The Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics held a year-end celebration on April 21 in honor of the graduation of more than 40 affiliated students who will be earning their degrees from Iowa State University in May, August or December 2015.
Students attending the dinner held at the Memorial Union were Legacy of Heroines scholars, Catt Center student interns and students enrolled in the leadership studies program.
“Our group of graduating seniors gets larger every year as the number of students associated with the Catt Center continues to rapidly grow and set new records,” said center director Dianne Bystrom. “We’ve had great stability with our Legacy of Heroines program and the number of students enrolled in the leadership studies program continues to grow. We also have been able to provide more ways for students to become involved.”
Over the 2014-2015 academic year, the Catt Center has added the Stanley Global Leaders scholarship program, the global leadership study abroad program, the Vermeer International Leadership Program and the leadership studies minor.
Cathann Kress was the keynote speaker, focusing on leaders in and from Iowa.
Cathann Kress, Iowa State’s vice president of Extension and Outreach, was the guest speaker for the event. Her remarks focused on Iowa’s legacy of having forward-thinking leaders and innovators and how graduating seniors can continue that legacy within their own leadership roles.
Other special guests in attendance were Beate Schmittmann, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Pamela Anthony, dean of students.
To conclude the celebration, seniors graduating in May, August and December 2015 were called to the front of the room to receive a gift from center staff while their future plans were shared with dinner guests. Those plans are as follows:
Alexandra Ames
Originally from Libertyville, Illinois, Ames graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in communication studies and a certificate in community leadership and public service. She was involved with the Salt Company during her time at Iowa State and will attend Loyola University in Chicago for graduate
studies.
Christina Anderson
Anderson earned her certificate in community leadership and public service in addition to her degrees in industrial design and apparel merchandising in May. Originally from Grand Island, Nebraska, Anderson intends on establishing a career that allows her to be creative.
Shreya Bhardwaj
Bhardwaj will graduate in December with degrees in communication studies, women’s and gender studies, and economics. She will also earn her certificate in
leadership studies. Bhardwaj was an Elizabeth Hoffman and Brian R. Binger Legacy of Heroines scholar this past year. She is from Mumbai, India, and plans
to attend graduate school to study public policy.
Jamie Chamberlain
Chamberlain graduated in May with degrees in marketing and management and a certificate in community leadership and public service. She will begin her
career in Muscatine, Iowa, where she will work as a sales and marketing specialist at the HON Company in the sales and business leadership development
program. Chamberlain is from Oakdale, Minnesota.
Megan DeDoncker
DeDoncker graduated in May 2015 with a degree in political science. Originally from Urbandale, Iowa, she worked as the Alice and Sharon Rodine intern at
the Catt Center throughout the 2014-2015 school year. After graduation, DeDoncker will take a year off to study for the LSAT and apply for law school.
Dom Diambri
Diambri is from Libertyville, Illinois, and majored in civil and environmental engineering. He also earned his certificate in community leadership and
public service. After graduating in May, Diambri will move to Louisville, Kentucky, to begin his career as a project engineer for the Walsh Group.
Ashley Fall
Fall graduated in May with a degree in marketing, a minor in finance and her certificate in community leadership and public service. She is from Hudson,
Wisconsin, and will be moving to Bentonville, Arkansas, to start her full-time job as a sales trainee for Hormel Foods Company.
Jessica Florac
Florac is from Verona, Wisconsin, and will graduate in December 2015 with her degree in event management, minor in sports and recreation, and certificate
in leadership studies.
Elizabeth Hagan
Hagan, a Katherine Bruntlett Annin Legacy of Heroines Scholar since 2012, graduated in May with degrees in family and consumer sciences and communications.
Originally from Bayard, Iowa, Hagan will attend the University of Northern Iowa to earn a master’s in education psychology and school psychology.
Antonia Hutzell
Hutzell, hailing from Grimes, Iowa, graduated in May with a degree in communication studies and certificate in community leadership and public service.
Hutzell plans to move to California and pursue a career in public relations.
Presha Kardile
Kardile will graduate in August with a degree in management and minors in finance and leadership studies. She was recognized on the 2015 Women Impacting ISU
calendar. Kardile will intern for the United Nations Women, an entity for gender equality and women’s empowerment in New York City, New
York, this summer. After her internship, she will begin her career as a human resource generalist with Emerson-Fisher in Marshalltown, Iowa. Kardile is from
Nashik, India.
Cathryn Kelzenberg
Kelzenberg was a Rice-Neville Legacy of Heroines scholar from 2013-2015, and graduated in May with degrees in political science and English. From Woodbury,
Minnesota, Kelzenberg plans on attending the University of Minnesota Law School after graduation.
