Mariann Fant & Josh Ratel-Khan 

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One year after moving to Decorah, Iowa, Mariann Fant and Josh Ratel-Khan faced a choice: Leave for a new job opportunity in Fayetteville, North Carolina, or stay and keep building the unexpected community that had begun to blossom for them in Northeast Iowa.

The choice was supposed to be easy. Fayetteville is a bigger city, located tantalizingly near beaches and mountains. They both submitted resignations to their employers – Northeast Iowa Community College and Luther College – and prepared to move. 

But then, they couldn’t say goodbye. Their heartstrings were truly attached to this community.

“In a way, it was like I actually chose Decorah that time,” Mariann says, as opposed to her job prompting the original move to the area. “I have a purpose here, and I have things to do here, and people I want to know better.” 

She and Josh halted their moving plans. And amazingly, they got their jobs back! 

Local Connection

Indiana natives, Mariann and Josh met through the speech team at Ball State University. After they finished their bachelor’s degrees in communication studies, they moved to New York to earn master’s degrees in communication and rhetorical studies at Syracuse University. Next, they were set to spend a year in Colombia, South America, thanks to Josh’s Fulbright Award for teaching English. But it was 2020, and the COVID pandemic closed the Fulbright program for the year.

They were in a desperate search for jobs when Mariann got an offer to teach communications at Northeast Iowa Community College in Calmar, Iowa. She liked the idea of working at a college that supported a wide variety of students. “I had become disillusioned with what I call ‘capital A Academia,’” she says. “It sometimes felt disconnected from the average person. What I like about community college is that it feels more practical.” 

The rural, small-town location made them a bit wary, but a person on her interview committee mentioned nearby Decorah, saying, “There’s a farmers market and art and hiking.” With time on their lease running out, Mariann accepted the NICC position. Josh landed a job with Luther College’s Center for Intercultural Engagement and Support. They headed west to Decorah. 

“I’m someone who likes to learn new things, experience new things. I was not sure I would be able to have that in a small town,” says Mariann. Josh also felt some nerves about moving to a more rural community. “Especially being a trans person, I was nervous about if I could be out and open about my identity,” he says. “But seeing the organizations and community groups that existed, and meeting various people really helped me feel safe and secure, able to be my true self.” 

They connected with like-minded people through Decorah Pride and Collective Action for Racial Equity. Josh was able to be out at his job and share his experiences as a trans person. They joined an abolitionist book club and took a class at ArtHaus, Decorah’s local artists’ hub. They visited the Decorah Zen Center and the Ryumonji Zen Monastery. They attended a pro wrestling event at Pulpit Rock Brewery. They discovered the hiking trails and learned about the nature that surrounded them. And they found they loved their students and colleagues at NICC and Luther. 

Giving Back

Soon, they started volunteering and serving in community leadership. Josh served on the Pride Planning Committee and the Decorah Human Rights Commission. He gave presentations on LGBTQ history and pronoun training. Because of his love of teaching, he joined the NICC instructional staff. 

In the past year, he also founded a new grassroots advocacy organization, Decorah Community for Immigrant Rights. “The group has been amazing,” Josh says. “It’s been really wonderful to see different people in the community get involved and grow together as people and as a group. So many different ages and backgrounds are involved. I don’t think that we would have crossed paths outside of this work.” 

Mariann is an avid artist, and she quickly moved from volunteering at ArtHaus to joining the board for two terms, most recently becoming its president. “Longevity in a volunteer role like that is hard, but can be really valuable for a nonprofit organization,” she says. “Just being able to see how the ArtHaus organization has evolved so much has been really cool.” 

Mariann has been a central figure in organizing the ArtHaus drag show fundraisers, held during the Decorah Pride Festivals. “That has been one of my biggest joys, because it coalesces a lot of my passions together,” she says. “I get to do artsy things, queer things, and have my whole community support it. Every drag show feels like this really special moment where I see all my community members supporting this event, which always sells out. It made me think, yeah, my people are here, and I can do things that I’m passionate about and they are appreciated. And it benefits ArtHaus, which is a great organization.”

For Mariann and Josh, their careers are another outlet for building community. “Teaching communication, and especially public speaking; that’s an important skill. Honestly, it’s mostly about building your confidence. So, I’m teaching my students how to build their confidence,” says Mariann. “A majority of our students are from farming backgrounds, and I’ve learned so much from them, too.” 

“I think relationships are key to teaching, and I think it’s key to everything that we have done,” Josh continues, “Getting to know people, listening to them, hearing their stories, their perspectives and backgrounds has really been transformational.”  

Embraced by Love

Speaking of relationships, Josh and Mariann’s love story has flourished in Decorah, too, in a way that has benefited not just them but the entire community.  

“What is very memorable about my first Decorah Pride [in 2021] is that I proposed to Mariann on stage, in front of the community,” says Josh. “That was really awesome to be able to do. It’s great to hear the impact that it’s made on other people too. I still have people come up to me and say, ‘Oh, you’re that guy who proposed at Pride, right?’ It was really special to be able to just proclaim and share our love story in this community, and it was so welcoming.” 

They were married in September 2025 at the Decorah Community Prairie and wore their wedding outfits again when they served as the 2025 Grand Marshals of the Decorah Pride Parade. 

Laura Barlament

Laura Barlament moved to Decorah in 2020 to work for Luther College and, like Josh and Mariann, found ways to get involved in the community — for example, volunteering for Good Shepherd Lutheran Church’s krumkake fundraiser at Nordic Fest. 

Learn More

• Mariann’s Balloon Art: Mariann has a business, Twisted by Mariann (find her on Facebook), making balloon art for fairs, festivals, birthdays, local businesses, etc.  
• Join the Festivities: The 2026 Decorah Pride Festival is October 6-10. Check decorahpride.org for complete details. 
• Learn more about ArtHaus at arthausdecorah.org