Kayla (Ziemann) Kilwein ’13 and her husband, Jesse Kilwein ’12, share a love for performing arts, community, and, most importantly, each other.
The couple’s love story began in 2010 when Kayla arrived at Dickinson State University (DSU) to pursue a degree in education, already holding a degree in opera performance with a dance minor from another university. Initially, she had no plans to participate in extracurricular activities. Then, someone encouraged her to audition for Festival on the Dorothy Stickney stage.
“I was cast as the female lead, and Jesse was cast as the male lead. Our characters, Aucassin and Nicolette, were in love,” Kayla recalled. “Pretty quickly, Jesse and I became good friends and eventually, we fell in love.” What started as an onstage romance soon blossomed into something real.
Kayla is now the volunteer executive director of the Badlands Opera Project and works full-time as the worship and music director at St. John Lutheran Church. Jesse recently started a new role as a case manager at the women’s prison in New England.
Recently, while visiting the costume department at DSU in preparation for the university’s collaboration with the Badlands Opera Project, Kayla saw something she remembered from her time on the stage. “I saw the dress I wore for the play in which we met!”
Their passion for the arts is something they now share with their two daughters, Lola and Isla, who are growing up surrounded by music and theater. “Lola grew up onstage at DSU. We would put her in her car seat and set her in the wings.”
Beyond their personal involvement in the arts, Kayla and Jesse are dedicated supporters of the fine arts at DSU. Their generosity has helped provide opportunities for future generations of performers.
From their first performance together at DSU to their ongoing dedication to music and theater, Kayla and Jesse’s love story proves that sometimes life really does imitate art.
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By: Debora Dragseth, Baker Boy Professor of Leadership | School of Business and Entrepreneurship Dickinson State University
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