Matt Strosnider ’09, ’10 and Kara Edmonson-Stronsider ’10, ’11 came to Shenandoah’s Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Buisness as high school sweethearts. With February being the month when thoughts turn to love, hearts, and Valentine’s Day, we thought it would be wonderful to share the story of their love, which only grew during their studies.
Q: Where are you from? And, where/how did you and Matt meet?
Kara: Matt and I are both from Frederick County, Virginia – Matt growing up in Armel and me in Stephens City. Matt and I met in the 10th grade through choir and world history. But, it wasn’t until October of our senior year that Matt and I started dating.
Interestingly, I attended a preschool called Strawberry Patch that was operated out of the owner’s home. She happened to live beside Matt’s grandparents. Little did I know that the boys I would wave at when we went for walks during preschool would eventually be my future husband and brother-in-law.
Q: When/where did you get married? Spend your honeymoon?
Kara: Matt and I were married on June 15, 2013 at Reliance United Methodist Church in Reliance, Virginia. This is the church Matt attended growing up and is also the church where Matt’s parents and grandparents were married. Matt and I honeymooned in Orlando, Florida and made sure to include a visit to Universal Studios and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Q: Do you have a funny or significant story about your relationship?
Kara: There are probably too many to count!
Our first date was pretty interesting. I had taken the SATs that morning and after attending a football game with friends, Matt and I decided we would meet up at the Apple Blossom Mall and see a movie. I remember Matt saying “Let’s meet at the entrance of the food court.” Matt remembers saying “Let’s meet at the big clock in the food court.” We both spent about 30 minutes at opposite ends of the food court, thinking we had each been stood up. Thankfully we saw each other just before Matt was getting ready to leave.
Two days before our wedding, attempting to set up at the church, I pulled my toenail off. Matt and I spent the evening at Urgent Care and I had to find a pair of sandals to wear with my wedding dress.
Q: How did you decide to attend Shenandoah? And, how did you decide to pursue business degrees?
Kara: I decided to attend Shenandoah when I was finishing up my associate’s degree at Lord Fairfax Community College. I visited Shenandoah with other Lord Fairfax students interested in transferring to Shenandoah, but I was the only one with an interest in business. I talked to Miles Davis [Ph.D.] (a professor at the time, now dean of the business school) and a current student. I was already headed down the business track, so it just made sense to continue in that field for my bachelor’s degree. It wasn’t until summer orientation that I started considering accounting.
Matt: I love the Shenandoah Valley and am proud to call it my home. Not having to leave home was a real plus when looking at prospective schools. The Byrd School of Business is also one of the few schools in the country to have AACSB International accreditation. I also wanted to be a student in a classroom, not a number. Shenandoah University’s smaller class sizes were much more comfortable for me.
Q: What is the most meaningful experience you had – either individually or as a couple – as an undergraduate at Shenandoah?
Kara: One of my most memorable experiences was during summer orientation. The late Associate Dean and Professor of Accounting Mark Tyree, Ed.D. & CPA had reviewed my transcripts and specifically sought me out to discuss the accounting focus with me. While it took me some time to decide that accounting would be my path, I will forever be thankful to Dr. Tyree for seeking me out. That experience solidified for me that Shenandoah was the right choice – I wasn’t just a number and the faculty actually takes an interest in you personally.
When I was in graduate school at Shenandoah and Matt in his senior year of his undergraduate, I participated in a two week GEL (Global Experiential Learning) trip to Oxford, England. That was an awesome experience, but it helped me realize how important Matt is to me and how much I love experiencing life with him by my side.
Q: What do you remember most about the business school’s faculty members?
Kara: I really liked the majority of my professors in the business school at Shenandoah.
Dr. Tyree had a unique teaching style and to this day I still find myself repeating some of his key phrases like “Let’s back up and punt.” Dr. Tyree had a passion for music, something that Matt and I greatly appreciated about him. He also had good taste in pizza as we would often see him and his wife at the Italian Touch in Middletown.
I really enjoyed the teaching style of Associate Professor and Director of Internships Giles Jackson, Ph.D., and his approach to teaching a course using literature (as opposed to a traditional textbook) and journaling in response to what you have read. I had the opportunity to work with Dr. Jackson on one of his personal research projects, an experience I will never forget.
Matt: All of my professors knew my name. Not only that, but they got to know my personality and the kind of person I was. My professors knew me.
Q: How long have you played music? How long have you had your band, “Kara & The Wayfarers”? What kind of music do you play? Where do you gig?
Kara: Matt and I have always had music in our lives. Both of our families are musically inclined and it was just something we grew up around. We met because of our mutual love for music. Matt and I first started playing together in the local band Crosswinds during 2011 and continue with that band today. See our website and Facebook page for more information: www.facebook.com/CrosswindsBand and www.crosswinds.fourfour.com (which includes a promo video). We have played at local Moose Lodges, Winchester’s Downtown Tailgate and Piccadilly’s Public House.
Kara & The Wayfarers formed around April 2014 and consists of me, Matt and Matt’s identical twin brother Jason. Matt plays bass guitar and his brother (also a graduate of the business school) plays guitar. We are an acoustic group performing mostly prime and modern country, but we also do some 90’s alternative rock. We play in the Winchester area, at both public and private events. Our gigs have included IJ Canns Restaurant in Creekside Station shopping center, opening for Film Club 3.0 movies at the Alamo Drafthouse and the Discovery Museum’s Carnival.