MEET DR. CARLA KORETSKY

From performing as lead violinist of the Wheeling High School orchestra to pursuing a career that eventually led her to a position as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Western Michigan University, Dr. Carla Koretsky has embodied the spirit of District 214.

Her combined passion for music and earth studies led her to achieve unprecedented accomplishments, and that success grew out of her initial years at Wheeling, where teachers and fellow students fostered her future career as an educator and influencer.

As a result, Carla, along with other alumni from Wheeling's Class of 1989, has created a campaign to give back to current students. Here, she reflects on what brought her to her position at Western Michigan University and her plans for the “30 for 30th” campaign.

Describe your involvement as a student at Wheeling High School.

I played the violin in orchestra for four years, and was in Strolling Strings for three years. I also was in the District 214 orchestra for two years and played in the pit orchestra for a couple of musical theater productions.

How did your experiences from Wheeling shape your college career?

I was interested in chemistry from my terrific experiences with Mr. “Fish” Fischbach and Mr. Bauder, who taught an amazing AP chemistry course. They definitely influenced my choice of major and also my career, which has been in geochemistry (chemistry applied to earth/environmental systems).

Describe your path to becoming a professor and a Dean of Arts and Sciences.

After I completed my Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins, I moved to Atlanta to take a postdoctoral position at Georgia Tech. I worked there for about three years, doing research in salt marsh systems off the coast of Georgia. Two years ago, I took a position as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Western Michigan, home to 26 departments in the humanities, social sciences and sciences. We have about 5,000 undergraduate and 1,000 graduate students enrolled.

Tell us about your plans for the $30K for 30th Reunion campaign.

Several members of the Class of ’89 have talked about making a gift for a long time, and I think now the time is right. Many of us had an exceptional experience at Wheeling High School, both in and out of the classroom, and many have had very successful careers. We want to give back now and help other students have the means to get the same education and experience we did. We are in a ‘quiet’ phase now, looking for a few alumni from our class to pledge matching funds for the campaign. Once we have that in place, we will do our best through social networks to raise the $30K needed for an endowment before our 30th reunion this coming fall.

I am really looking forward to fully launching the campaign!

How do you hope this endowment will impact the students of District 214?

We are writing an agreement through the District 214 Education Foundation dictating that the funds be used to support things like Advanced Placement test fees as well as costs associated with participation on co-curricular/extracurricular activities like music, theater, athletics, Science Olympiad and other student groups that were such an important part of our experience. My AP classes were exceptional, and I was happy to see that the Education Foundation is paying for AP test fees for students with financial need. From my work as a higher education administrator, I know how expensive college is and how much having AP credit can help undergraduate students to complete their degrees more quickly and at less expense. I don’t want an AP test fee to be a barrier for any student who has worked hard and gained the skills.

The District 214 Education Foundation, www.214foundation.org, empowers giving from alumni, individuals and corporations in ways that will fund the future for our current students. To learn more or discuss opportunities to give, visit the website or email michael.happ@d214.org.