WARTBURG MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2025 ISSUE
Sept. 2, 2025
Our Brightest Days are still ahead:
The Campaign for Realizing Purpose & Leading Change will carry Wartburg into the future
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
One of my favorite parts of meeting our alumni is hearing stories about their time at Wartburg. I’ve heard about Outfly, music tours, service trips, convocations, national championships, cram sessions, building lifelong friendships in the residence halls, and everything in between. Everyone remembers and loves something unique about their Wartburg experience, and it’s one of the things that makes this place so special.
While many things have changed over the years at Wartburg, our mission remains the same: preparing students for lives of leadership and service as a spirited expression of their faith and learning. Put another way, we are still providing the same Wartburg experience to today’s students — a welcoming environment that both challenges and nurtures our students as they prepare to make a difference in the world. The process might look a little different now than 10, 20, or 30 years ago, but the goal is the same.
In our strategic plan, Our Brightest Days: Realizing Purpose, Leading Change, we developed four themes to direct our growth:
- Educating Mind, Body & Spirit. We know education of the whole person is vital in today’s complex world.
- Inclusive Community. Wartburg will be a place that is welcoming to all and where everyone will feel a genuine sense of belonging.
- Student Success. We must equip our graduates to be the leaders of tomorrow and create positive change.
- Competitive Advantage. We will continue to attract students by demonstrating the distinct value of a Wartburg education.
We’ve identified concrete steps we will take in these areas, which you’ll read about in the pages ahead. Whether it’s strengthening scholarship support, increasing opportunities for experiential learning, or making specific investments to promote student success, we need your help to welcome more students to Wartburg, empower them to succeed in completing their degrees, and prepare them for what comes next.
With your continued help — and that of the rest of the Wartburg community — we’ll make sure Our Brightest Days are still to come.
With gratitude,
President Rebecca Ehretsman
Our current technology replacement cycle is too extended to provide a modern classroom experience to our students, and our wellness facilities are beginning to show their age. As student demographics have shifted and the needs of prospective students have evolved, Wartburg has discovered opportunities to bolster academic support, counseling, and career services.
Building the Future of Education
Dr. Rachel Clark, associate professor of English, teaches the classics, up to and including Shakespeare. But she’d prefer it if her classroom spaces were a little more modern.
“We can get so much more learning done during class if we don’t have to stop and fight with technology just to show a piece of media or have a student present,” said Clark. “I teach many of my classes in Luther Hall, which turns 100 this year, and I can’t think of a better birthday celebration than upgrading those classrooms.”
The college currently updates classroom technology every 20 years — a cycle that can’t keep up with modern needs:
- Many classrooms still have outdated cables and connections.
- Aging equipment causes frequent disruptions.
- Inconsistent technology causes confusion across campus.
- Wireless capabilities are severely limited.
The Classroom Technology Transformation initiative will modernize all 64 campus classrooms, creating dynamic, technology-enabled environments that will better prepare students for tomorrow’s challenges. Every upgraded classroom will feature:
- State-of-the-art projectors.
- Wireless presentation capabilities.
- Advanced audio systems.
- Document cameras.
- Cameras for hybrid learning.
These upgrades will help prepare students for the digital workplace, enable innovative teaching methods, support hands-on learning experiences, and strengthen Wartburg’s position as a leader in education — a lasting impact for generations of students.
Wartburg is seeking $600,000 to modernize every classroom on campus. Thank you to the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust for a $185,000 lead gift.
Community Wellness
Since 2008, the Ohle Wartburg-Waverly Sports & Wellness Center (known as The W) has offered transformative recreational opportunities for thousands of patrons of all ages, abilities, and interests from across campus, throughout the Cedar Valley, and around the Midwest.
“The W is something very unique that you just don’t find anywhere else. I come here about every day” said Greg Stockdale, a W member.
Wartburg has partnered with the city of Waverly to deliver needed programming to the Cedar Valley while creating invaluable experiential-learning opportunities for students.
In 2023-24, The W served more than 142,000 total visitors, including 3,669 nonstudent members, and offered more than 60 community rec programs.
Most of these recreational services, attended by nearly 900 children in 2023-24, are delivered in The W and adjacent Walston-Hoover Stadium.
Both of those facilities are in need of upgrades to continue serving Wartburg’s campus and the Waverly community. Planned improvements include:
- Resurfacing the Hoover Fieldhouse & Track.
- Updating equipment for the swimming pool, vortex pool, sauna, and hot tub in the Schuldt Natatorium.
- Resurfacing Walston-Hoover Stadium’s outdoor track.
- Replacing the Zimmerman Field turf.
- Upgrading the climbing wall.
- Modernizing the weight and cardio equipment.
“It’s important to maintain and refresh our facilities to ensure that we’re serving the wellness needs of the campus and the community,” said Sheila Kittleson, executive director of The W.
Wartburg is seeking $5 million for upgrades and improvements across our wellness facilities.
Other Needs
Support services like counseling, advising, and career guidance are essential for student well-being and growth, said Lindsey Leonard, vice president for student life.
“It’s our job to prepare students for what’s next, both personally and professionally,” said Leonard.
Alumni and student connections have already received a boost from a $1 million gift
from Mike and Marge McCoy (see page 6 for more about the impact).
