Carol and Randy Ratekin stand in front of the Wartburg Castle.

In 1983, there were two big draws to Wartburg for Randy Ratekin: our cutting-edge Computer Information Systems major, and the presence of then-girlfriend Carol on campus.

Randy transferred in and joined the Wartburg Choir; Carol was an Ambassador. They graduated in 1985, got married, and had two kids. Julia, the youngest, ending up attending Wartburg — even if it wasn’t part of her initial plan.

“She didn’t want to go where her parents had gone, but we visited several schools and nothing was feeling right to her,” Carol said. “So we said, ‘You know, it doesn’t hurt to check out Wartburg.’ I think within a half-hour of being on campus, we all knew this was the place for her.”

For a place that means so much to them, giving back to Wartburg was a natural fit even in those early years.

“Not long after we graduated, I had somebody ask me, ‘Why do you give to the college?’” Randy said. He recalled the 1970s-era closure of Parsons College, where both of his parents matriculated in Fairfield, Iowa.

“I don’t want what happened at Parsons College to happen at Wartburg. We gave 25, 50 bucks early here and there. Our ability to support the current campaign and the previous campaign is because we now have the resources that we can put toward it.”

The Ratekins’ first larger gift to Wartburg came during the Transforming Tomorrow campaign to support the renovation of Clinton Hall.

“When you think about all the places you can help support, it’s nice to give back to one that’s meant a lot to yourself. Education is important, and to be able to give people different opportunities to continue to learn, it just made sense,” said Carol.

For Our Brightest Days, the Ratekins have pledged to support each of the three main areas of the campaign. Part of their pledge will support Access to Excellence scholarships, designed to help more families consider and afford Wartburg.

“Maybe that little bit of extra money will help someone to make the decision to have the same, if not a better experience than we had at Wartburg,” said Randy.

Both emphasized the positive effects of travel at Wartburg — a tour through the Mountain West for Carol, a choir trip to New York for Randy, a European band trip for Julia — when discussing support for the Knight’s Experience Fund.

“It’s great that Wartburg does a lot of these trips and service projects because you’re taking what you’re learning and applying it. You read about a museum, a piece of art, and then you actually go see it,” said Carol. “It’s pretty cool.”

And their support for Student Success through the Annual Fund will benefit every student who enrolls at Wartburg.

“Wartburg is a great institution. I want to give to something that gave a lot to me and continues to give me a lot,” Carol said. “You feel like you still belong, you still are welcome. There’s still a need and a value for the school.”

“When you haven’t been on campus on a while, or even if you go once a year or twice a year, every time you step on campus, it’s like you’re coming back home again,” Randy said.