Class Notes

1960s

'66 Joy (Neal) Kidney, BA, West Des Moines, published her fifth book titled "Meadowlark Songs: A Motherline Legacy."

'69 Nancy (Porter) Edwards, BA, Anamosa, has volunteered with the National Alliance on Mental Illness for more than 25 years.

1970s

'77 Debbra (Purvis) Laneville, BA, Medina, OH, taught 42 years at all grade levels from preschool to high school. She taught in seven states with each position providing valuable life lessons that turned into a book titled "You Can't Make This Stuff Up – Life Lessons from Special Kids."

'72 Dennis Wenthold, BA, Miami, FL, originally from Calmar. He met his wife, Mireya Bernal Greco ('70) at UNI. A teacher for 14 years, he taught in the Virgin Islands; Council Bluffs, Ft. Myers, Florida, and Panama. A special achievement during his 24 years as a school administrator in Florida was seeing his East Naples Middle School students earn the school’s highest score ever on the State Assessment Test. Through the years, he also coached high school basketball (20 years); volleyball, baseball, softball (9); and track and soccer (3). He owns and operates a bed and breakfast called "Cabanas Potosi" in El Valle de Anton, Panama. “If I could go back in life, I would do it all again.”

1980s

'83 Lisa Schwartz, BA, Council Bluffs, along with husband Don Schwartz, completed 43 years of teaching and coaching with the Council Bluffs Community Schools.

'84 Lisa (Wadle) Vander Lugt, BA, Cascade, retired in June 2025 after 25 years in her last position at Aquin Catholic Elementary. She is looking forward to relaxing, reading and a little travel.

'86 Debra Shelton, MA, Duncombe, retired in June 2023 after 45 years as an early childhood special education teacher and consultant.

2000s

'04 Traci (Roberts) Wildeboer, BA, BA '07, BA '11, Cedar Falls, received a 2026 Gold Star Award for outstanding teaching in Black Hawk County. She is a 2nd grade teacher at North Cedar Elementary.

'04 Jared Smith, BA, Waterloo, was named one of the 2026 Top 10 School District Superintendents in the U.S. by Education Insider Magazine. He is the superintendent of the Waterloo Community School District.

'08 Oksana Grybovych Hafermann, EdD, Cedar Falls, was named an American Council on Education Fellow for the 2026-2027 academic year.

'09 Jill (Lenz) Ridder, BA, Woodbine, received the 2026 Milken Educator Award. She is the principal of Woodbine Elementary School.

2010s

'15 Molli (Mabie) Wellman, BA, Cedar Falls, received a 2026 Gold Star Award for outstanding teaching in Black Hawk County. She is a kindergarten teacher at Immaculate Conception in Waterloo.

'18 Dylan Shaffer, BA, Coggon, received the 2026 Iowa STEM Teacher Award for the Northeast Region. He is an 8th grade science teacher at Monticello Middle School.

2020s

'21 Chandler DeWees, BA, Cedar Rapids, is bridging the nonprofit and business sector as a business development manager with Rinderknecht Associates and Merit Construction Company. His projects include partnerships with schools, hospitals and community organizations across Cedar Rapids.