Growing as a servant-leader at Wartburg
NAME: Katelyn Kluver
CLASS YEAR: 2023
HOMETOWN: Portsmith, Iowa
MAJOR: Music Education
CAMPUS INVOLVEMENT: Castle Singers, Wartburg Choir, Opera Workshop, Wartburg Players Vice President
HOW DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR MAJOR: I always really loved music, but I decided to go in music education because I saw how my choir teacher loved what he did. Because of that, I wanted to give the future generation of musicians the same thing. I also love kids! I’ve really loved all the experiences I’ve had with kids. Thinking especially about my student teaching, I’ve developed such strong relationships with all of my students. Even before student teaching, we are able to go into classrooms for field experience, and that confirmed the belief that I wanted to be a music educator.
HOW DID WARTBURG PREPARE YOU AS AN EDUCATOR: I’ve especially enjoyed the relationships I’ve built with professors here. Dr. (Nicki) Toliver has been a huge inspiration for me from the day that I set foot on campus, and I feel she, and all the other professors, really got to know me. I never felt like I was a number here. That’s why I wanted to go to a smaller school, because the professors know your name and they care about you not just as a student in their classroom, but as a human being. Also being able to be in two different choirs of such high caliber with two different directors has also helped because I can see different teaching techniques. They’re so different, and you get to see different teaching strategies and hear different experiences.
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS AFTER GRADUATION: I will be teaching K-6 choir and general music in Charles City, Iowa!
HOW HAS BEING PART OF MUSIC ENSEMBLES SHAPED YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A STUDENT: Freshman year I auditioned for both Castle Singers and Wartburg Choir. I did not make Wartburg Choir, but I did make Castle Singers. Castle Singers is what gave me my first home here at Wartburg, and it’s the reason that I felt like I had a place here freshman year. Freshman year is so hard and so I’m really thankful that I was able to be a part of that group. I think that whole experience has taught me a lot about timing, and how sometimes things just happen for a reason.
WHAT IS YOUR PROUDEST ACHIEVEMENT IN YOUR FOUR YEARS AT WARTBURG: Being one of the concerto competition winners and being able to perform at the Wartburg Community Symphony concert as a soloist is something I’m very proud of. I got to perform Glitter and Be Gay from Leonard Bernstein’s Candide with the symphony. I also think I am proud of my junior and senior recitals in general because there’s so much work that goes into them.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WARTBURG MEMORY: I think that memory will always be when I did the play Suite Surrender. That’s one of my favorite memories. Suite Surrender is what created so many friendships for me. My friend Abi and I became friends because of this show, and her and I singing Ava Maria is one of my favorite things. Also, the set was so incredible; Marina and Anders outdid themselves.
HOW HAVE YOU EMBODIED WARTBURG’S FOUR PILLARS: I think I’ve combined service and leadership into servant leadership, and that’s what I’ve been able to embody during my time at Wartburg. Being a part of and having leadership positions, like being on council for Castle Singers, has taught me a lot about being a leader. In those ensembles, it is all about what’s best for the group, and it’s never about ego. It’s about building up from the bottom and putting others before yourself so you can bring everyone up with you. Servant leadership is something that I’ve learned through my time at Wartburg and something that I will continue in my teaching.
WHAT IMPACT DO YOU HOPE YOU’VE HAD ON THE CAMPUS: One thing that my class has tried to do is create a family in the music department, not just within one ensemble in the music department, but a family among all ensembles. Being a part of several ensembles, I hope to have created a unity between the department and the ensembles I have been a part of. I also am proud of the work that I’ve done with the theater organization and working on the Wartburg Players executive team to make sure that Players and theater has a place here. Shining a light on theater and putting on shows that have gotten so many people to attend who may not have ever seen theater before has been so gratifying. I hope that impact continues here for many years to come.