And the Annual Fund supports the success of all students with flexible dollars that can be spent where the need is greatest.
Wartburg is seeking $9.9 million in annual and deferred gifts to support the ongoing operations of the college.
Salzwedels pledge $1 million to scholarships, experiential learning
The Salzwedel Family Fund, founded by Jack ’82 and Sarah Slife ’82 Salzwedel, has committed $1 million to Our Brightest Days.
“Our commitment to Our Brightest Days is rooted in our belief that Wartburg’s mission is more critical than ever,” Jack Salzwedel said. “The campaign’s vision aligns with the values of leadership, service, and academic excellence, and we felt compelled to step forward at a high level to help secure Wartburg’s future.”
The Salzwedels’ gift includes $550,000 in support of Wartburg Commitment scholarships, with the remaining $450,000 to benefit the Knight’s Experience Fund.
“Our family has always believed in the transformative power of education. And ensuring that talented and hardworking students have access to a Wartburg education — regardless of financial barriers — is a commitment we hold deeply. We hope that our support of student scholarships will help future generations of Wartburg Knights,” Sarah Salzwedel said.
The Salzwedels have had three children attend the college. Jack Salzwedel retired as CEO of American Family Insurance in 2021 and as executive chair of the American Family board in 2023. He served on the college’s Board of Regents for nearly a decade.
“We see this campaign as a way to build upon Wartburg’s legacy and invest in a future where students continue to thrive and make a difference. Supporting Our Brightest Days is not just a gift — it’s a statement of faith in what Wartburg stands for and the impact it will have for generations to come,” Jack Salzwedel said.
The Salzwedel family celebrates the graduation of Sam ’24.
Traditionally, nearly 40 percent of Wartburg students come from families with incomes below $100,000,
with nearly 70 percent below $150,000. Research confirms many prospective students and their families won’t consider colleges with a sticker price above $60,000, even though their net cost may be considerably less.
Alysiah Phillips ’27 is the first in her family to attend college, thanks to the Harry and Polly Slife Minority Scholarship.
“This scholarship gives me the chance to be guided by a mentor and a chance to grow with students just like me,” she said.
According to Tara Price Winter ’01, ’23 M.A., executive director of admissions, recruiting students like Phillips is vital to Wartburg’s future. In recent years, the college has seen a significant drop in applications from students in working- and middle-income families, which are core demographics Wartburg has traditionally served.
“We knew we were missing out on families that saw our published tuition price and didn’t understand that wasn’t their actual cost,” said Winter.
Lowering the sticker price by more than 45 percent for the 2024-25 academic year was only the first step in fixing that imbalance.
The Access to Excellence initiative is providing more support for students who demonstrate financial need.
“Our goal is for the new tuition price to put Wartburg in the mix for more families,” said Winter. “But we still need to offer scholarships, grants, and other aid to make sure a Wartburg education is possible for them. We know we can’t build the community we want without including students from all backgrounds.”
Wartburg is seeking $12 million in new scholarship support to allow more students to attend Wartburg. Thank you to the Salzwedel Family Foundation for a $1 million lead gift.
Honoring coaches Willis, Newsom
A new spirit-themed entrance from The W onto Zimmerman Field, the Willis Championship Tunnel, will be named after Rick Willis, vice president for strategic recruitment. His record from his time as head football coach from 1997 to 2019 includes:
- 11 conference titles.
- 11 NCAA tournament runs, including three Elite Eight berths.
- 21 straight winning seasons with an overall 185-46 (.801) record.
- 44 All-Americans and two Gagliardi contenders.
- 8 coach of the year honors.
The new track at Walston-Hoover Stadium, the Newsom Outdoor Track, will be named after Marcus Newsom, director of track and field and cross country as well as assistant athletic director. Newsom became the track and field head coach in 1998 and has since compiled a record including:
- 61 conference championships.
- 9 national championships.
- 3 program of the year awards.
- 638 All-Americans.
- 16 coach of the year honors.
Experiential learning has long been a hallmark of a Wartburg education, with many alumni considering those experiences to be the most transformative part of their Wartburg journeys. However, more students today are reluctant or unable to take these opportunities as out-of-pocket costs have risen.
Margaret Van Speybroeck ’26 spent May Term in the Netherlands (pictured below) and Germany as part of a business course with Dr. Amy Pilcher.
In addition to learning about tulip farming, World War II, and the culture, Van Speybroeck was most interested in sustainable business practices. While there, the group toured AEB Amsterdam, where waste is converted into energy, and visited the Chocolatemakers factory, which is emissions-free and mostly solar-powered.
“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to immerse myself in a new culture, grow personally and professionally, and gain a global perspective on sustainability in business,” Van Speybroeck said. “I can’t wait to take sustainable and ethical principles to my future career.”
Van Speybroeck encourages current Wartburg students to take advantage of opportunities like hers, especially now that the Knight’s Experience Fund can help cover travel, lodging, and other costs associated with these experiences.
“The Knight’s Experience Fund made my experience possible by helping cover the cost of being abroad, and without it, I would not have been able to go. This fund is a powerful resource Wartburg provides to its students,” Van Speybroeck said. “I am extremely thankful for this experience and fund!”
Wartburg is seeking $7.5 million in support for the Knight’s Experience Fund to support more experiential learning opportunities.
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