The Vanderzees: waiting to launch

Photo by: Henoc Kivuye

 

Oklahoma Christian University alumni Brett and Laura Vanderzee both agree the university’s community has played a vital role in their lives thus far.

“I feel like I owe OC a lot,” Brett Vanderzee said. “I found my wife here. I got a degree and I had some fantastic experiences here. Doors were opened to give me my first job, and OC helped support my first album. It’ll always hold a special place in our lives.”

Laura Vanderzee, resident director for Phase 6, shared her husband’s sentiments as she reflected on their involvement with Oklahoma Christian and the surrounding community.

“I never thought I would come to OC, so when I ended up here it was totally God’s doing,” Laura Vanderzee said. “It provided a lot of opportunities: in our degrees, in music, making friends and finding each other. We’ve made some of our best friends here, along with professors and staff members that we feel care deeply for us – and we feel the same way about them.”

Rebecca Briley, associate professor of English at Oklahoma Christian, admitted she has a tendency to rave about Brett and Laura not only for their individual contributions, but also for their chemistry as a couple.

“The Valentine Cabaret was the first time I was able to put name and place and situation together,” Briley said. “I saw them actually performing together and thought yes, they do really belong to each other.”

Students who have worked alongside the Vanderzees remain emphatic about how well the two perform together.

“Their stage presence is really cool,” senior Lauren Wheeler said. “They feed off of each other’s energy really well; even the dynamics in their voices match when they’re performing together.”

The couple’s presence on stage is a large part of what makes one of their performances memorable, according to senior Megan Helterbrand.

“They complete each other on stage,” Helterbrand said. “Being a performer, sometimes it’s hard to work with other people. But when you find that certain person you mesh with, the whole performing experience becomes more meaningful because you’re sharing it with someone.”

Since graduating in 2012, the Vanderzees have continued to perform together. They stayed in the Edmond area while pursuing their individual talents in a way that prepares them for what Laura calls their eventual launch.

“OC has been really good to us,” Laura Vanderzee said. “We’ll launch one of these days, but for now, we’re here.”

Laura runs her own photography business. Her official photography website, www.lauravanderzeephotography.com, launched on Jan. 15. Brett Vanderzee is pursuing his master’s in theology and is the worship minister at Quail Springs Church of Christ.

“We could see God’s fingerprints all over the job,” Brett Vanderzee said. “It’s turned out to be a great blessing.”

Brett Vanderzee’s work with the Quail Springs community has had just as much of an impact as his efforts within the Oklahoma Christian community.

“The contributions Brett has made as a worship leader, both a capella and instrumentally, have shown the best example of what it’s like to … show that we’re in this together,” Briley said. “It doesn’t matter whether you have an instrument or not.”

Helterbrand, a member at the Quail Springs Church of Christ, recalls the church’s rough years prior to the Vanderzee’s involvement with the rebuilding process.

“Brett brought a breath of fresh air into Quail,” Helterbrand said. “It came alive in a different way, and it’s still building, but he and Laura came in with this new perspective, with all this warmth and light and a welcoming spirit.”

Although the Vanderzees seem content with their extended time in the community, they are excited about future possibilities.

“I don’t think either of us is settled on staying here forever,” Brett Vanderzee said. “Both of us want to travel and live in other places; do other things.”

Their shared talent for music has an impact on their future plans.

“We romanticize Colorado and Nashville for the music industry,” Laura Vanderzee said. “I think what would pull us would be an opportunity of sorts with music or jobs, or both.”

While Brett Vanderzee admits he never expected to pursue worship ministry as a career path, he notes that their faith and trust in God have been a major factor in the decision-making process.

“I could just ramble on about how much good it does my heart to see how they both let the Lord work in their lives,” Briley said. “It’s a beautiful thing and they’re such a great example for all of us.”

Students said Brett and Laura Vanderzee have been a steady inspiration.

“Their love for the Lord is so evident in their relationship, as well as in the way they live their lives,” Helterbrand said. “They’re two of the most selfless people I have ever met.”

According to the Vanderzees, their relationship with Oklahoma Christian goes both ways.

“We’re grateful and content to be still at OC and part of the community,” Laura Vanderzee said. “We feel encouraged and equipped to move on. We are excited for what’s to come.”