Name: Leslie (Schafer) Meyer
Major at ISU: Music- Voice
Graduation Year: 2002
Hometown: Marshalltown, Iowa, USA
Current Residence: Rochester, MN, USA
What were you involved in during your time at ISU? Iowa State Singers, Chamber Singers, Stars Over VEISHA, Golden Key National Honors Society
What do you currently do for a living? I am an elementary teacher working as an Arts Enrichment Coordinator.
Can you shar a particularly interesting or inspiring story that has occurred in your career? I decided to get a second Bachelor degree in education in 2010. Once I started working as a teacher, a principal who hired me recognized my arts background and asked me to take up a unique position as an arts enrichment coordinator! I get to find ways to help kids shine at school through theater, music, dance, and other creative skills. I love it!
Are you involved in Music, Theatre, or the Performing Arts in any ways outside of your profession? My entire family is into doing theater. Musicals in particular! One very memorable production of CATS had all four of us shaking our cat tails on stage together. Community Theater and singing with local bands and orchestras has kept me and Rob (my husband, and YES we met in Singers) singing together.
Are there other ways you participate in your community and engage as a Citizen Artist? In my work, I coordinate family events centered around the arts for our entire school community. We’re raising kids who love theater and music, and we love participating in community theater.
How did your time at ISU prepare you for your career? My time at ISU helped me develop a wide variety of artistic skills and meet people from all over the world with different skills and interests. I now work in a school with international students and get to use my artistic skills every day!
What was your favorite experience in music or theatre at ISU? Performing as Laurie in Oklahoma! was my favorite performance but singing in Germany with Dr. Prater’s Chamber Singers was my absolute favorite experience. Well…traveling in Italy with Dr. Bleyle’s class was remarkable too! Too many great moments to count.
What was your favorite class while you were at ISU? Why? Voice lessons with Jean Thomas. Those times with Jean shaped me as a singer and really helped me walk out into the world as a healthier person.
How was your involvement in music and theatre beneficial in different parts of your life? Learning to sing and act really pushed me to get to know myself better. It grew my confidence and interpersonal skills. The experiences I had expanded my world and helped me feel ready to be a part it!
Any words of wisdom for current or prospective students? Join the groups. Try the clubs. Travel abroad. Take in the shows. Hang out and study in the groups. You don’t get another chance to try out all of the things with such freedom. Enjoy!
Is there anything else you would like to share? Rob Meyer (‘02) and Leslie (Schafer) Meyer (‘02) will be celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary August of 2022. Thanks to Singers and CUMC choirs for bringing us together and all of the singers, professors, and friends who sang us off on our wedding day with Bells of Iowa State. You are always in our hearts.