Jinger Bremer
Jinger Bremer is a graduate of UNI’s Postsecondary Education: Student Affairs program, with a 2006 MAE. She also received two BAs from UNI in Psychology and Sociology in 2004. She currently works as the Residence Life Coordinator and Coordinator of Athletics at Franklin College in Lugano, Switzerland. Previously she spent one year at the American International School-Salzburg coordinating aspects of residence life, coaching women's volleyball and basketball, and teaching several elective courses.
Before graduation from UNI, Bremer knew she wanted to work internationally. She is from Battle Creek, Iowa. “I have the world's greatest and most supportive family,” Bremer says, “They don't understand why I choose to live so far from home, but they always support me.” Although graduate school isn’t always easy, she advises students to shoot for the moon, finding the path that is right for them. She finds UNI’s faculty and staff are always available, even now, after graduation, to offer encouragement and to help problem solve. UNI provided her with a solid student affairs experience, allowing her to administer programs, budgets, and other responsibilities that came up in her jobs. |
Jinger Bremer with her nephew Aidan |
Group of Franklin College students in Namibia in March 2008. Bremer led the group and took this photo. |
As Residence Life Coordinator, Bremer oversees the staff, facilities, and maintenance for Franklin College’s eight residence halls. The halls are not traditional as there is no centralized campus. Students live in apartment buildings among the Swiss, making community relations extremely important. The student body represents sixty different countries with two-thirds from the United States. Students must observe strict Swiss laws including daily quiet hours from 10:00pm – 9:00am and trash laws such as only using black trash bags and never disposing of glass. During Bremer’s two years as Coordinator of Athletics, Franklin College has managed to replace or update all gym equipment and increase gym usage by three-hundred percent. She was also given the responsibility of creating and enforcing a parking policy for the college. Outside of her job, Bremer is learning Italian and follows Boston Red Sox baseball and Franklin College soccer. |
Karen Koenig
Karen Koenig earned her MA in Science Education from UNI in 2007. She currently teaches 7th grade science in Iowa Falls. She also teaches biology at Ellsworth Community College and works at the Franklin Wellness Center in her spare time. Her undergraduate degrees are a BS in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology from Iowa State University (ISU) and a BA in Elementary Education from Buena Vista University (BVU).
Koenig’s career has taken her around the United States. After graduating from ISU in 1988, she worked as a naturalist in Florida, North Carolina, New Jersey, and Iowa. She later returned to school for the BA in Elementary Education and taught 4th and 5th grades. She was a substitute teacher before beginning full-time work in the Iowa Falls schools. She was greatly influenced by Barb Dilsaver, an instructor she first had at BVU who has been her mentor teacher. She pushed Koenig to return to school for her MA. UNI’s instructors were helpful with achieving her academic goals, especially Cherin Lee, Jody Stone, and Lyn Countryman. Koenig advises UNI graduate students not to put off research until the last semester and to take the comprehensive exams, if required, as soon as core classes are finished so you don’t forget what you have learned.
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Karen Koenig (standing, in white shirt and tan pants) with her Science Club on a river cleanup project. |
Koenig is a professional student. Alongside her degrees and career she completed National Board Certification, is currently working on a Talented and Gifted endorsement, and went on an educator’s tour of Honduras. She is president of her local education association and is active in fundraising for Heifer Project International. In addition, she gardens, raises chickens, turkeys, and honeybees, and sells at local farmer’s markets. She loves reptiles and keeps five snakes, two turtles, and two iguanas in her classroom. Her husband, Matt, has been supportive through all of her adventures over the last twenty years. Their fifteen year old daughter cooked on nights Koenig had class and helped more around the house, showing support while Koenig worked on her MA degree. |
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