at Concordia!” 

College Corps partners with multiple organizations, including South County Outreach, which helps people in Orange County struggling with food or housing insecurity. 

“There’s a lot of variety in my work at South County Outreach,” said Ryan Jertberg, a junior fellow. “Some days, I’m in the back of the food pantry processing and organizing donations. Other days, I’m at checkout or managing one of the freezers or helping distribute frozen foods to customers.” 

South County Outreach also has a thrift store. “Even though it's not the pantry, it still directly supports families in need, and being part of that mission has been really meaningful to me,” said Chloe Greene, a senior fellow. “Each day looks a little different depending on what the store needs help with, but some of my main tasks include ringing customers up at the register, pricing and tagging clothing for the sales floor, organizing donations and counting inventory.” 

The second organization that College Corps has partnered with is The Wooden Floor. The Wooden Floor is an organization that provides tutoring for kids who could use the extra help with their schooling. This is a great program for students who are interested in entering a teaching job or a similar field of work. 

The final organization that College Corps is partnered with is Tanaka Farms, just down the road from campus. “Every day, we feed the animals, make sure they have water, and greet the customers that come in to look at the barn,” said Jessi Borton, a senior fellow. “Sometimes we have projects such as building or painting things, which are usually for the holiday events like our pumpkin patch or the Christmas light festival.” 

Along with caring for the animals and keeping the farm “clean and presentable,” the fellows at Tanaka Farms also like to “greet and teach people about our mission as a farm and about our animals,” according to Victor Juárez, a sophomore fellow.

Working with College Corps is a great opportunity for students to help save on their tuition. “I would recommend College Corps to students who don’t already have their full tuition covered because the financial support makes a big difference as you’re able to help others while also funding your education,” said Greene. However, she acknowledged that it may reduce financial aid for those already on it. 

But College Corps is about more than tuition support, as Concordia students love to give back to their community. 

“I would definitely recommend College Corps over a part-time job,” said Jertberg. “In my opinion, it’s not only the more financially beneficial choice, but it also gives you the opportunity to serve your local community. Plus, you get to see the impact of your efforts reflected in the happy faces of the people you help.” 

“For me, College Corps has been worth it because it connects my work to a real purpose, not just a paycheck,” said Greene. 

Finally, the connections made with College Corps simply can’t be beat as the students have developed lifelong relationships through their work with the program. 

“It’s a great opportunity to meet new people,” said Juárez. “I’ve personally met some of my closest friends in the program and enjoy working alongside them to improve the Irvine and OC community.” 

“My favorite part of working with the other fellows has been getting to spend more time with them and making memories while being outside and working on the farm,” said Borton. “I work with a lot of my close friends, so being there does not feel like something I have to do, but something I want to do.” 

“Heart,” said Brawner when asked what he looks for when recruiting fellows. “It can be hard for us to show up consistently and passionately at our host sites week in and week out, especially when school gets tough. Quite often, it's our fellows' hearts for others that keep our program going.” 

For more information on College Corps, visit 

https://www.cui.edu/studentlife/career-services/college-corps or reach out to Lucas Brawner at lucas.brawner@cui.edu. The student interest form for those considering applying to be 2026-27 fellows is currently available on the /college-corps page. 

Tags: College Corps

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