Wider Horizons

Yvonne Kerber didn’t know right away that Dick Kerber was the “the one” – but sometimes it takes a while to be sure.
Yvonne Dick
The two had known each other for what seemed like forever, riding the same bus to Coalhurst High School for four years. And when the time came to decide what to do after high school, the new college in Lethbridge – and the bursaries that were offered to encourage students to work as rural school teachers – attracted them both.

“The rural school boards were desperate for teachers,” recalls Dick. “There had been waves of immigrants arriving and the baby boom had started. They needed teachers. So they provided bursaries to prospective candidates to attend the new college.”

The leaders of the rural school boards, including the college’s first board chair Kate Andrews, had worked closely for years with Lethbridge school and city leaders, including college founder Gilbert Paterson, to make the dream of a post-secondary institution in southern Alberta a reality for the young people in the growing region. Sometimes, that work meant approaching students individually to encourage them to be in that first class.

“I remember E.C. Miller, the superintendent of the county, came walking out to where I was working in the field one day,” says Yvonne. “He said ‘Wouldn’t teaching be easier for you?’ My parents jumped at the opportunity.”

Dick was one of a handful of the 38 students in that first graduating class who had a car – “a ’49 Chevy that did the job.” He commuted from his family’s vegetable farm near Park Lake every day to the Lethbridge Collegiate Institute, where the college held its classes until the first building opened in 1962. Yvonne, who stayed with friends in Lethbridge during the week, would catch a ride home with Dick on Fridays after they finished their classes.

The students in that inaugural class knew they were part of something special – and that the expectations of them were quite high. “From day one,” Yvonne says, “we were told quite often that we would be watched and that there would be pressure to an extent to succeed,” both for their sakes and for the future of the college.

“We saw it as a real opportunity and we were determined to make it,” says Dick.

They took university-level courses in English, history, psychology, biology, chemistry, music and physical education – all of which were directed toward careers as teachers. Jim Cousins, the first Dean (a position now known as President) of the college, called their graduating class “charter members of the Guinea Pig club,” by virtue of their status as students during the formation and opening of the college.

“Dean Cousins’ door was always open. He was so approachable – almost like a father figure,” says Dick. “We had a student lounge, such as it was, with chesterfields where we could sit and talk and even study, and he would often drop by in the lounge to talk with us. He loved to talk politics and if we were in sports, he talked about that, too. He was very sociable and probably as good of a person as they could have found for the founding of the new college. He was a great PR man.”

After graduation, Dick and Yvonne continued their education, first at the University of Alberta, Calgary, then with summer school at the University of Alberta’s campuses in Calgary and Edmonton, and eventually with night classes at Lethbridge Junior College.

And that’s where their love story picks up speed. “After earning our certificates in Calgary, we taught for a year – in Picture Butte and Coaldale,” recalls Yvonne. “That first summer school in Edmonton, well, we both got lonely. We knew other people, but…”

“I said we were both busy studying all the time but we were still kind of lonely,” adds Dick.

“And I was having trouble with my Philosophy class, and Dick and his friends really helped a lot,” says Yvonne.

“Philosophy drove her crazy, and I loved it,” says Dick. “So over coffee, we would talk philosophy.”

“They invited me to join their informal study group,” Yvonne adds. “They had a few real characters. And once I realized I didn’t have to agree with these guys (the philosophers), I was okay.”

Their first real date turned out to be an eye-opener for Yvonne. “I thought, ‘There’s more to Dick than I thought when we were just friends.’ I could see that he did have ambition and was focused.”

And even then, “we took our time,” says Dick – about two years, in fact, before they married. Their wedding day was a Saturday at the end of June in 1962. Both of them finished teaching on the Friday before exchanging their vows. For their honeymoon, they took a month-long road trip throughout the western United States.

Three daughters and five grandchildren later, they are as happy as they’ve ever been. They made good on their pledge to support the rural school districts that offered them the opportunity to attend Lethbridge College. Dick went on to earn his Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Alberta while Yvonne earned hers from the University of Calgary. Later, she also earned a diploma in Early Childhood Education at the University of Lethbridge.

Yvonne taught for six years in rural schools before having children, and after she returned to work, she spent 10 years teaching kindergarten in Lethbridge and 10 years working for Lethbridge Family Services before finishing her professional career teaching kindergarten again in Picture Butte. Dick spent all 32 years of his career in rural schools, 25 of them as a principal at Readymade School, Sunnyside School, John Davidson Elementary School in Coaldale and Huntsville School in Iron Springs.

They have also maintained close ties to the college over the years, helping to monitor Lethbridge College Students’ Association elections. They also support the Ecumenical Campus Ministry program and international students, including a homesick international student from Bolivia who became like another granddaughter to them during her two years at the college, sharing meals and holidays in their welcoming northside home.

And after almost 55 years of marriage and a near-lifetime of knowing one another, they still look at each other with love in their eyes. It may have taken a while, but when they knew, they knew.

