Ivan Cardona

Ivan Cardona graduated from Concordia University, St. Paul with his Master’s in Sports Management in 2016 after previously completing his Bachelor’s in Family Studies in 2011 at CSP. He is now the Ballpark Tour Manager for the Minnesota Twins.

Cardona was inspired to attend CSP as a first generation college student due to the potential he saw for his education and the convenient location. “A long time ago, CSP hosted the NCAA Mens & Women’s Basketball Dunk and 3-Point Contest. I was in ninth grade at the time. It was my first time stepping onto a college campus. No one in my family had been to college at that time. I told myself I was going to get here. I loved the location, the small feel yet still being in a big city, and the opportunities it would provide.”

Cardona felt supported by attending CSP due to its diverse student population. “The dynamic, multicultural, and urban environment that Concordia St. Paul offers was most valuable to me. I was truly my authentic self. Seeing others that looked like me provided safety. What I mean by that is, I never second guessed myself.”

The diverse, urban campus of CSP also inspired Cardona in his career path and opened the door to his success. “CSP empowered my purpose for life to service dynamically specifically in urban environments and with unrepresented people. Once I really learned this mindset, opportunities began to open, and my view of life shifted.”