Alumni Profile: Kelli Lair '15

From Waldorf to the World

KELLI LAIR '15

My Waldorf story is not quite as traditional as most Waldorf students, but I think it shows that Waldorf really has helped to put me on my current life path. As a high school student up the road in Lake Mills, Iowa - I was able to take some classes at Waldorf during my senior year where I was able to build friendships with the Waldorf freshmen music students. After that year, I hadn’t really thought about Waldorf until my sophomore year at Wartburg College when I decided I needed to make a change for several different reasons. I was finding my way back home and to Waldorf, ready for a new beginning and little did I know, it would put me on a path I had never dreamed of growing up.

While at Waldorf, I moved in with some of those friends I had made while being a high school student. It was great to have those instant friendships to start at a new school to help guide me through my transition. If we weren’t in class, we were hanging out in the music lounge being the weird music people that we were. Some of my best Waldorf memories come from that music lounge. However, my Waldorf experience was not just amazing friendships. Every single professor I had for classes cared about me as a person and as a student. I remember some of my first interactions with Dr. Taylor, and her asking me about what my biggest concerns were about finishing my degree on time and laying out a plan with her to make sure I was able to get everything done on time. To this day, I will still reach out to her from time to time for advice or just to chat.

The largest influence Waldorf had on me began early in the spring semester of my senior year. My academic advisor, Dr. Luebke, called me into his office. He started talking about how when he was in college, he went on a music mission trip to Guyana. They were setting up a music school there for the first time and he wanted to tell me about the opportunity. When I left his office I went straight to the music lounge to do some research because I had no idea where Guyana was and I wanted to try to learn a little more about this school. That day, I turned in my application and about a week later I interviewed for a position. So - that spring I left Waldorf after walking the graduation ceremony, knowing I would be taking a year off to go teach in South America before I would return to Waldorf to finish the rest of my student teaching.

Setting up a music school from scratch in a different country is an eye-opening experience. The Guyana Lutheran Music Academy was being set up by a group based out of Minneapolis, Minn., so I had the ability to drive up to Minnesota to assist with cleaning and packing up all the instruments and supplies that were being sent down over the summer. When we arrived in Guyana, we met the shipping container and started to unpack everything and figure out how to fit it all into our building. We also worked on creating promotional materials and went out to find potential students. That first year

we had 180 students ranging from grade 6 to age 72 taking lessons on piano, violin, percussion, brass, guitar and choir. The three of us who were living and teaching there became like a family as we worked through living in a new country, medical emergencies, flooding after rain and figuring out logistics of our unique concert situations. The next year I went back after my student teaching to fill the role of percussion and brass teacher.

Teaching in Guyana opened my eyes to a whole new field I didn’t even know existed previously. Teaching internationally allowed me to combine teaching and traveling. During my second year in Guyana, I did a phone interview with a school in the country of Kuwait. Once again, I had to do some research as I didn’t know much about the country other than it being located in the Middle East. I then went on to accept a position their as a middle school music teacher at an all-girls American school, and after a summer - plus a couple extra months due to visa issues - I was packing my bags again on a new adventure.

Living in Kuwait was quite a bit different than living in Guyana for many reasons. This was the first time I was living in a country where I didn’t speak the language whatsoever, which made for some interesting struggles sometimes. However, I pushed through these, and while working in Kuwait, I was able to meet teachers from all over the world and got to learn about each of their home cultures. I made some great friends and got to travel quite a bit around the Middle East. This ended up even leading to a trip to the UK, which was a lot of fun!

After Kuwait I made the move to Shanghai, China. I became the elementary music teacher and beginning band teacher at an American school. I have spent the last four years at this school working with students from all over the world, but mostly China, South Korea and Japan. The COVID-19 pandemic hit us hard in late January of 2020 and shut down all schools for the rest of the year. COVID-19 had a resurgence in Shanghai this past school year and shut us down for a second time during another three-month lockdown. I have now left the school I’ve been working at for the last four years and am currently preparing to start a new two-year contract at another international school in Shanghai as a secondary music teacher and as the new Head of Performing Arts.

Kelli Lair with a group enjoying a meal in Kuwait

I have no clue where in the world I will end up after China, but I do know that I want to continue to travel around the world in the future. As I look back on the last ten years of my life, I realize I would not be where I am today had it not been for heading back to Waldorf all those years ago. It’s amazing how one little choice can change the course of your entire life.

SUBMIT YOUR STORY

Has Waldorf changed your life? Where are you at now because of your Waldorf experiences? Please email alumni@waldorf.edu or mail them to the Waldorf University Alumni Office, 106 South 6th St., Forest City, Iowa 50436.

