Senior Spotlight: Meredith Sundberg

Meredith Sundberg is a senior at Northwestern from Kearney, NE and has a double major in elementary education with a reading dndorsement and music education with a performance emphasis. She has been heavily involved in both departments. With the education department, she has completed over 200 hours of practicum in schools. In the music department, she has performed with the Symphonic Band, Jazz Band, Orchestra and Women’s Choir.  

Some fun facts about Sundberg are that she has a black lab that has its own Instagram page, she often gives shoutouts to her roommate Olivia Hartlep on social media, and, as of this year, she has her younger sister, Tabitha, attending NW alongside her. 

Outside of regular NW music involvement, Sundberg has been a part of Orientation Staff, shared her testimony during P&W, participated in the Honors program, played in the pit orchestra for Sioux Center Arts production of “Annie”, played in the pit orchestra for NW’s productions of “Matilda the Musical” and “1776” (where she also gets to play the character Judge Wilson), been on the Greece SSA with the Honors Program and gone on several band tours to places around the midwest, as well as an international tour last year to Italy.  

A highlight of having a major in the music department is that Sundberg had the opportunity to perform in a student recital, and unlike other students, Sundberg got to do two! She performed with Angel Skippings on Feb. 22, 2025, and then the next fall on her own for her senior recital on Oct. 12, 2025. Both of these performances were on her clarinet. One of the pieces that she played during her fall recital was 21 minutes long. Sundberg shared in another article earlier in the year that “I want to include music in my classroom, even if I’m not teaching a music class. I will also never stop playing the clarinet.” 

When she first came to NW, Sundberg was solely an Elementary Education major with a music minor. However, she loved all the music classes that she took and wanted to keep learning more, so to her it just made sense to make it count toward a Music Education major as well. 

“Throughout my time at NW, I have learned to find joy in the little moments and to not wish the time away. I have also learned to take the opportunities available to you because who knows when you will get that chance again. God has only given you one life.” 

Sundberg’s favorite part about NW is being part of the Symphonic Band. To her, the band really becomes a family throughout the year as they go through life together and  end up with all kinds of  inside jokes. 

Sundberg would also like to give a faculty shoutout to the director of the band, Dr Angela Carlson: “She is amazing in so many ways, but ultimately it is inspiring how she leans on God no matter what she does and sees Him in everything. We could be talking about anything, but God will still be in the conversation with her, as He should be.” 

One unique thing about Sunberg’s experience at college is getting to share time at NW with her younger sister, Tabitha. 

When Tabitha was asked what it is like going to school with her sister, she replied, “I would say that attending the same school as my sister has been a very enlightening experience. I have been able to see just how hard she works and just how much she puts her mind to everything she is passionate about. I have also been able to witness the way her life has touched so many people around her, and the way her love for Christ has impacted the way she lives day-to-day. I am sad to see her go with graduation coming up, but I also know she has been working towards that day for many years.” 

During her time at NW, Sundberg has grown the most in her relationship with the Lord. She has learned to “lean on Him for everything and with whatever I do, give Him all the glory.” 

After college, Sundberg aims to find a general elementary teaching job somewhere in Iowa. She explains, “I don’t know where I will end up quite yet, but I truly want to be where God wants me to be.”