CTX Alumna Pursues Life-Changing Work in Early Childhood Education

Kassi Kincaid graduated from Concordia University Texas in 2016 summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management and holds the Child Development Associate credential.

She serves as the administrator at Cornerstone Connection, a non-denominational Christian preschool for children ages 12 months through five years. Additionally, Kincaid leads Book Days, which brings books to life through interactive storytelling to instill a love of reading in children.

Kincaid's experience at Concordia University Texas helped prepare her for life-changing work in early childhood education.

Choosing Concordia University Texas

Kincaid's sister attended CTX for a few semesters and invited her to events at the University, including Coffeehouse, the semi-annual talent show. She saw the great community of friends her sister had, and she enjoyed the small, beautiful campus.

From the time she was a sophomore in high school, Kincaid knew that Concordia was where she wanted to go to college. "I never had sights on any other college," she said. "Concordia was the only university I applied to, so I essentially put all of my eggs into one basket."

Life-Changing Adventure at CTX

As a Round Rock native, Kincaid was a commuter student who was actively involved on campus, particularly within the College of Business.

Kincaid volunteered for the College of Business Speaker Series, which brought in speakers for live interviews, and she eventually became the Speaker Series student coordinator. She met people with a variety of professional backgrounds, including a former secret service member, an Olympic athlete, a billionaire and many business leaders.

Her favorite speaker was Mack Brown, a former coach of the University of Texas at Austin football team, because the campus was buzzing the day he visited. The Chapel, where the conversation took place, was standing room only, and the event brought people in from the greater Austin community. Plus, she was one of the few people on campus who got to have lunch with him.

Concordia's small class sizes also allowed Kincaid to form important connections. Dr. Don Christian, Concordia's president, was the dean of the College of Business when Kincaid attended Concordia, and she took one of his Business classes her first semester. He became one of her mentors, and they meet for coffee every year to catch up. "He was always supportive of me as a student," she said, "and has supported me in my professional roles with Cornerstone Connection and Book Days."

Transferable Skills

Kincaid developed a range of skills that have helped her excel in her role at Cornerstone Connection. "I loved my time at Concordia," she said, "and I feel it gave me a good view of the business field. As the administrator, I deal with all of the categories I studied." In her role, Kincaid utilizes knowledge she developed about management, marketing, finance, accounting, nonprofits and HR.

Concordia helped Kincaid develop strong communication skills, which are essential in her role. She manages the communication between parents, administrators and teachers. Additionally, she runs the social media platforms for both Cornerstone Connection and Book Days.

She also learned the importance of being a team player at CTX. She participated in many team activities and group projects. These experiences prepared her for the professional field. While much of her work as the administrator is individual, she strives to be available to her team. For example, she can sub in a class if a teacher needs help.

Kincaid leverages a lesson she learned at CTX when searching for sponsors to support Book Days. "One of the main things I learned at Concordia," she stated, "is not to be afraid of rejection. You need to try, even if you don't get what you're working for," she said. "It's worth the effort just to try." She recently secured a donation from Whole Foods Market that was ten times the amount for which she applied.

Advice to CTX Students

In addition to participating in extracurricular activities, Kincaid encourages students at Concordia to get involved in the campus community, interact with people and form meaningful relationships.

"I wouldn't be the person I am today without Concordia, so I'm grateful for my time there," Kincaid said. "Concordia and the people there will always be near and dear to my heart."