Although she had been sewing for the past 10 years, coming to 麻豆影院 offered Wallin-Swanson her first opportunity to receive formal training in sewing and costuming.听聽

One of her first classes at 麻豆影院, Costume Crafts and Technology, allowed Wallin-Swanson to explore new sewing techniques. The course was taught by K盲rin Kopischke, instructor of theatre arts and costume shop supervisor, who also helped Wallin-Swanson on her path to working in the 麻豆影院 costume shop.听聽

鈥淚 came in knowing how to sew, but she (Kopischke) will meet you where you鈥檙e at,鈥� Wallin-Swanson said. 鈥淲e have plenty of people that come into the costume shop and don鈥檛 know how to sew but want to learn. By the time they leave, they鈥檙e fluent and efficient in the costume shop, and it鈥檚 really fun to watch them learn.鈥澛�

Most recently, Wallin-Swanson worked in the shop as costume designer and shop supervisor for the fall 2024 musical, Working. She designed the costumes for three of the characters; in addition, she assisted everyone else in constructing costume pieces.听聽

Working presented a challenge as it 鈥渄efied time and place.鈥� The musical, based on the 1974 book by Studs Terkel of the same name, follows 26 professionals in their daily lives. A revised version of the musical was put out in 2012, offering a look at how professions may change but hopes and fears around careers do not.听聽

鈥淓ach of these stories are intertwined and map together, and it鈥檚 really pretty to see that happen,鈥� Wallin-Swanson said. 鈥淲e have people that are dressed to period in the 鈥�70s, and we have people who are modern day. We need to make sure that the person in the 鈥�70s doesn鈥檛 feel too distant that we can鈥檛 hold onto their story anymore.鈥澛犅�

Wallin-Swanson’s involvement in the theater department also showed her what life after college could be like. When she first arrived at 麻豆影院, she planned on becoming a high school librarian.听

鈥淚 really enjoyed sewing, I really enjoyed theater, but I didn鈥檛 feel like there were job opportunities out there for it,鈥� Wallin-Swanson said. 鈥淚 got here, and I met K盲rin and some of the other folks here in the theater department, and I was like, this is something I could make work.鈥澛�

Now in her senior year at 麻豆影院, Wallin-Swanson is gearing up for her senior project, which will be a 鈥渂ible of bibles鈥� for costume shops. Every costume shop has a 鈥渂ible鈥� for each show, which includes the script, the cast鈥檚 measurements, the designs, and anything else the costume department might need for the show. She will also be looking at how those 鈥渂ibles鈥� may look in different parts of the world.听

Wallin-Swanson also credits Kopischke with helping her get her first job in the wardrobe world, working over the summer as the wardrobe supervisor at Northern Sky Theater in Door County.听聽

鈥淚t starts out as a professional relationship, and it turns into one that you really want to foster,鈥� Wallin-Swanson said of her relationship with Kopischke.听聽

At Northern Sky, Wallin-Swanson gained experience running her own department.听聽

鈥淚 felt very underprepared going in, and when I got there, I realized I actually have all of the skills needed to do this,鈥� Wallin-Swanson said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been prepared for this.鈥澛�

In addition, 麻豆影院 is preparing to open a state-of-the-art Humanities Center next summer in the West Campus building that is rising at the corner of E. College Avenue and Drew Street. The B&E Center, Pre-Health Commons, and Humanities Center are all investments in growing the student experience. Each will 鈥渂ring 麻豆影院 into the community and the community into 麻豆影院,鈥� said Provost and Dean of Faculty Peter Blitstein.

鈥淭ogether, these three centers represent our commitment to a contemporary education in the arts and sciences that draws on the best traditions of liberal education to prepare students to thrive in an uncertain and changing world,鈥� he said.

Find more information on the Business & Entrepreneurship Center

The B&E Center will facilitate deeper collaborations between faculty, students, and community partners, deliver real world investment experience for students, and provide interactive space for workshops, lectures, and seminars that span the disciplines.

