Mastering music, design, and PR at Wartburg

By Yvie Croninger ’25

Britta Williams ’24 has made the most of every moment at Wartburg. As a triple major, she has worked with three advisers to graduate with a degree in music performance – voice, graphic design, and journalism and communication with a public relations concentration. 

“I came into Wartburg with a decent number of college credits that I earned while still in high school, which combined with my advisers’ willingness and flexibility to work with me, allowed me to build a schedule that fulfilled the requirements for all three majors,” she said.

Williams came to Wartburg from Mora, Minnesota, because of the opportunities she would have in the music department. Williams is a soprano  in the Wartburg Choir and a member of the Opera Workshop, as well as a graphic design lab assistant.

She previously held positions in the Wartburg Tower Agency, a campus organization that provides students the opportunity to work with community businesses to gain public relations related skills.

“When I first came to Wartburg, I was going to study German, but speaking it opened the door for me to take an internship in Eisenach, Germany, working in public relations for the city, while living with a host family speaking only German, which was super cool,” explained Williams.

One of Williams’ favorite experiences at Wartburg was the collaboration with the community symphony for Hansel and Gretel earlier this year.

“I have had a lot of opportunities to be on stage to perform for people whether it was operas, recitals, or musicals that I was a part of,” she said.

She also credited several faculty members — Dr. Brian Pfaltzgraff, Dr. Jennifer Larson, and Dr. Penni Pier — with helping her gain acceptance into graduate school. After graduation, she will attend Bowling Green University in Bowling Green, Ohio, to earn a master’s degree in performance. She hopes to someday teach voice at a college or university and pursue a doctorate in opera or voice pedagogy.

“I would advise others that if they want to commit to three majors they really need to prioritize education, which means saying yes to some things and no to others. Be open to new experiences, especially ones that can benefit you in your future career,” said Williams.