Spanish Education major Elizabeth Klingler is involved on campus in roles such as president of the Latter-day Saint Student Association, ASUW’s executive director of RSO relations and dedicated student as she has come to find a home at UW.
Originally from Arizona, Klingler moved around until her family decided to settle in Laramie during her sophomore year of high school. After finishing as a Plainsman, she graduated and went on to serve an 18-month mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ecuador.
She returned to the US and attended a year at BYU-Idaho before coming back to Laramie to start her degree in Spanish Education and get involved on campus, which ultimately led to her leadership role within the LDSSA and later ASUW.
“Being president of the RSO, I felt a little bit more connected [through] participating in campus events and hosting campus events where I emphasized a lot on getting people involved in the activities that we did have through our RSO,” said Klingler. “Whereas, being an executive, I’m more aware of all the events that happen on campus, rather than just my specific RSO.”
As Klingler sought connections throughout campus and within her positions of influence in both the LDSSA and ASUW, she was also able to help others create relationships through good deeds and compassion as she went about organizing events and activities focused on inclusion and fun.
“Liz is a really good leader,” Grant Asay, business management major, said “She knows what she wants to accomplish and she’s really good at getting it done. She’s also very loving and everything she did was because she wanted to bless someone else.”
Klingler realized while returning to the swing of things in Laramie that many people feel as though there’s nothing to do. However, she made it her personal mission to increase her own involvement in the goings-on of the university so she could help people to find their place.
“Solely based through the programs that we offer, there’s tons of stuff that happens on campus that you can participate in and expand your knowledge and growth,” Klingler said. “It’s really just getting involved in the activities and events on campus that make me feel at home.”
Klingler’s involvement on campus through being president of the LDSSA was over the course of one and a half years. During that time, she felt as though it had become part of her identity and sense of belonging.
“I loved being president – it was something that kept me busy and involved,” Klingler said. “My religion is what I’m really passionate about, and I love being a part of the LDS community. Being the president of that really made me feel at home as well.”
In seeking that sense of home, Klingler also found herself seeking out her ability to relate to people through language. As a missionary in Ecuador, she had the opportunity to make connections with others through Spanish.
Klingler wishes to bridge the gap between knowing about and appreciating Latin culture, even though she isn’t personally of that descent. She hopes to do this through her path in Spanish education, which was a choice influenced by the fact that so many members of her family have become teachers and her innate love for the Spanish language.
“Every semester, I’m so excited to start another Spanish class; whether it be [in] Spanish literature or the history of Spain, I’m just excited to learn more about what makes Spanish speakers what they are,” said Klingler. “I just think their culture is so interesting, so I just want to dive into that more. That’s what I really like, just having professors specifically that push me to learn more.”
One of the influential teachers Klingler has had on campus is Associate Professor Camilo Jaramillo, who most recently had her in his Latin American literature class. His impression of her came vastly from her continued participation in his class.
“She always had comments,” Jaramillo said. “[Even] just her facial expressions were so interesting; you could tell that she was thinking and that she had opinions about it. She is no doubt one of the smartest students I’ve had in my classes. She has the personality and she has the intelligence to do anything she wants.”
As Klingler continues pursuing her degree and eventual career in the field of education, she hopes to bring an awareness of the diversity of culture and differing backgrounds in order to show others how they can participate in the community and feel at home, whether it’s on campus or not.
