I developed a servant’s heart at Wartburg
NAME: Jamie Harrings
CLASS YEAR: 2016
MAJOR: Music education
CURRENTLY: Assistant Principal and Activities Director at Oelwein High School
WHY WARTBURG: ‘Why did you choose Wartburg’ is such a hard question for me to answer because the list goes on and on as to why. It could be when I went to the Wartburg Honor Band as a sophomore in high school and felt something ‘special’ about the place as soon as I stepped into the band hall. As I walked around campus on a tour as a junior in high school, I could see myself studying in the library, hanging out at the Den, and going to classes in the FAC. In short, Wartburg was home for me, before I was ever actually enrolled.
WHAT WAS THE ONE THING YOU NEVER IMAGINED YOU WOULD DO BEFORE COMING TO WARTBURG: I never imagined that I was going to see so much of our country and even the world before going to Wartburg College. Once I started to get involved in service trips I was amazed at the opportunities that came up. I was able to combine two of my greatest passions: serving others and learning about other communities and cultures. As a freshman I traveled through Eastern Europe following in the footsteps of Martin Luther and Saint Elizabeth and had my first opportunity to travel within the USA and serve a different community. As I continued my Wartburg journey it turned into me participating and leading service trips to a total of nine different communities across our country. I learned, embraced, and was changed by what I witnessed in these communities. While my short weeks in these communities did not have life long change on those communities, I, and the others I served with, had a life long impact of developing a servant’s heart.
HOW DID YOUR WARTBURG EXPERIENCE PREPARE YOU FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE: My Wartburg experiences prepared me to think about the place in which I could best use my talents and gifts to better serve the community in which I live. At Wartburg I immersed myself in service opportunities from participating and leading service trips, to being a Dance Marathon Morale Captain, and volunteering at various nonprofits over my four years, Wartburg developed me into a greater servant leader. In addition to the student orgs developing me into the person I am, the mentors and staff I learned from in the education department taught me how to make myself a reflective educator who strives to do what is best for the students I have the opportunity to teach and coach.
HOW DO YOU STAY CONNECTED TO THE COLLEGE: As a member of the Alumni Board I am lucky to get to serve the college that gave me so much. I love being a member of the alumni board and coming back to campus twice a year for Homecoming and RICE Day to connect with my classmates and other alumni. Through this role I get the opportunity to meet alumni I never would have otherwise, help where I can with various on-campus events, and build a community with other alumni who want to give back to the college.
HOW ARE YOU LIVING OUT THE WARTBURG MISSION: The most resonate part of the Wartburg mission statement for me is ‘nurturing students for lives of leadership and service’. Through the impact of that statement, I have gone on to earn a Masters in Education Administration and currently serve as the AD for my middle school while still teaching band. I take immense pride in my school and the students and coaches that I get to serve day in and day out.
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR CURRENT STUDENTS: Try anything and everything that piques your interest. I was involved in so many student orgs I have lost count now, but each one developed me into the person I was.
WHY WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE WORTH IT: My experience was made worth it because of the faculty and staff at Wartburg. From my RE 101 professor rocking my world and making me want to take on a religion minor to (the late) Dr. Survilla encouraging me to take ownership of my education and encouraging me to think deeper.