Posted: June 25, 2019
“Choral Arts gave my Lehigh career purpose and an outlet to express myself surrounded by an amazing community. It was my home and safe place.”
My name is Ellie (Woods) Kahle, and I am a Lehigh graduate, class of 2011. My time at Lehigh made me who I am today, and integral to that experience was my involvement with Lehigh University's Choral Arts and music program. Choral Arts gave my Lehigh career purpose and an outlet to express myself surrounded by an amazing community. It was my home and safe place. It created a solid foundation for my emotional and mental growth and built maturity during a crucial time in my personal development. Due the nature of Lehigh's music program, I engaged with diversity of thought and perspectives from every facet of campus. My best friends were business majors, engineers, and liberal arts majors like myself. I consider myself so lucky to have accidentally landed in such a supportive college music environment.
College is a time of growth and learning, and I found myself guided by wonderful humans who truly cared about me and my aspirations and were there to not only support and encourage me, but to push me to become better. I owe so much to my time with Lehigh Choral Arts: musical development, grounded principles, desire to lead and better, and of course lifelong friendships. Although I am not a professional musician now, I attribute my best traits to the fostering of the Lehigh music community. Lehigh music helped me to become the successful businesswoman I am today.
Ellie (Woods) Kahle (’11)