“The first time he kissed me, I knew. It made my toes curl,” Yvonne says. “His kisses still do.”

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More Lethbridge College love stories


Melissa and Robby Findlay

This story has a very happy ending and is definitely my favourite fairy tale of all time. It starts with me in my first year of my Nursing degree. My (now) husband was in his first year of General Studies and playing basketball for the college. It was the end of our first semester and I had sat down next to a friend from my nursing class to write a final exam. Not long after I sat down, this very handsome guy came and sat down next to us. He had gone to high school with my friend and recognized her in the crowded auditorium as a familiar face to sit next to for the test. She quickly introduced us and I, despite being totally focused for the test, definitely noticed his good looks. After the test I didn’t see this guy until the next semester started in January. This time, however, it seemed that every time I turned around he was there! He even skipped class a few times to turn on the charm in the library while I was trying to study (I tried to play hard to get but his flirting was hard to ignore in the best of ways). We quickly became friends and after a few years we finally started dating. As soon as we started dating we both knew it was meant to be and we sealed the deal on Aug. 22, 2014, and have been happily married since. Thank you Lethbridge College for helping me find my best friend and love of my life.

Story submitted by Melissa Findlay (NESA 2014). Melissa now works as a Registered Nurse at the Emergency Department at the Chinook Regional Hospital, while her husband, Robby (Business Administration 2016), is finishing up his business finance degree at the University of Lethbridge with plans to go on to law school.

 

David Opinko and Manisha Sachandeven

Manisha and I first met during the fall 2013 semester of Communication Arts (now known as Digital Communications and Media). Although it certainly was not love at first sight, we became closer as classes continued, getting to work together on several projects. It was in April 2014 that she said yes, and we enjoyed our entire second year as a couple, intentionally annoying our classmates with our love as much as possible. On our second anniversary, April 4, 2016, I asked Manisha to marry me. Again, she said yes! Now approaching three years, we’re still madly in love, and we now live together in Cranbrook, B.C. Thanks to our experiences at Lethbridge College, we were able to find the loves of our lives. We’re still working to set a date for the wedding. We haven’t done a lot of travelling yet, but are planning to do part of our wedding in her native home of New Delhi, India.

Story submitted by David Opinko (Communication Arts 2015). David now works as a news reporter at the Summit 107 radio station in Cranbrook, while Manisha (Communication Arts 2015) works as a photographer and as the assistant manager at the Eclipse clothing.

 

Lisa and Tadd Childs

Tadd and I first met when we were both beginning our college life at what was then Lethbridge Community College in 2002. We were living in the college residence at the time but had not met. My roommates were taking Criminal Justice and over time had introduced me to a few of their classmates. One of these classmates (Tadd) just happened to live down the sidewalk from us. I would visit my sister in Pincher Creek most weekends but once I met the boy down the sidewalk, my visits with family started to taper. We eventually started dating. During my final practicum in 2005, Tadd proposed to me at the Old Firehall in Lethbridge. We were married in 2007 with many Lethbridge College alumni in the wedding party. I had “My College Sweetheart” inscribed around the inside of Tadd’s wedding band. We will be celebrating 10 terrific years of wedded bliss this upcoming June. We currently reside in Wetaskiwin with our three wonderful children. Tadd and I have Lethbridge College to thank, not only for educating us in our career paths and introducing us to many lifelong friendships, but most importantly being our match maker.

Story submitted by Lisa Greenwood Childs (Practical Nursing 2005). Lisa now works as a Licensed Practical Nurse at the Wetaskiwin Primary Care Network. Tadd (Criminal Justice – Policing 2004) is employed by the Alberta Solicitor General and Public Security as an Alberta Traffic Sheriff with the Wetaskiwin Integrated Traffic Unit.

 

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Even more Lethbridge College love stories


Trish Provost
(Massage Therapy 2011)
I met my hubby back in 2008 when we both received acceptance into the FNMI program. Since then we have a five-year-old and are enjoying all the new adventures and memories together!

Matt Kennedy
(Criminal Justice – Corrections 2003; Bachelor of Applied Arts – Justice Studies 2006)
I met my wife at LC back in 2005 as I was wrapping up my education and she was just beginning it.

Katelyn Guignard
(Digital Communications and Media 2016)
My husband and I met in the Digital Communications and Media program in 2014 and we got engaged after our first year and married in May of last year! We both got jobs in our field and that’s our story in a nutshell!

Martina Groeneveld Emard
(Communication Arts – Advertising and Public Relations 1993)
Duane Emard and I met in Communication Arts and started dating shortly after graduating! We’ve been together for 24 years and married for 17. Raymond Burgess met his wife in the program too!

Did you meet the love of your life at Lethbridge College? If so, we’d love to hear your story, too. Feel free to email us at WHMagazine@lethbridgecollege.ca or share on social media (@LethCollege) using the hashtag #widerhorizons. We can’t wait to hear from you.

 

Wider Horizons
Lisa Kozleski
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