Just eight years ago, the Wehrs entered into a personal MMU-SAU partnership of their own when they exchanged wedding vows. Kyle graduated from St. Ambrose in 2012 with a major in management, while Hillary is a 2016 Mount Mercy graduate, majoring in music and minoring in international studies.
“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. “It seemed a little like destiny that our two alma maters would come together to drive the tradition of a Catholic liberal arts education forward in Eastern Iowa.”
Destiny may have also been involved in bringing together Kyle and Hillary. They met as fellow cast members in a local theatre production of Oklahoma! in the Quad Cities during the summer of 2014. 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. A Quad Cities native, Kyle appreciated the size and location of St. Ambrose.
“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. That led him to professional opportunities at Nationwide Insurance, Capital One Financial, and now Deere & Company, where he works today as the Manager of John Deere Financial Operational Analytics.
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.
Although Hillary initially majored in education at Mount Mercy, she switched to music and later earned her Master of Music degree in Voice Pedagogy from Shenandoah Conservatory. 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.
While thankful for past opportunities and experiences, Kyle and Hillary are also excited about the collaborative future of their alma maters.
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. St. Ambrose also introduces students to the writings of St. Ambrose of Milan, a Doctor of the Catholic Church. St. Ambrose of Milan embraced a commitment to living in service to others, to nurturing community, to engaging in the complex debates of the times, to fostering authentic lives of prayer and worship, and to acting courageously to address issues of injustice.
“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, MMU 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.”
As the beneficiaries of their academic opportunities, the Wehrs today each give back to their schools through their time, talent, and gifts. Since graduating, Hillary and Kyle have given to Mount Mercy’s mission and ministry, and music program. Kyle has served on the SAU Alumni Association’s Board of Directors since 2018 and currently serves on the Executive Committee as Treasurer and Chair of the Governance Committee. As students, their journeys were enhanced through the generosity of alumni that came before them, and they feel a sense of responsibility to be there for future graduates.
“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.
Their own MMU-SAU partnership has flourished for the Wehrs, and they see a bright future for their cherished institutions as well.
“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.”