皇冠体育 and SAU — for Kyle and Hillary Wehr, it’s a perfect marriage

Kyle and Hillary Wehr bring a unique perspective to 不断发展的伙伴关系 of Mount Mercy大学和皇冠体育.

就在八年前，威尔夫妇交换了结婚誓言，成为了皇冠体育-SAU的私人合伙人。 凯尔2012年毕业于皇冠体育，主修管理学，而希拉里2016年毕业于Mount Mercy大学，主修音乐，辅修国际研究。

“Both of us were excited about the partnership as each institution will benefit, thereby leading to deeper value for students, faculty, staff, and alumni,” Kyle said of the institutional collaboration.

“We remember first hearing the news and looking at each other with knowing looks,” Hillary added. “我们的两所母校走到一起，在爱荷华州东部推动天主教文科教育的传统，这似乎有点像命运的安排。”

命运号可能也参与了让凯尔和希拉里走到一起。 他们是在当地戏剧《俄克拉何马》的演出中相识的。 2014年夏天在四方城 Before starting a family together in 2016, both Kyle and Hillary received educations at small, private, Catholic universities with similar missions of service and purposeful living—for which they are both extremely grateful. 凯尔是四城本地人，他很欣赏圣安布罗斯的规模和地理位置。

“As a practicing Christian, I was excited about the liberal arts education that included the opportunity to take theology courses,” Kyle recalled. “Those courses critically deepened the foundation that eventually led me to the truth of Catholicism and into full communion with the universal church.”

Kyle’s career path pushed him toward analytics, and he later earned an MBA at the University of Iowa with a focus on analytics and corporate finance. 这使他获得了全国保险公司、第一资本金融公司和迪尔公司的专业机会，他现在担任约翰迪尔金融运营分析经理。

Meanwhile, Hillary’s path to Mount Mercy followed an older brother who had also experienced college life on the Hill.

“My faith is really important to me, and as one of Iowa’s few Catholic universities, I knew I’d be in a place that would allow me to frequent the sacraments with regularity,” she recalled.

虽然希拉里最初在Mount Mercy大学主修教育学，但她后来转学音乐，并在谢南多厄音乐学院获得了声音教育学硕士学位。 Hillary then started her own business—Wehr Making Music— where she provides private voice lessons and audition coaching for people in the greater Des Moines area and virtually around the globe.

“Because it’s a liberal arts college and requires classes in different core competencies, I was prepared to take on different aspects of operating a small business, such as maintaining a website and bookkeeping,” Hillary said of her Mount Mercy experience.

凯尔和希拉里·韦尔与他们的三个孩子威廉·保罗、弗洛伦斯·抹大拉和约瑟芬·玛丽住在安克尼。

在感谢过去的机会和经历的同时，凯尔和希拉里也对他们的母校合作的未来感到兴奋。

Kyle said Mount Mercy will specifically benefit from SAU’s diocesan commitment to learning that is rooted in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. 圣安布罗斯也向学生介绍圣安布罗斯的著作米兰，天主教会的医生。 米兰的圣安布罗斯信奉为他人服务的生活，培育社区，参与时代复杂的辩论，培养祈祷和崇拜的真实生活，并勇敢地采取行动解决不公正的问题。

“Students will benefit from the intentionality of a diocesan university and being part of its mission,” Kyle added. “More tactically, both universities gain the benefits of economics of scale while strengthening the financial stability of Mount Mercy and broadening the reach and impact of both institutions, enhancing their ability to serve diverse student populations effectively.”

“St. Ambrose will benefit from Mount Mercy’s historical missionary zeal,” Hillary added “As an institution founded by the missionary Sisters of Mercy, 皇冠体育 brings a focus that further emphasizes the going out into the world component of Catholic social teaching. Beyond the economies of scale benefits, the partnership with Mount Mercy will enable SAU to deepen its reach in Eastern Iowa and support educational alignment that will benefit students, community members, and employers.”

作为他们的学术机会的受益者，今天，威尔夫妇每个人都用他们的时间、才能和天赋回报了他们的学校。 Since graduating, Hillary and Kyle have given to Mount Mercy’s mission and ministry, and music program. Kyle has served on the SAU 校友 Association’s Board of Directors since 2018 and currently serves on the Executive Committee as Treasurer and Chair of the Governance Committee. 作为学生，他们的求学之旅因前辈们的慷慨解囊而变得更加精彩，他们感到有责任为未来的毕业生提供帮助。

“Ultimately, Saint Cardinal John Henry Newman is spot on with his quote: ‘To live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often.’ Let us change as often as necessary to perfect these two beloved institutions.”
– 凯尔·韦尔，12岁, 皇冠体育校友

“Additionally, we want to see Catholic higher education thriving in Eastern Iowa and we know that we need to be responsible to help bring that to fruition,” Kyle said.

他们自己的皇冠体育-SAU伙伴关系为Wehrs蓬勃发展，他们也看到了他们所珍视的机构的光明未来。

“Lack of impact—or a staying of the same forever (with the exception of universal truths)—is surely a way to fade into irrelevance or non-existence,” Kyle said. “Ultimately, Saint Cardinal John Henry Newman is spot on with his quote: ‘To live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often.’ Let us change as often as necessary to perfect these two beloved institutions.”