Wartburg is like a family

NAME: Amy Leonhart Lockhart 

CLASS YEAR: 1991 

MAJOR: Elementary education 

CURRENT EMPLOYMENT: Assistant professor, University of Northern Iowa

WHY WARTBURG: It’s rather cliche when one says that Wartburg is like a family, a community. But, until you actually experience it firsthand, it really truly is a connected community and family. To have professors who still remember who I am, after 25+ years of being away from Wartburg, that speaks volumes to the relationships that professors had with their students.

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU NEVER IMAGINED YOU COULD DO BEFORE COMING TO WARTBURG: I never imagined that someday I would be a professor and would have the opportunity to create the same kind of relationships with students like I had at Wartburg.

HOW DID YOUR WARTBURG EXPERIENCE PREPARE YOU FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE:  There are bumps in every road we take. Different experiences at Wartburg made me grow into an adult that had to challenge my own thinking and decisions.

WHY WAS YOUR WARTBURG EXPERIENCE WORTH IT: Every part of my four years at Wartburg was worth it. The education I received; the relationships I built with professors; the experiences that I had in and out of the classroom and most important, the friends that I made while I was there.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WARTBURG TRADITION: It would have to be Outfly. Even though I graduated from Wartburg over 25 years ago, I still get excited when they call Outfly! We’ve even attended local alumni Outfly happy hours!

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR CURRENT STUDENTS: The friends you make at Wartburg are going to the best, lifelong friends that you will make. They are the friends who lived and learned more about you as you grew as a person during your time at Wartburg. Cherish those friends!