Northwestern College | Classic magazine - Winter 2004-05 - Vol. 76 ...

Diane WestenbergNorthwestern ClassicFacevalueDiane WestenbergVan Peursem Hall housekeeper since 1991, mother, grandma, knitter, closet public speakerDescribe yourself in three words.Optimistic, light-hearted, content.WYSIWYG (what you see is whatyou get).What do you dream of doing?I finally got up the nerve last year to askfor summers off from this job, so I spenta lot more time with my parents. Theolder I get, the more I appreciate olderpeople. We went through photo albums,documents and all kinds of things.There are a lot of other people I wantto do that with.Describe NWC.Opportunity, greenhouse atmosphere—notjust for students, but forme too. I’ve gotten to do so manythings because I work here: speakingin chapel, serving as emcee at thespring appreciation banquet. That’s ledto speaking opportunities at mychurch.What is your uniqueperspective on NWC?I sometimes call myself NorthwesternCollege’s bartender because bartendersdo a lot of listening. Students, facultyand staff all feel free to say things tome that they might not say to someoneelse. I usually get all sides of a story.What one thing would you changeabout NWC?I wish people would give others thebenefit of the doubt more often.Who is your favorite person?My husband—because it’s like I can’tbe me without him. He’s the mostunselfish person I’ve ever come across.What do you value?Other than the fact that I always wantedto be a mom, there was nothingelse that interested me enough to putmy energy toward one focus. Being aparent has always been my first love. It’salmost finished since the last one is ajunior in college and getting marriednext summer. But I was reminded bymy mother recently that you never stopbeing a parent.I’d just like to say …I’ve had a very blessed life. My parentshave been married almost 60 years, andI had a wonderful childhood. My maternalgrandmother lived to be 101; shehad over 250 descendents. She prayedfor me every day, and I didn’t realizehow huge that was until she was gone.She lived through things I won’t everhave to live through, but she kept herfaith and was more of an example to methan I knew at the time. I want to bethat person for my grandchildren.9 ▲ Winter 2004-05