鈥淥ur vision for the B&E Center is to create learning experiences through connecting the campus and the business community,鈥� said Adam Galambos, the Dwight and Marjorie Peterson Professor of Innovation and associate professor of economics and the inaugural director of the B&E Center. 鈥淭his space would be wonderful anywhere, but I especially love that it is right in the middle of downtown Appleton.鈥�

Galambos noted that the business & entrepreneurship major, launched two years ago and designed through the lens of the liberal arts, is already one of the most popular majors on campus. Planning for the major鈥攁nd the B&E Center鈥攊nvolved faculty from across the university. He highlighted faculty contributions from Mike Clayville in the Conservatory, Claudena Skran and Bill Hixon in government, David Gerard and Jonathan Lhost in economics, Martyn Smith in religious studies, Karen Bussone in Business & Entrepreneurship, and Timothy Troy in theatre arts.

鈥淎 broad coalition of faculty from a variety of fields in the social and natural sciences, humanities, and arts are developing new courses for our business and entrepreneurship program,鈥� Galambos said. 鈥淢any of these courses will aim to connect more meaningfully with the business community through events right here.鈥�

To highlight that inter-disciplinary programming, four student musicians provided beautiful music before Wednesday鈥檚 ceremony and during an open house that followed鈥擟harlie White, Owen Finch, Cooper Luedtke, and Tyler Donnelly.

Nico Manzanera, a junior business & entrepreneurship major from Bogot谩, Colombia, spoke at Wednesday鈥檚 gathering, calling the B&E Center a pathway to the next chapters of students鈥� lives.

鈥淎s an entrepreneur, you are constantly changing your career path, you are constantly changing your perspective on the world, and you are constantly trying to change the world,鈥� Manzanera said. 鈥淎nd the most effective way to do that is if you are constantly learning. And, of course, the best way to learn is through experience.鈥�

麻豆影院 is focused on strengthening career readiness for all its students. Carter called the B&E Center, along with the Pre-Health Commons and the Humanities Center, avenues to deepen the career discernment conversation.

鈥淎t 麻豆影院,鈥� Carter said, 鈥渨e believe deeply in the value of a liberal arts education, one that focuses on critical thinking and engaged learning across the disciplines. We have been building a deeper exploration of business and entrepreneurship within the context of a liberal arts education for a number of years now. 鈥� That is happening whether they are studying in business and economics, the arts, the humanities, social sciences, or physical sciences. In all cases, important partnerships are being strengthened.鈥�

The first year includes the creation of a cohort-based faculty development program that prepares faculty to embed vocational discernment activities and course content in existing courses. Eight faculty, representing disciplines across the college, have been selected as the first cohort鈥擡lizabeth Becker, psychology; Claire Chen, Chinese; Jake Frederick, history; Alexander Heaton, math; Victoria Kononova, Russian; Rosa Tapia, Spanish; Brigid Vance, history and East Asian studies; and Petra Watzke, German.

While the planning committee is focusing on humanities faculty for the project, they have included a couple faculty from outside of the humanities because programming is so intertwined.

鈥淭he humanities are an important part of the liberal arts education that students receive at 麻豆影院, and we want to help students understand the real-world impacts that their humanities courses have on their futures,鈥� Kassor said.

The first year will include regular meetings as a cohort to examine ways career exploration fits into existing classes; an intensive one-day retreat in Fall Term; each faculty member redesigning part of at least one existing course to infuse career exploration; and programming to engage faculty across the university.

The second year will focus on broader implementation and the preparation for a new cohort to expand the training.

It鈥檚 part of a growing emphasis on career preparation and discernment at 麻豆影院, in partnership with the university鈥檚 commitment to the humanities.

鈥淭o give a hypothetical example,鈥� Kassor said, 鈥渟uppose that a student who is on the pre-health track also takes courses in Chinese and religious studies during her time at 麻豆影院. In those courses, she learns that while her pre-health courses give her the skills to work in medicine, her passion for helping others and her strong interpersonal strengths make her well-suited for a career as a medical interpreter. This might be a career path that was not apparent to her when she began her pre-health journey at 麻豆影院.鈥�

Mast had a front-row seat as Williams鈥� talents began to catch up with his many interests.

