Photo by Camilo ‘Mo’ Morales.
Dean of Girls M. Lynn Rasch ’76 settles in as the CGA Dean of Girls.
“Lynn is the consummate professional and her presence will be steady and thoughtful as she guides the CGA program,” Weaser said. “Her long and loyal commitment to Culver in a number of roles has given her remarkable experience that makes her uniquely qualified to lead CGA. The fact that she is an alumna of CGA makes it all the more special.” As dean, Rasch said her immediate goal “is to bring a very positive feeling to the school year.” With 351 girls, the largest enrollment in CGA history, she is looking at “the totality of the Culver experience” and has already seen “positive changes in the CGA atmosphere.” The CGA theme for the year chosen by student leaders is ohana, the Hawaiian word for family. Interestingly, Rasch lived in Hawaii from 1986-88 while she obtained an associate’s degree in travel management. With that background, she will continue to oversee the Global Pathways Spring program and will co-host a trip to central Europe in March with thirty-one students. Now the assistant coach of the Equestriennes, Rasch is indebted to the Horsemanship Department and mentors such as Command Sergeant Major John W. “Sarge” Hudson and Captain R. Jeffrey Honzik H’65 for the impact they had on her life. Interestingly, Rasch’s first exposure to Culver came when her stepbrother Kenneth Zinn came for a campus visit. She was smitten with the school and the riding program.
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SPRING 2015
When financial issues put her final Culver year in jeopardy, Rasch struck a deal with her dad: “You fund my last year at CGA and I’ll fund my college education.” As a CGA student, Rasch said she connected with the Horsemanship Department. She returned from 1980-86 as a horsemanship instructor and credits Honzik for challenging her outside the riding arena. Over her objections, Honzik named her coach of the Equestriennes in 1981, a leadership position she went on to savor for twenty-six years. She also thanks Superintendent John Mars for hiring her in 1980 before she had completed her undergraduate degree. Rasch finished her degree at night and went on to earn three degrees in seven years (Brigham Young University, Lake Erie College, and Eastern Michigan). In 1981, the Equestriennes received their first invitation to a Presidential Inaugural Parade, which ended up being canceled by severe weather. As Equestriennes coach, Rasch has helped prepare horses and riders for seven inaugural parades. She rode in three and walked in two. The inaugurals and the appearance of the Equestriennes and Lancers in the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky, highlight her Culver horsemanship career. “I love coaching and seeing the girls, the horses, and a performance come together,” she said, calling the WEG “a fantastic performance in front of the royalty of the horse world.”