Graduating seniors (left-right) Tirzah Schmickle, Wyatt Michaels, and Aimee Zarder found calling and friendship in the CUW theatre program. Inside Todd Wehr Auditorium, the stage lights illuminate scripts in hand, music echoing through the space, and students move through scenes in preparation for opening night.
These are the moments when performance, production, and creativity merge in anticipation of the rise of the curtain. However, something even deeper takes shape as well, especially for graduating seniors Aimee Zarder, Tirzah Schmickle, and Wyatt Michaels. For them, these experiences have been about a sense of calling, vocation, and the gift of friendship.
“We met almost immediately,” Aimee said of her friends Tirzah and Wyatt. “And then through the classes, since everyone takes many of the same classes, we just become very tight-knit.”
Over time, those shared experiences create something deeper.
Different Paths, Shared Passion
For Tirzah and Wyatt, that connection began even before Concordia. Both were homeschooled and participated in a homeschool theatre group, where they performed together prior to college.
Each student entered Concordia with a passion for the arts, but their understanding of that passion evolved during their time on campus.
“When I was in high school, I loved music, and I thought, ‘I’ll just teach,’” Tirzah said. “And then as I got in college, performing is more where my passion is. After a lot of prayer and thought, I just realized like performance is part of what I want my vocation to be.”
Developing Their Craft
Tirzah is a voice major who also plays violin, piano, and guitar, and performs locally with her band, Letters to the King.
Wyatt has immersed himself fully in Concordia’s theatre program, performing in every production during his time on campus while also directing and gaining professional experience outside the university. He described a similar sense of clarity, shaped by his experiences in the program.
“The more I did productions and classes, I realized I really want this to be what I do for the rest of my life,” he said.
Taking the Stage
For Aimee, a theater and communication arts double major, the journey has connected multiple creative interests. Her work spans acting, dance, and music—she writes original songs, organizes concerts, and is already planning a Midwest tour.
“I kind of grew up surrounded by the arts and trying a bunch of different forms of it,” she said. “And it wasn’t until middle school or high school that I started trying theater.”
At Concordia, that interest deepened and connected with other creative pursuits. More recently, that has extended into original music and live performance.
“My first concert, walking out onto the stage and seeing way more people than I thought would be there, and people knowing the words to things that I created in my bedroom, is like nothing I’ve experienced,” Aimee said.
Defining Moments
Moments like these, both in and beyond the classroom, have helped each student recognize a sense of direction.
For Tirzah, one of those moments came in a directing class.
“I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t do this,’” she said. “But then I did it, and that’s kind of when I was like, this is what I want to do.”
Wyatt, a theater major, pointed to experiences both on stage and in the classroom that helped shape his direction. Performing as Sherlock Holmes in Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery challenged him to step into an iconic role and connect with live audiences, including packed student matinees. But it was an earlier moment that first set the tone.
“I think for me it was probably our first Acting 1 class,” he said. “The more the semester went on, the more I was like, wow, this is like really what I enjoy.”
Among their shared experiences, one production stands out.
All three pointed to a student-led show from last February, Where the Light Gets In, a student production co-directed by Aimee and Wyatt which explored how people experience and overcome hardship. Using three distinct characters representing sadness, anger, and hope, the production told a story of resilience, recovery, and the transformation that can emerge from life’s most difficult moments.
“It was really fun to create something with one of my best friends, and then to see the impact that it had on the people who saw it,” Aimee said.
A Deep Friendship
That connection extends beyond the stage. The three have spent countless hours together outside of rehearsals, including traveling to concerts, which has become a shared ritual and creative outlet.
“I go to maybe 30 a year,” Aimee said with a laugh
Whether staying local or driving farther for a favorite artist, the group has made a habit of turning concerts into moments of connection, experiencing live performance not just as audience members, but as artists learning from the energy, storytelling, and craft unfolding in front of them. For Aimee, one standout was seeing Gracie Abrams, an artist whose songwriting and performance style resonate deeply with her own creative work.
Carrying Confidence Forward
That willingness to step outside of comfort zones is something each of them now carries forward.
“Don’t be afraid to fail,” Tirzah said. “Failure is just an opportunity to see a new perspective of how you can grow.”
As graduation arrives, their next steps are taking shape.
Tirzah plans to teach theater and music in homeschool programs while continuing to perform with her band. Wyatt hopes to work in local theatre and eventually pursue graduate study. Aimee plans to continue performing, teaching dance, and developing original work, with longer-term plans to move and expand her opportunities.
For these three graduates, Concordia’s theatre program has been a place to grow, to take risks, and to discover what it means to pursue both passion and purpose.
“I’ve really learned about having theater as a vocation and a calling and how like I can use that calling that I have to create my entire career, and find ways to serve the Lord through that,” Wyatt said.
This is one in a series of stories highlighting a few Concordia’s uncommon graduates. Faculty and staff submit candidates for consideration. Stories are posted in the days leading up to or after commencement. View more uncommon graduates here.
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