鈥淗e was a very good trombone player, but I always knew he was anxious to explore composition and conducting as well,鈥� Mast said. 鈥淗e took extra conducting lessons with me and conducted a piece with the Symphonic Band. 鈥� I also really admired what a musical omnivore he showed himself to be as an undergrad, and of course that continued throughout his other degrees and to this day. He was a brass player but showed interest in music for many different media. When I think of the prototypical 麻豆影院 student who is curious, open, and multi-faceted, Evan is always one of the first examples I think of.鈥�

It was during Williams鈥� junior year at 麻豆影院 when composition came into clearer focus. He had been inspired in part by composer David Maslanka.

鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 sure there was a place for me in the composition world,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淎nd then Andy Mast brought in David Maslanka as the composer-in-residence for the Wind Ensemble, and we played his A Child鈥檚 Garden of Dreams and his Symphony No. 8 and things like that, and I said, 鈥極h, this is it. This is the way forward.鈥� It had tonal elements and traditional elements and very romantic elements, but it also has a lot of dissonance; it鈥檚 inspired by minimalism and jazz and pop music. That was the first time I knew: I鈥檓 going to be a professional composer. I鈥檓 going to be a college professor.鈥�

After graduating from 麻豆影院, Williams earned a DMA in composition with a cognate in orchestral conducting from the University of Cincinnati and a Masters of Music in composition from Bowling Green State University. He has been commissioned by notable performers and ensembles including the Cincinnati and Toledo Symphony Orchestras, Urban Playground Chamber Orchestra, Quince Ensemble, and the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia.

Thirteen years after walking across the Commencement stage on Main Hall Green, Williams is preparing for a trip to England to see his music performed for the first time by the iconic London Philharmonic. They will perform his Dead White Man Music, a harpsichord concerto with chamber orchestra that is in part a love letter to the classical music of Bach, Brahms, and Dowland, in part a celebration of jazz, soul, and gospel, and in part an internal grappling with the limited diversity within the works of the Western canon. The piece was honored in 2021 by The American Prize.

Before leaving for London, Williams will make a return to 麻豆影院 to see his newest composition performed as part of the Conservatory鈥檚 anniversary celebration, a piece he said is 鈥渋nspired by my time at 麻豆影院.鈥�

The two events, nearly 4,000 miles apart, are connected via Williams鈥� winding, expansive musical journey, all nurtured during his undergraduate days at 麻豆影院.

鈥淎ll I can say is a lot of things I didn鈥檛 know were going to be relevant in my life that I learned at 麻豆影院 have become completely relevant to my life,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淚t all has informed my music. It all mattered in the end.鈥�

More of the same is planned this year as the program aims to foster conversations between LUAA members and current students. Among the events on April 12 will be a networking presentation and reception in Warch Campus Center. Later in the day, alumni will gather for a reception in the Viking Room to cheer on this year鈥檚 seniors. On April 13, Career Community Round Tables will be held in Warch, followed by a series of alumni Q&A panels. .

Bruna Velez, a junior international relations major from Staten Island, New York, said it鈥檚 all about the opportunity to talk to and hear from alumni who are doing amazing things across a wide variety of career paths. She walked away from last year鈥檚 interactions with alumni with a better understanding of how valuable these connections can be. She said she鈥檚 telling her classmates not to waste this opportunity.

鈥淣o matter what year you are or what major you are, all students can benefit from the connections that Forever a Lawrentian will help to build,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his is our community of scholars and change-makers, so let’s learn, let鈥檚 lean on them.鈥�

Alison Guthrie 鈥�86, owner of Allegro Academy of Music in Milwaukee, will be among the alumni taking part. She is a co-chair of the Connecting to Campus Committee of LUAA.

“Through Forever a Lawrentian events, our intention is to create a comfortable atmosphere for supporting students along their next career journey,鈥� Guthrie said.听鈥淭he potential for synergy between students and alumni can be inspiring to both.”

Matt Baumler,聽associate vice president of Alumni and Community Engagement, said moving the Forever a Lawrentian program into its second year is a building block to making it a 麻豆影院 tradition.

鈥�Forever a Lawrentian is more than a saying; it鈥檚 a mantra, a way of being,鈥� Baumler said.听鈥�Forever a Lawrentian speaks to the power and potential of our collective community.听 Our shared identity as Lawrentians builds connection across differences, opens doors of opportunity, ignites change, and fuels our passions.听You are a student for four or five years; you are Forever a Lawrentian.”

