MU| F e a t u r e s
Young alumni call North Manchester home
F
or some MU alumni, graduation
doesn’t mean a change in ZIP code.
Jody Sarber ’07 started coaching track
at Manchester High School (MHS) when
he was still a University student and he became a
mathematics teacher at MHS when he graduated.
When he and Megan Julian ’07 Sarber married in
2008, the town seemed like a good place to live and
raise a family.
Both Manchester Elementary School and
Manchester Junior-Senior High School are among
the highest-rated schools in Indiana, Jody notes,
and their quality is the single most important reason
the Sarbers are raising daughters Emersyn, 4, and
Ainsley, 2, here.
A good day care and a beautiful public library with
“tons of things” for kids to do further enrich the
girls’ learning, says Megan, manager of donor
relations at MU.
Jody and Megan were runners at MU and appreciate
the fitness vibe of North Manchester. “I feel like
this town is really active with walking and running,”
says Megan. The Sarbers keep pace, and Jody leads
a summer running club, open to everyone. “For
young kids, the parks are nice, and we go for a lot
of walks,” adds Megan. “I love that we can just walk
anywhere in town.”
Corey ’12 and Brittney Wagler ’12 Brueggeman enjoy
North Manchester’s active outdoor lifestyle too. They
left for a year after graduating – Corey to Columbus,
Ohio, and Brittney to Columbus, Ind. When Corey had
a chance to return as MU Soccer Coach Dave Good’s
assistant, it was an offer he couldn’t refuse. Corey
and Brittney married in 2014 and live less than two
blocks from campus. “We both had that small-college
experience,” says Corey. Once you’ve had that, he adds,
“You want to be around that feeling.”
People in North Manchester are “very genuine,” says
Brittney, who commutes to work in Warsaw where she
helps market knee replacement products for DePuy
Orthopaedics Inc. Their church was “really welcoming,”
she adds, and “we have a really close group of friends
here.”
Both athletes at MU, the Brueggemans enjoy walking,
running and exercising their golden retriever, Lucy.
Their families always enjoyed visiting North Manchester
when Corey and Brittney were students and now,
Brittney says, “They love knowing we’re here.” The
Brueggemans’ presence in town is also an anchor for
the many MU friends they stay in touch with. “It’s neat
that they want to come back (and visit),” says Corey.
“They miss the place.”
Megan understands. After a recent visit to her
hometown of Greenville, Ohio, she realized that she
had become more attached to North Manchester. “This
feels like home now,” she says.
By Melinda Lantz ’81
Manchester | 17