Three years ago, Wartburg College launched the Wartburg Commitment, expanding access to a high-quality private college education through competitive pricing, meaningful financial aid and funding for experiential learning opportunities. With it, the college launched its three-year $36 million campaign — Our Brightest Days: Realizing Purpose, Leading Change — and invited alumni and friends to help make good on those commitments.
Today, the college is celebrating the successful completion of the Our Brightest Days campaign and the $38.2 million raised to increase access through scholarships, enable more students participate in experiential learning opportunities and equip students for success through innovative programs and improved facilities.
“This campaign and the strategic plan that accompanied it have been a labor of love from the moment Mike McCoy and Mark Hanawalt welcomed me as the 18th president,” said President Rebecca Ehretsman. “Now, our students will be better prepared for life after graduation because these gits help us adapt to their needs and look ahead to the challenges the college will face.”
In addition to receiving 10 gifts of more than $1 million, first-time givers comprised more than half of all donors.
“Their engagement tells us this campaign and our work has done more than raise money. We have expanded the circle of people who see themselves as part of Wartburg’s future, and that is invaluable,” Ehretsman said.
These gifts have resulted in:
- 50 new scholarship funds.
- Additional support for the Knight’s Experience Fund, which has already helped more than 430 students with up to $1,500 for immersive opportunities, like study away, research, internships, music tours and more.
- A new Alumni & Career Connections initiative that has connected students and alumni for mentoring, job shadowing and more.
- Upgrades to vital facilities on campus, including modern technology in 30 classrooms and new turf, track and lighting at Walston-Hoover Stadium.
Kameron Bergen, a senior accounting and business administration major from Traer, was one of the many students who benefitted from the Alumni & Career Connections initiative. He was paired with Jeff Herman, a 1999 graduate and regional sales manager for IPEX USA in Denver, Colorado.
“I am so grateful for the chance to learn from a Wartburg alum who has already walked the path I’m on,” Bergen said. “This program wasn’t just about career advice, it was about building a real connection.”
McCain Myers, a junior computer information systems major from Osage, received a Wartburg Commitment Scholarship that he said allows him to focus on earning a degree and experiencing college instead of earning a wage.
“Throughout our 174-year history, the pillars of our foundation — leadership, service, faith, and learning — have remained steadfast guideposts, shaping who we are and how we serve, even as the college changes to meet the needs of our students,” Ehretsman said. “We are deeply grateful to the alumni, parents and friends who have invested in Wartburg and our students through this campaign. Their generosity will have an impact for generations, and we look forward to building on this momentum as we continue preparing students to lead and serve in a changing world.”
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