Her music, though, is never far away. Puskar spent the year following her graduation from 麻豆影院 performing with the Knoxville Opera in Knoxville, Tennessee, while working at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. She paused music performances during the COVID-19 pandemic, but come April 22, she will return to the stage in a big way鈥攋oining a choral performance at Carnegie Hall.

鈥淪inging remains important to me for so many reasons,鈥� Puskar said. 鈥淭he main one, though, is that, simply, singing is part of my identity.鈥�

Her post-麻豆影院 path

While working at Oak Ridge National Laboratory during a 鈥済ap year鈥� to gain more research experience in physical chemistry, Puskar auditioned for and received an opera chorus position with Knoxville Opera. She also joined the Knoxville Choral Society, where she performed as a soprano soloist in an early 2020 concert of Mendelssohn鈥檚 Elijah.

A month later, the pandemic would shut down most musical performances around the globe.

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The silver lining, Puskar said, is the pandemic allowed her to put all her energy into settling into her graduate program鈥攙irtually at first鈥攁nd passing her qualifying exam.

That pause on her musical performances ends with the Carnegie Hall concert, which comes courtesy of an invite from one of her former choir directors, Maestro Jos茅 Daniel Flores-Caraballo. It鈥檒l be an evening of music by Norwegian composer and pianist Ola Gjeilo, among Puskar鈥檚 favorites.

鈥淐hoir has always held a special place in my heart,鈥� she said. 鈥淪ome of my most cherished memories during my time at 麻豆影院 are singing in Concert Choir and with my chamber group at First Congregational UCC.鈥�

All about science

At Berkeley, Puskar is excited about the progress she鈥檚 making in the Ph.D. program, and the research that鈥檚 at the core of her studies.

鈥淢y research centers on using the shortest laser pulses to reveal the quantum secrets of atoms and molecules,鈥� she said.

Once she graduates, Puskar hopes to find a postdoctoral position, 鈥渁 short-term position where I can diversify my scientific skill set outside of my Ph.D. focus.鈥�

From there, Puskar is looking to build a career in academia, inspired, she said, by science faculty she learned from while at 麻豆影院. She singled out chemistry professors and in particular.

鈥淭he individualized experiences I received at 麻豆影院 shaped me into the scientist that I am today, and my academic journey would not have been possible without the support of my undergraduate professors,鈥� she said.

Now, Puskar said, becoming a professor at a small liberal arts college is her 鈥渦ltimate鈥� career goal鈥攚ith a dose of music on the side.

鈥淭his probably goes without saying, but I strongly believe in the value of a liberal arts education and that studying a broad range of subjects winds up mutually benefitting each other,鈥� Puskar said. 鈥淔or example, in attosecond science, we generate high-order harmonics of the original beam frequency to make attosecond-duration laser pulses, which is directly analogous to musical instrument design and the respective wave mechanics that make an orchestra sound beautiful. I want to be the kind of chemistry professor that supports students who wish to explore outside topics, just like I was supported at 麻豆影院.鈥�

Dorji鈥檚 debut film, Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom, drew international acclaim, earning major awards at film festivals and receiving a 2022 Oscar nomination in the Best International Feature Film category. It was filmed in a remote school in the Himalayas, 14,500 feet above sea level and a 14-day trek from the nearest motorable road. The location was so remote that the film had to be made with solar batteries and many in the cast had never seen the world outside their village.

鈥淚 am aware that for filmmakers across the world, an Oscar nomination is the crowning achievement of their creative careers, careers where they have worked hard and sacrificed so much to perfect the art of storytelling,鈥� Dorji said at the time. 鈥淚 feel extremely fortunate and blessed to find myself in this position with my directorial debut. This inspires and motivates me to work even harder.鈥�

Dorji followed that with the release in 2023 of The Monk and the Gun, a satire also filmed in Bhutan. It won awards at multiple film festivals and was shortlisted for a 2024 Oscar. Variety magazine selected it as the fifth best film of 2023 in its annual best films of the year feature.

