From furthering their education to a recording program in London, Excel College alumni are making their mark in a variety of ways and places. Some are designing, some are teaching, some are continuing their education, and one is learning to make music in one of the most renowned places it's ever been made.

This fall, we're checking in with five graduates whose paths show just how far an Excel education can travel.

Zach: Furthering His Theological Education

Zach, a C7 alumni, is studying with Western Seminary, preparing for a life of ministry and service.

Western builds its programs around gospel-centered transformation and trains students for ministry and counseling. Its cohort model pairs students with peers and mentors, so no one walks through seminary alone.

Seminary asks a lot: deep study of scripture and theology, hard questions, and the patience to be formed over years, not months. It's a path chosen out of conviction, and we're proud to see Zach walking it.

Natalie: Discipleship & Development Continued

Natalie has moved back home to Virginia and jumped right into her next chapter as a kindergarten teaching assistant at the private school where her sister attends high school. Her days are full; she supports the lead teacher, helps students stay organized with homework, walks them from class to class, and monitors recess. She also helps students with their behavior in accordance with the school's values. The approach she loves most is discipleship, not discipline: showing kids how to behave and encouraging the ones who do well. Encouragement comes first.

Natalie knew she wanted to work with kids in a school setting, and she wanted to start at a gentler pace. When her mom forwarded a list of job openings at her sister's school, she submitted her dossier from her practicum along with her application, got hired, and started her training while she was still in North Carolina.

Juliette: Training to Help Others Heal

Juliette, one of our recent C8 alumni, is pursuing a Master's in Marriage and Family Therapy through Richmont Graduate University's online program.

Her interest in counseling began in high school, when therapy played a key role in her walk with the Lord and one of her counselors told her she'd make a good therapist. The years of schooling felt daunting, so the idea stayed in the background until Excel. The physical sciences modules raised questions about human wholeness and how physical and spiritual healing connect. Then a conversation with a family friend, a therapist who graduated from Richmont, made the goal concrete.

Excel faculty and her practicum coordinator helped her shape practicum around preparing for grad school, even reaching out to Richmont to learn what students were reading so she could get a head start. She began her schooling last month.

She credits Excel's emphasis on discipleship and formation for opening doors: "You become someone people want to hire and work with."

Read Juliette's full story

Koehn: From Excel's Studio to Abbey Road

Koehn moved to London this May for a year to study music production with Abbey Road Institute, in an intensive program that also covers audio engineering and music business. Alongside about 20 other students, he's working in two of London's most famous recording spaces: Abbey Road Studios.

His path there started in Excel's own creative arts studio. During his practicum, Koehn studied audio engineering and music production, learning the software and hardware behind every stage of a song: writing, recording, producing, mixing, and mastering. He released some of his own music along the way.

After graduating in June 2025, he joined the college staff as creative arts director and worship leader. That September he spent three months in London at a YWAM ministry school, then returned to Excel in January to keep leading worship and creative arts before heading back to London.

What was he most looking forward to? More gear, a bigger space, collaboration with other artists, and learning from professionals who have been in the industry far longer than he has.

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Four graduates, four different paths, and one thing in common: they're taking what they learned at Excel College and putting it to work in the world.