Like a true teacher, Carol Bleifield came prepared for her Rotary Club classification talk. She presented a video of herself, “Why Me, Why Waunakee, and Why Rotary,” for the March 25 Zoom meeting.

Carol is from central Illinois.  She grew up on a small farm without electricity or running water, and always had a deep interest in art. In high school, her career plans were influenced by Sputnik. The Russians had developed the first mission to the moon, resulting in new interest in the United States to develop math and science programs.

Carol attended the University of Illinois to study architectural engineering. She was one of six women in a program with 600 men.

She realized that being a woman in a male-dominated field would be a challenge and instead completed her degree in art education.

Carol met her husband-to-be in the architectural engineering program, and he was hired at Marshall Erdman in Madison. In 1972, the couple and their children moved to Waunakee after Marshall Erdman had opened its Waunakee location. In 1974, Carol was hired as an art teacher with the Waunakee Community School District. The community was much smaller then with many more students from farm families.

Carol earned a second degree in counseling, and throughout her career, served the district as an art teacher, a school counselor and a mentor for teachers. She received a Herb Kohl Fellowship, and in 1999, was named the Wisconsin Student Services Teacher of the year.

She taught more than 3,000 Waunakee students and today frequently has 60-year-olds coming up to her to ask if she remembers them.

Carol has also served the community as a volunteer and leader, including as president of Madison Children’s Theater and other with other organizations.

She and her husband Dave chaired First Presbyterian Church’s capital campaign. She has also volunteered with the Waunakee Neighborhood Connection, leading its Christmas Meal Program, and has been involved with Food for Kidz. Carol traveled to Haiti, staying at the orphanage and school that receives some of the food packaged at that event.

She is now president of the Friends of Schumacher Farm, and showed a video created by local resident Roger Bindl about its walking paths, farm machinery, chickens and all there is to do there.

Over the years, Bleifield said she has developed a love for what Waunakee was but also what the growing community is today. Though she lives in Westport, she works out at the Village Center, uses the Waunakee Post Office, and considers the village home.

She joined Rotary because she’s seen the club’s work and the committed volunteers.

“The question is, why not Rotary sooner?” Carol said.

 

Other news:

-Jim Kattner said enough volunteers are signed up for Saturday morning’s Easter Bunny drive-through event at Ripp Park. He is trying to arrange pop-up tents for volunteers to stay dry in the rain. If you have one, bring it. Also, you might want to bring a chair.

-Todd Schmidt reported that the Community Learning project starts April 30. About 130 people have signed up, including club president Tom Kennedy, who will be a small group facilitator.

 

Birthdays: April 1, Ken Pesik; April 2, Lisa Humenik; April 2, Dan Evans; April 4, Ray Statz; April 7, Connie Blau; April 7, Ross Mauer.

 

Anniversaries: None

 

To view the Zoom meeting, visit: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/-4BY7XCIsyOVZbL3gYgELWgtEziAWBPx-ld8r8GFbVTqhTh_A92H5txS4pC0_B1i.9aQhotBr5reowOSU
Passcode: r#z27fEC