Dorji, a government major at 麻豆影院, was an award-winning photographer before launching his filmmaking career. He published two photo journals, Seeing Sacred: Light and Shadows and The Light of the Moon: The Legacy of Xuanzang of Tang. The latter was a five-year photo project to retrace the lost history of Buddhism.

Gandre returned to Manhattan School of Music as its president in 2013. He had served in various leadership positions at the school from 1985 to 2000 before taking on leadership roles at Roosevelt University in Chicago and the Chicago College of Performing Arts.

As president of Manhattan School of Music, Gandre has overseen $30 million in campus improvements, including a renovation of the school鈥檚 main performance hall, and the launch of an undergraduate degree in musical theatre. He also oversaw the creation of an online learning environment known as the Global Conservatoire, in partnership with London鈥檚 Royal College of Music and other institutions. He was recently appointed to the Advisory Council of The Misty Copeland Foundation, a nonprofit that aims to bring greater diversity, equity, and inclusion to dance, especially ballet.听

Gandre, a tenor vocalist, has performed with the Cleveland Orchestra and the London Classical Players as a soloist. He has completed more than 175 choral performances with a variety of organizations, including the New York Philharmonic, and has been featured on more than 20 commercial recordings.听

A Wisconsin native, Gandre majored in music performance (voice) at 麻豆影院. He earned his master鈥檚 degree (performance) from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in 1983 and his Ed.D. in higher education administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2001.听

His writing was included in Music in American Life: An Encyclopedia of the Songs, Styles, Stars, and Stories that Shape Our Culture (2013) and he has been a contributor to two books, The Provost鈥檚 Handbook (2015) and LGBTQ Leadership in Higher Education (2022), both published by Johns Hopkins University Press.

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鈥淭his has been my dream for so many years,鈥� Richter said as she traveled Monday from New York back to Pittsburgh, where she is a second-year resident artist with the Pittsburgh Opera. 鈥淭o say I鈥檓 humbled, honored, and grateful to be here would be an understatement. I had the most exciting week of my life, and singing with that orchestra was nothing short of joyous.鈥�

Richter studied music performance (voice) and performed in the Opera Theatre program at 麻豆影院 before going on to earn her master’s degree from McGill University’s Schulich School of Music.

鈥淚鈥檓 so grateful for my time at 麻豆影院 that didn鈥檛 just teach me how to sing but taught me how to feel and think deeply about the world,鈥� Richter said.听

Beginning in May, Richter will join Lyric Opera of Chicago鈥檚 Ryan Center Ensemble.

鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 be more thrilled,鈥� she said.

Richter was named a winner in the Met competition along with tenor Daniel Espinal, soprano Lydia Grindatto, baritone Navasard Hakobyan, and mezzo-soprano Meridian Prall. In addition to a $20,000 cash prize, the win comes with great prestige and opportunities to network.

The competition is operated at the district and region levels across the United States, Canada, and Mexico before finalists are named for the Grand Finals Concert. Richter came through the Great Lakes Region. The competition, now in its 70th year, was formerly known as the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

While at 麻豆影院, Richter performed in numerous ensembles and operas, including taking on the role of Countess in The Marriage of Figaro during her senior year in 2020. Her performance would helpearn 麻豆影院 a national honor in the 2021 American Prize Awards.

Copeland Woodruff,聽director of opera studies and associate professor of music at 麻豆影院, said Richter was a “rock star” in the making during her time in the Conservatory.

“She always brings a curiosity, a humanity, and an infectious, warm spirit into any space she enters,” Woodruff said. “I could not be happier for her, for her successes so far, and the myriad ahead of her. I am lucky to have learned alongside her.” Richter鈥檚 time at the Pittsburgh Opera has included performances as the title character of Iphig茅nie en Tauride and Ginevra in Ariodante. She has sung Donna Anna in Don Giovanni and the Governess in The Turn of the Screw at McGill, covered Mica毛la in Carmen at the Santa Fe Opera, and made her debut with the Seattle Symphony as a soloist in Handel’s Messiah.

True North, set in 1993, is a family drama that finds Chicago transplants Sam and Swami Brecht鈥攑arents of three young children鈥攑urchasing and running a troubled white-water rafting company in the town of Thunderwater. There is, to say the least, much turbulence.