Brenton Marcum
Marcum earned degrees in communication studies, speech communication and psychology as well as a certificate in community leadership and public service in May. He is originally from West Des Moines, Iowa, and is undecided in his future plans.
Carleigh Martin
Martin graduated with a degree in communication studies and a certificate in community leadership and public service in May. She is from Panora, Iowa, and
plans to work for Iowa Public Radio and intern with Inspiring Solutions.
Veronica Middlebrooks
Middlebrooks is majoring in biology (pre-med) with a certificate in leadership studies. She is from Chicago, Illinois, and has been a recipient of the
Elverna Christian Legacy of Heroines Scholarship since 2013. After graduation in December 2015, Middlebrooks plans on pursuing a master’s degree in
biomedical sciences or attend an osteopathic medical school, whichever school accepts her first.
Mary Kate Misak
Misak, originally from Bettendorf, Iowa, graduated in May with her degree in event management and certificate in community leadership and public service.
After graduation, Misak will attend the University of Tennessee in Knoxville to pursue a master’s degree in college student personnel while completing a
Panhellenic graduate assistantship.
Jennifer Musgrove
Musgrove graduated in May with a Spanish degree and will continue her education through ISU’s teaching English as a second language and applied linguistics
master’s degree program as well as teach Spanish 101 and 102 in the department of world languages and cultures. Musgrove is originally from Ames, Iowa, and
was a Lauri K. and James R. Young Legacy of Heroines scholar from 2011-2015.
Kensie Noble
Noble, originally from Johnston, Iowa, will graduate in August with a degree in kinesiology and certificate in community leadership and public service.
After graduation, she will attend graduate school at Iowa State University in the department of kinesiology.
Anna Olsen
Olsen graduated in May with a degree in microbiology and was a Phyllis Davis Legacy of Heroines scholar since 2013. Originally from McCallsburg, Iowa,
Olsen intends to work at a law firm after graduation and then pursue law school to focus on intellectual property.
Kristine Roush
Roush graduated in May with a degree in journalism and mass communication, minor in event management, and certificate in community leadership and public
service. She is from Urbandale, Iowa, and has been a recipient of a Rice-Neville Legacy of Heroines scholarship since 2014 and served as the Catt Center’s public relations/events planning intern since 2013. Roush will begin her marketing career at the Kum & Go headquarters in West Des Moines, Iowa.
Tanner Keith Schumacher
Schumacher is from Lake City, Iowa, and graduated in May with a degree in communication studies in May. He also earned his certificate in community leadership and public service. He has accepted a full-time position with Farmer’s Cooperative as an operations manager in Farnhamville, Iowa.
Maddison Shrader
Maddison Shrader will graduate in December 2015 with degrees in political science and environmental studies. After graduation, she plans to work at the
Iowa statehouse as a clerk until the campaign season rolls around and she is able to find new opportunities. Shrader is originally from Tiffin, Iowa, and
is an Elverna Christian Legacy of Heroines scholar.
Kyle Simpson
Simpson is from Norwalk, Iowa, and majored in history with a certificate in community leadership and public service. Simpson graduated in May. After
completing the Army Logistics University at Fort Lee, Virginia, he plans to return to Iowa to earn a master’s degree in business administration with an
emphasis in supply chain management and attain a job in a related field.
Michael Still
Hailing from Knoxville, Iowa, Still majored in journalism and mass communication and completed his certificate in community leadership and public service.
After graduation in May, Still will spend the summer as a member of the communications team for the Santa Clara (California) Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps.
Afterward, he will return to the Des Moines area to do creative work for a public relations agency.
Kate Tindall
Tindall graduated in May with degrees in journalism and mass communication and political science. She has been a recipient of the Jane Greimann Legacy of
Heroines Scholarship since 2013. Originally from Akron, Iowa, Tindall hopes to establish a career in the field of broadcast journalism.
Leah Vander Boon
Vander Boon graduated in May with degrees in communication studies and speech communication in addition to a certificate in community leadership and
public service. Originally from Kalamazoo, Michigan, Vander Boon will serve as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps for the next four years.
Sam Wazenried
Wazenried, hailing from Minnetonka, Minnesota, is graduating in December 2015 with a degree in meteorology and a certificate in leadership studies. After
graduation, he plans on forecasting for the National Weather Service.
Matt Winkleblack
Winkleblack graduated in May with his degree in marketing and certificate in community leadership and public service. He also was a Catt Center intern for
the Vermeer International Leadership Program throughout the spring semester. Winkleblack is originally from Ames, Iowa, and will begin his career as a
traveling consultant for Delta Tau Delta fraternity.
Cimone Wright
Wright, an Elizabeth Hoffman and Brian R. Binger Legacy of Heroines scholar, graduated in May with a degree in computer engineering. Wright is from Huxley,
Iowa, and will be attending Iowa State University for graduate school upon graduation.