Back to Our Roots

New Waldorf Ownership

We did it! After months of work, planning, and prayer, Waldorf is now under the ownership of the Waldorf Lutheran College Foundation, returning the institution to its private, non-profit, faith-based roots. What a journey it has been, not only in this last year, but the last decade plus. In this season of reflection, it is an appropriate time to take stock of this historic period of time for Waldorf University. A little over a decade ago, Waldorf had less than 500 full-time students on campus and several of its dormitories were empty and unused. It was a difficult time not only for Waldorf but the nation as we navigated through the recession of 2009. Through a series of what can best be described as miracles, Columbia Southern University, under the leadership of Robert Mayes and Chantell Cooley, saved Waldorf College by taking ownership of the institution. Certainly, this was a time of great anxiety at Waldorf. What would it mean to be owned by a family? How would we be able to deliver a Waldorf experience with online programs? What would happen to the mission of Waldorf? While the path has not always been easy, I believe we can say that the ownership of the Mayes/Cooley families has been an unqualified success for Waldorf. We just need to take a look at the results from the last several years. Since 2009 we have seen dramatic growth on campus. This fall we welcomed 626 full-time students to campus and the dormitories are full. It was a wildly successful fall semester, filled with vibrant student learning experiences, incredible fine arts performances and competitive athletic competition. The energy and school spirit on campus has been exhilarating! Also, during this period of campus success, we initiated and grew our online programs, adding thousands of students to our Warrior Nation. We currently have 31 online programs at the associates, baccalaureate and masters level, with over 3000 active online students, with about 2000 of them currently in a class. And while some of these students may never have the opportunity to step foot on Waldorf’s campus, they, too, bleed Waldorf purple and gold. We have also maintained Waldorf’s historic mission through this time period. Waldorf’s mission continues to be at the center of all that we do. It is expressed in our values, taught in our curriculum and reinforced in our co-curriculars. As articulated in our value statement, “Waldorf uses academic coursework and co-curricular activities to explore the meaning and depth that religion and spirituality can add to life. Students are encouraged to develop a deep respect for the role religious devotion can play in giving direction, purpose, and a moral foundation to life.” The ownership by the Waldorf Lutheran College Foundation will only expand opportunities in the expression and reach of our mission.

We are and will forever be grateful to the ownership of the Mayes and Cooley families for their experience and expertise in leading Waldorf forward over the last twelve years. They have committed financial resources and countless hours of work to build and strengthen Waldorf University. They are an incredible family and will always be an indelible part of Waldorf history. In addition, there are many other people to

thank for their contributions to Waldorf’s development. There are too many to name, but a few have been integral from the start. Joe Manjone, Rick Cooper, Ken Styron, Chelsea Hoffman, Pat Troup, Tara Collins, Scott Oswald, Tina Cox and Charles Mims all served leadership roles on Waldorf’s President’s Council. There are countless others at Columbia Southern University who committed their time and knowledge to serve Waldorf University and her students. But now, we look with renewed excitement to a new ownership with the Waldorf Lutheran College Foundation. The Foundation has been supporting Waldorf students through scholarships, campus ministry and alumni events for over 15 years. Like the university, it has also seen amazing growth over the last decade. Because of the generosity of alumni and friends, the assets of the foundation have grown considerably, not only generating more and more scholarships for Waldorf students, but also giving it the financial capacity to take ownership of Waldorf University. Under the leadership of Ray Beebe, the Foundation also played an essential role in telling Waldorf’s story. The Foundation has been a steady partner, maintaining and professing the historic mission of Waldorf. No entity could be better equipped to lead Waldorf University forward into the future than the Waldorf Lutheran College Foundation. It has also been gratifying to see the community rally around this project. The Forest City Council, area businesses, city leaders, local alumni and many others all have contributed to the success of this project. They know that not only is Waldorf important to the economic development of north central Iowa, but they have witnessed, or experienced for themselves, the profound and transformative impact of a Waldorf education. Waldorf University provides amenities for which few cities the size of Forest City can boast. Whether through athletic events, fine arts performances, or our speakers’ series, Waldorf is proud to welcome the community to experiences that enrich all of our lives.

While we return to our private, non-profit, faith-based roots, we do so with a new model. A model that is made possible by the Hanson Family Foundation whose generosity will eliminate Waldorf’s $5.2M long-term debt over the next 4 years. It is a model that includes a vibrant and expanding campus. It is a model that expands the reach of Waldorf’s mission with online programs. It is a model with a reconstituted advancement team, generating new ways to connect with alumni and friends. It is a model positioned for additional benefits of a non-profit, such as grant opportunities and tax relief. The future is very bright for Waldorf University! We still have much to do, including our post-closing application to the U.S. Department of Education, migrating to new software systems and re-establishing prior relationships. I ask for your continued prayers for the success for this transition. As we endeavor to strengthen the Foundation’s position going forward, I ask you to consider how you might continue, or even increase, your support of Waldorf’s important mission. Moving forward, philanthropy will be an exciting opportunity for each of us, knowing we are strengthening Waldorf to serve generation of students to come. And there is no better moment to consider your support of Waldorf University than right now. Board chair, Dr. David Weber and his wife Dr. Susan Weber, have created a challenge grant to match any gifts to the "Window of Opportunity" campaign, all the way up to $500,000! Thank you all for your prayers, well wishes and support. I look forward to working with you as Waldorf University continues to evolve under the ownership of the Waldorf Lutheran College Foundation. We are all in this together, and we are all . . . Warriors!

Sincerely,

Dr. Robert A. Alsop

Waldorf University President

Window of Opportunity

To donate to the Window of Opportunity Campaign mentioned by President Alsop, please send a check to the Waldorf Lutheran College Foundation at 106 S 6th St, Forest City, IA 50436, with "Window of Opportunity" notated in the memo.

You may also donate to the campaign online under the "Giving" tab at:

waldorffoundation.org