Brittany Kvittem-Barr ’20 remembers getting angry at her parents, Wartburg alumni Dale Barr ’75 and Barb Kvittem ’75 Kvittem-Barr, when she was looking at colleges. 

“When I was younger, they’d always talk about how Wartburg’s such a great place, the community, such good profs,” she said. “Then when I was looking at colleges I got a little mad, ‘What if I don’t want to go to Wartburg? Stop throwing Wartburg on me!’”

But after an intensive tour of colleges in the Midwest, “all the other colleges I visited just didn’t fit what I wanted,” she said. “Wartburg was the perfect fit.”

Barb and Dale’s Wartburg story started with a good match, too.

“Dale and I met at the freshman dance our first Friday on campus,” Barb said. The two were engaged during May Term of senior year. After graduation—Barb with a music education degree and Dale with psychology—both went on to seminary. Though both have been active in church service, they built their careers in other fields. Barb became a CPA, and Dale earned a master’s in health and hospital administration and then worked with the Grand Canyon Synod and on projects helping Latino/Hispanic and Navajo populations. 

“It was Wartburg that laid the foundation to get two more degrees and be a socialentrepreneur,” he said. “I wanted to make a change and help people.”

With Brittany at Wartburg, they’ve watched their daughter go on her own journeyof self-discovery after changing her major from biology to psychology. 

“She’s still finding her passions,” said Barb. “Someone suggested that she look into pediatric occupational therapy, and the lightbulb went off. As parents it’s just awesome to see that.” 

A soccer player in her Arizona high school, Brittany has stayed involved with athletics as an assistant sports trainer at Wartburg. Her parents, now living in Minnesota, watch her in action during games livestreamed on Knight Vision. Brittany’s studies have been educational for her father, too. 

“It’s very interesting to see when Dad learns things from the field that weren’t in the field when he was a student,” she said. “I started college 12 years after they discovered DNA,” said Dale. “And now to see her doing these things on a tabletop in a classroom, and how much more we know now, I’m just so fascinated.” 

Wartburg’s commitment to diversity was also important in the college search for their daughter, who was adopted from Korea.

“We wanted Brittany to be at a place where she would be accepted, and Wartburg accepts diversity,” said Barb. 

Some longtime connections also helped Brittany feel at home on campus. Her parents’ classmates Denny ’75 and Marcia Hill ’75 Haugen both worked at Wartburg, and campus pastor the Rev. Dr. Brian Beckstrom had served the Kvittem-Barrs’ Arizona church before coming to Wartburg.

“It’s the people that make the difference,” said Barb. For other alumni parents with students about to make a college decision, Dale recommends they share about their own Wartburg experience. 

“I would encourage them to at least have your children check out Wartburg. Tell them what it meant to you, as a parent. For our family, Wartburg has a special place now that two generations have gone there,” said Dale. “It’s our family.”