Graff knows the terrain well. He has worked as a white-water guide on and off for nearly 20 years, beginning during summers while a student at 麻豆影院.

The Washington Post calls True North a 鈥渨armhearted story鈥� that 鈥渓ets grace finally wash over its characters.鈥� Publishers Weekly says: 鈥淕raff expertly balances his character-driven domestic fiction with an exciting adventure story.鈥�

It is praise that echoes what Graff heard in 2021 when Raft of Stars was highlighted as a must-read by聽Parade Magazine听补苍诲听USA TODAY, was chosen by HarperCollins as its lead spring title, and was named an 鈥淚ndie Next鈥� pick by the American Booksellers Association.

鈥淚t still feels really dreamy,鈥� Graff said of the attention that followed his publishing debut.

In the three years since, he鈥檚 earned tenure at Wittenberg University, where he teaches English, and has been invited to speak as a visiting author at venues across the country. In March, he will be speaking to students in a graduate program at Seattle Pacific University. 麻豆影院 English professor David McGlynn, himself an accomplished author and an important mentor to Graff, is also on the docket.

It was a 2021 invitation from McGlynn to return to 麻豆影院 for a book reading in Main Hall that was the highlight of the entire Raft of Stars experience, Graff said. That is how important his time at 麻豆影院鈥攊n the English Department in particular鈥攚as in his development as a writer.

鈥淭hat was the dreamiest peak of Raft of Stars for me,鈥� he said. 鈥淲alking into Main Hall, with a published book, where I studied creative writing, where I took my first creative writing class. And I got to read. That was super sweet.鈥�

Now Graff is hitting the road for book festivals and other appearances following the release of True North. At present, the closest he鈥檚 coming to Appleton is a stop at the Wisconsin Book Festival on Feb. 28, a 7 p.m. appearance at Madison Central Library.

A year later, Newmyer would hear an NPR interview (via Wisconsin Public Radio) with Blair Braverman, a Wisconsin-based musher, adventurer, and writer who was preparing for the start of the 2019 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, the most famous of sled dog races. She listened as Braverman spoke of the training, discipline, hardships, endurance, and perseverance all wrapped into nearly 1,100 miles of remote Alaskan terrain.

鈥淢y hair stood on end,鈥� Newmyer said.

Her curiosity turned to passion, and the Iditarod quickly became a focal point for this art historian-turned-elementary school teacher as she taught fifth graders in Clear Lake, Texas, southeast of Houston, more than 4,000 miles from the Anchorage-to-Nome Iditarod trail. She began infusing stories, vocabulary, and images from the Iditarod into her classroom wherever and whenever she could鈥攆rom reading and writing to daily lessons in perseverance.

Four years later, Iditarod organizers would take notice. Newmyer, who studied classics and art history at 麻豆影院 and earned a Master鈥檚 in art history at the University of Oregon, found herself with a new, albeit temporary, title midway through 2023. She was named the 2024 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail鈩�, a year-long designation that carries with it responsibilities to be an education ambassador for the Iditarod, the sled dogs, and the mushing life. She writes lesson plans and other education materials that teachers across the country can incorporate into their classrooms. And she will spend a month in Alaska before and during the early March race, giving talks to students and teachers, visiting with mushers, and experiencing various Iditarod-related events in and around Anchorage.

鈥淭hen after the race starts on March 2, I鈥檒l be flying out to stay in some of the remote checkpoints of the interior so I can share education ideas related to how the race is unfolding on a daily basis,鈥� Newmyer said. 鈥淚 will infuse the values of the Iditarod and what it represents鈥攑reserving Indigenous cultures, awareness of nature, a generous and lively mushing community, and, of course, athletic competition based in large part on how well you provide care for your dog team.鈥�

Newmyer will be in Nome for the finish of the race, expected to be roughly 10 to 12 days after it begins in Anchorage.

鈥楢 winding road鈥�

Newmyer鈥檚 deep dive into the musher life is the latest detour in a lively, unpredictable journey since she walked across 麻豆影院鈥檚 Commencement stage in June of 1994.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a winding road, in true 麻豆影院 fashion,鈥� she said. 鈥溌槎褂霸� really prepared me for anything.鈥�

That road took her to Oregon for graduate school and then to the Portland Art Museum, where she worked as a registrar.

