Fame, it’s said, is fleeting.

The flickering of a candle’s flame against the winds of time. Yet celebrity’s shadow can extend well beyond the life of the wick, and those shaded regard it as a blessing or a burden. Or both.

Rayna Harrison ’19 is well aware of her family tree and its links to the University of La Verne. She spent countless hours of her youth on the campus and attending school-related events with her parents, Corlan ’79 and Rob ’81, MAT ’83. Still, even to some familiar with the institution, the connection isn’t readily apparent.

At a university with 134 years of educational excellence and rich in traditions, certain names are respected, even revered. Trace back one generation along Rayna’s family lineage and everything becomes clear. Her maternal grandparents remain esteemed and treasured campus figures eight decades after their arrival in 1948.

Roland “Ort” Ortmayer spent his career at La Verne coaching, teaching, and serving as director of athletics. The Leopards head football coach for 43 years, his approach to coaching set him apart. Where victories, titles, and trophies typically measure success, he believed the player mattered more. He allowed individuals to set their own goals, seeking progress and growth rather than yards or points. He encouraged each to exceed personal expectations while striving to become the best person he or she could be.

That philosophy resonated with students on his teams and in his classes. It also appealed to fellow faculty and administrators, complimenting La Verne’s value of lifelong learning. The pursuit of knowledge and skills for self-improvement isn’t contained within a single lesson or class. It’s an enduring search for fulfillment.

Cornelia “Corni” Ortmayer, who worked 35 years as a teacher in the Bonita Unified School District, was involved in a vast array of campus activities. That included running the concession stand at football games, still known as “Corni’s Corner.”

While the “dorm parents” in Woody Hall, Ort and Corni raised three children–Susan, Corlan, and David (who tragically passed away in 1953). Decades later, Rayna would also spend time on and around campus. Understandable since her best friend while growing up was her grandfather. 

Her earliest memory of La Verne came when she attended her first football game.

“I wrote about it in my admission essay,” said Rayna. “We’d watched games on TV, but to be there on the sidelines with him, standing at the 20-yard line on the north end of the field, it was special.”

Her cousin, Beau Ortmayer ’06, was on that team. She recalls how big all the players looked in their uniforms. Her grandfather, long retired, told her everything that was happening, “explaining it in a way a five-year-old could understand,” she said. 

“To see the respect he was given by everyone, it was amazing. I have no idea who won or lost. But then that wasn’t the point.”

Athletics have long been a part of Rayna’s life. While in kindergarten, she brought home a flyer about a karate program. Her father Robb, who had previously participated in martial arts, wasn’t sure it was the best option for someone so young. He personally investigated, checking out what was being taught and how, before Rayna was allowed to join. Karate quickly became her passion and over time she advanced in status and stature, winning competitions and becoming a popular instructor.

At one point a knee injury required her to seek help from an athletic trainer. Matt Wilson, father of one of her students and now co-head trainer for Pomona-Pitzer athletics, worked with her. His assistance not only helped Rayna’s rehabilitation, it opened the door to a new world.

“He started the ball rolling in my life,” she said. “There was a Sports Athletic Training Club at Upland High School, and I immediately fell in love with it all. I knew it was what I wanted to do.”

Yet when the time came to look at colleges, Rayna didn’t set her sights on ULV. There the Ortmayer name carried weight she wasn’t sure she was ready to bear. 

She was never pressured by her parents, who allowed her to make the final decision. She considered a program in Maine, far from her Upland home. However, an unexpected invitation would change everything.

“Julie Wheeler heard from someone I wasn’t planning to come to La Verne. She asked if I’d taken a tour yet,” said Rayna. “I said I’m the last person who needs a tour. But Julie said, ‘A tour as a prospective student? That’s different.’”

Wheeler ’86, MEd ’96-at that time a ULV employee and the daughter of distinguished alumna Myrna Wheeler ’60–conducted the tour personally.

“While in the Student Center we ran into Marilyn (Oliver). I still don’t know if that was a planned meeting or not,” said Rayna.

The university’s longtime head athletic trainer and its director of athletic training education, Oliver showed her the department’s facilities. She explained how the program was academically sound and highly respected, then addressed the other issues.

“(Marilyn) helped me realize La Verne could be right for me, and not just because of my grandparents’ legacy. It was all about me and doing what I wanted to do,” said Rayna.

Early in her college life, it sometimes felt as if she was living under a microscope. Being held to a different standard by certain faculty members. 

“Believe me, the degrees of Ort are so real,” said Rayna, who now insists attending ULV was the right choice. “I tell others there is still nowhere else like La Verne.”

After earning a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training, Rayna accepted a job in South Carolina. However, things didn’t work out, and she returned home to search for a position. A friend told her about an opportunity at Concordia University Irvine.

“There was a hiring freeze on, but they could still hire grad assistants,” said Rayna, who along with her CUI colleagues received the 2021 Athletic Training Staff of the Year award from the PacWest Conference.

Earning a Master of Science in Coaching & Exercise Science from Concordia in 2022 proved a proud personal achievement. “Our family has a tremendous coaching tradition,’ she said, “yet here I am the first to get a master’s in coaching.”

Now an assistant athletic trainer, she is preparing for her sixth year with Concordia athletics and credits Head Athletic Trainer Jeff Brown for encouraging the right atmosphere. 

“It makes all the difference that the student athletes know we care about them, not just as athletes but as people. That ties into how I want to work,” said Rayna.

That work ethic includes the same approach her grandfather brought to La Verne: a belief in helping each student achieve their goals, in competition and in life.

Four years ago, Rayna worked with the men’s water polo team. She became close to the players, especially several freshmen. Last spring she attended Concordia’s commencement ceremony as those former freshmen earned degrees. One stood out, one who “wasn’t on top of things academically, so I made him do his homework while at my desk,” she said. 

“Athletic training is a job of people. You have to be good at diagnosing issues and helping them to compete at their best. But it’s also a unique place to get to know people.”

During commencement, that student’s father, who she describes as a “big burly man,” sought her out.

“He took off his sunglasses and gave me this big hug. He told me he knew the role I played in helping his son earn his degree,” she said. “So he’s crying, I’m crying and his son is crying. I loved it, and it helped me see that I made a difference.”

According to her parents, such demonstrations of appreciation happen frequently. While attending Concordia events where Rayna is working, they are approached by parents who thank them for how she supports their sons and daughters.

“That was something my dad always talked about, how sports isn’t about winning or losing but about how it helps people become a more complete person,” said Corlan. “Rayna has that ability to help these athletes.”

It’s that core belief in lifelong learning, the Ortmayer legacy, renewed and revitalized.

“That’s what my grandfather believed. To put people first; athletics is secondary,” said Rayna. “I feel like I am keeping that philosophy alive.”

Because her grandmother died not long before she was born, she has no personal memories. One Sunday at the La Verne Church of the Brethren, Corlan asked the congregation to share stories about her mom with Rayna. Many did.

“When people tell me I remind them of Ort, it’s an incredible honor,” said Rayna. “But it’s the ones who tell me I remind them of Corni. That’s a blessing. And the unbelievable legacy of the Ortmayer name is something I will always cherish.