Bellevue Alumni Association - Alumni Spotlight:

Adam Reimer, Bellevue West Class of 1998

Q: What was your most memorable experience in high school?

A: Probably being in marching band my Sophomore year. It was the first time West came in first at the big Omaha Competition, and it was cool being a part of history. Plus, I convinced Mr. Braasch to shave his mustache as part of the victory.

Q: Tell us about a teacher, coach, or staff member who significantly impacted you

A: So many. Obviously, for me, Mr. Reimer and Mr. Braasch are huge impacts because I continued my career in music based off of the experiences they shared with me. But I always come back to my math teachers being great influences. Mr. Willet, Mr. Coker, and Dr. Bob. Math isn't a subject that I feel connected to, but they made it accessible.

Q: What activities, clubs, or sports were you involved in during high school, and how did they influence your path after graduation?

A: Anything in the arts. Choir, Show Choir, Madrigal Choir, Concert Band, Marching Band, Jazz Band, Theatre. Looking back on it, I wish I would have taken shop at least once. But I have now been teaching vocal music for over twenty years, so I guess it makes sense.

Q: What do you do for a living?

A: I am one of the vocal music teachers at Bellevue West High School. I lead or help teach the 8 choirs we have at West, as well as serve as music director for our Spring musical. I always loved singing and performing, so music was a natural direction for me. However, I discovered that teaching others to do it was so much more rewarding for me. A high school teacher gets the kids at a great time in their lives. I get to watch them grow up from Freshmen to Seniors, and being a small part in their journey is really special.

Q: What has been your proudest achievement since graduating from high school?

A: Being a husband and a father of four. My family is pretty amazing. I also completely remodeled my house based off of what I learned from YouTube, and I still have all ten fingers. So that's pretty great. As for my job, the fact that the students still want to learn and work as hard as they do is pretty neat. Kids get labeled as lazy, addicted to their phones, and anti-social. While that is partly true, they still want to be good at things. The students in my class work just as hard today as they did when I started here 20 years ago.

Q: Tell us about your family.

A: I have been married to Stacy (Vogelsang) Reimer for 22 years, and we have four boys. Owen is a Junior at UNL, hoping to be an English teacher. Joe is a freshman music education major at Doane University. Charlie is a Sophomore at West, and Henry is an 8th grader at Lewis and Clark.

Q: What advice would you give to current students in Bellevue who are trying to figure out their future paths?

A: You have to work your entire life. You might as well do something that you enjoy. Find what makes your heart happy, and then figure out how to get paid to do it.

Adam's Favorites...

Movie: The Princess Bride or Fast Five

Book: Of Mice and Men (Steinbeck) or Black Matter (Blake Crouch)

Song: Impossible to say - Too many good ones.

Food: Pizza

Bellevue Restaurants or Businesses: Remember the Hinky Dinky? I loved that place. Also, Winchell's Donuts. But Stella's has to be the number one answer.