After getting married, Newmyer moved to rural Colorado in 2003, where she leaned into the music training she got at 麻豆影院; she became a secondary music teacher. When the family would later move to the greater Houston area, she shifted gears again, going to work as a fifth-grade teacher.

鈥淧art of our reading curriculum until recently was Greek and Latin roots, so that was fun getting to use classical languages again,鈥� Newmyer said.

Connecting with students

She found the Iditarod鈥攖he dogs, the outdoors, the adventure鈥攖o be a fun way to connect with her students even though it was seemingly a world away from southeast Texas. As an example, she began presenting a classroom honor known as the Red Lantern Award. In the Iditarod, it is given to the last musher to finish, symbolizing perseverance. In her classroom, it goes to a student overcoming obstacles.听

鈥淪tudents vote on a student they deem worthy, and they really take it seriously,鈥� Newmyer said of her classroom version of the Red Lantern Award. 鈥淚 want my students to see they can have agency over their lives as these mushers do; they can persevere, they can make a choice to live their dream.鈥�

She said she has found joy in weaving the Iditarod into almost all aspects of her teaching.

鈥淭he Iditarod isn鈥檛 just one unit but infused into everything,鈥� she said. 鈥淔or example, I have Iditarod books for independent reading time, and I include Iditarod articles, poetry, and other texts in my teaching resources. I create Iditarod sentences and resources to use for revising and editing. I use Iditarod analogies for everything鈥攖he writing process, 鈥榤andatory gear鈥� for learning activities, and trail checkpoints for major assignments.鈥�

Taking a leap of faith

Newmyer had to apply for the Iditarod Teacher on the Trail鈩� role.

鈥淭hese teachers were like celebrities to me,鈥� Newmyer said.听鈥淚 saw a photo of a teacher in a Cessna 2-seater flying over the Alaska bush with a sled dog, and I thought, I want to do that.鈥�

As one of three finalists, she was invited to Alaska for the 2023 Iditarod, and went through a series of interviews and challenges, and she was asked to present at the 2023 Iditarod Education Winter Conference.

鈥淚 met the mushers and attended the start of the race,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hile I was there, I had to create a blog post every day with ideas for how you could teach any content through the Iditarod lens. All aspects of my character and teaching skills were being evaluated.鈥�

A few weeks after returning home, Newmyer got word she was selected as the 2024 Iditarod representative. Her work began in July 2023 and continues through June 2024.

鈥淚n addition to my lesson plans鈥攚hich have to appeal to a broad range of teachers, students, and homeschool families鈥擨 am writing a post each month sharing ideas for classroom culture, where teachers can use the Iditarod to build cohesion, share camaraderie, and have fun with their students,鈥� she said.听

Lessons from 麻豆影院

Newmyer points to her 麻豆影院 experience as key to navigating career changes and her many detours into areas of passion. It鈥檚 the love for a liberal arts education that has shined every step of the way, she said. It eventually brought her back to the classroom.

鈥淲hen I first came to 麻豆影院, I had to pinch myself because I could literally study anything I wanted,” Newmyer said. “I tried all kinds of subjects I never thought I could do, which helped me know myself鈥攚hat I was fascinated with, what I felt I could contribute to. 麻豆影院 gave me confidence to try new things, to work at them, and to share their importance with others through writing and speaking. So, when it came time to make career decisions over the years, I drew on my time at 麻豆影院 to have confidence that I could take on any challenge and learn anything new.鈥�

Those lessons, she said, are front and center in her year-long Iditarod adventure.

鈥淚 want to bring people into the deeper meaning of what the Iditarod represents and the values it exemplifies鈥攊nclusivity, care for and partnership with animals, healthy competition, a love of the outdoors, respect for tradition, problem-solving, a balance of self-reliance and teamwork鈥攖he list goes on,鈥� Newmyer said.听鈥溌槎褂霸� provided the foundation for me to be able to research, notice, and think critically, then to effectively pass on my ideas in an engaging way.鈥