Tour Week at Wartburg is known to be one of quietest but most beneficial breaks. For just a week in the month of April, the campus opens its doors a little wider, introducing all it has to offer to future students asking the same question: Is this the place for me?
For senior Lauren Donlea, tour week felt more personal.
“I remember taking my first tour here and everyone knew each other,” she says. “That was really huge for me.”
It isn’t just about the pretty campus or athletic facilities drawing prospective students’ eyes. It’s also the community and culture bringing people together.
“The close community and relationships are really why I wanted to come here,” she says. “It was a sense of belonging that was brought to me and I knew I was in the right place.”
Future students see that belonging at Wartburg is a priority throughout the whole academic year. When they visit, they can seek out classrooms, meet professors and coaches and see what the Mensa offers.
Junior Finley Fitzgerald says tour week is used for a much-needed vacation.
“A lot of students use tour week as a way to get out of Iowa and find some warmer weather,” says Fitzgerald. “Last year me and my friends went on a trip to Florida and it was the perfect opportunity to refresh and get ready for May term.”
As current students break from classes during tour week, many serve something bigger than Waverly, Iowa. Wartburg College’s Service Trips organization plans trips to various locations around the world with student leaders. Past trips have included rebuilding homes in hurricane-affected communities, volunteering at food banks and traveling abroad.
The preparation begins weeks in advance as students attend educational meetings about the community they may be serving, cultural expectations and the importance of service.
For one service trip, a group of students traveled south to help with hurricane recovery. The group participated in house reconstruction and witnessed natural disaster impacts. Students spent days ripping out damaged drywall, pulling up flooring and repainting. They also gained knowledge from experienced site coordinators.
By the end of the tour week, students come back to campus with a change of mind and heart. They may be tired from traveling, but the experiences gained and lives changed will forever stay with them.
Whether it’s a vacation, mission trip or a chance to visit home, tour week serves all students at Wartburg. It is a special time as future students visit to see Wartburg’s culture while current students are out sharing it.
Tour week isn’t just about showing what Wartburg looks like. It’s about showing what Wartburg does.
