Driven by a lifelong passion for choral music, Leslie (Lawhead) Imse ’80 has left a lasting impact on generations—as both a dedicated music educator and an arts administrator. As an active volunteer in Simsbury, Connecticut, and the 2024 recipient of the American Choral Directors Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, Leslie exemplifies how Westminster’s commitment to service-learning has shaped not only her professional career, but also her enduring contributions as an involved community member. 

What have you been up to since graduation? 

Professionally, over the last 42 years, I've worked as a music educator in four states; New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Michigan and Connecticut. Twenty-five of those years were spent as an Arts administrator for K-12 schools. I've also stayed involved in my community, volunteering as a Sunday School teacher with my husband, Andrew, serving on the leadership team as a community leader for the school district where two of our children attended and graduated, and continuing to serve with our local public library on the Friends of the Library board. After retiring from public schools, I was hired as a college supervisor for student teachers at Ithaca College. 

What significant life lesson did you learn at Westminster?

Westminster’s character is defined by its service learning emphasis. This tenet permeates in all aspects of the college. As a teacher, I emphasized service learning through music with my students and their families embraced it. The communities where I have taught were partners in the service learning experiences.

How would you describe the level of academics you experienced during your time at Westminster College?

The liberal arts and humanity courses prepared me intellectually as a thinker and problem solver. The music education coursework was very challenging and I loved it. I was prepared for the workforce at the age of 21 upon graduation. There was never a time that I was not the top candidate when applying for employment due to my education and experience. 

What internships or student research projects did you conduct during your time at Westminster? 

The January term was an outstanding opportunity to gain career and job experience through internships. Each J-term, I taught in a different school learning my craft with teacher mentors. One semester I also conducted the local church music program from the children’s choirs to the adult bell ringers and choirs. The active service learning community, paired with leadership opportunities all four years of school and the structured liberal arts curriculum really set me up for success in the workforce after Westminster. 

What Westminster professor influenced you the most and why?

There were many excellent professors, but several music professors went above and beyond their teaching assignments to develop each individual. Dr. Irene Sample, music education professor, was a tough cookie, but an amazing teacher and developed each student’s capacity in the classroom. Robert Perkins was our piano teacher and spent each Sunday driving a group of us to churches in the Pittsburgh area to gain performance experience in services for congregations. He would treat us to breakfast on the drive from WC to the city. I kept in touch with both of these professors. We traveled to see each other during the summer and Mr. Perkins played at my wedding.

Were you involved in any student organizations, clubs or athletic teams while you were on campus?

I was a resident assistant at Galbreath Hall and the resident director at Ferguson Hall. I was the president of The Womens’ Advisory Board. I was a teaching assistant for the sociology department and a student leader for the music team at the Chapel.

What makes the Westminster College experience unique?

The community of teachers, students and parents embraced me at WC. I was a student from Massachusetts without a car. Parents of my hall mates had me to their homes for Sunday dinners. They drove me to the airport at the holidays. I needed a car for student teaching, and my friend’s father found me an old vehicle to use. Additionally, as a first-generation college student, Westminster provided me with an increase in scholarships each year. I was a hard worker, and their compassion was overwhelming.

Connect with Leslie Imse on LinkedIn.

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