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Help write history to commemorate Iowa State's 150th birthday.
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your story from college days and tell us how things have changed, for inclusion
in the rich history of Iowa State University and the College of Human Sciences.
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Passion and promise for helping people live better educated, healthier, happier lives are hallmarks of the inaugural class of Student Sensations.
This group knows their stuff and how to make great things happen.
Like many of their counterparts in the College of Human Sciences, they combine stellar academic achievement, global perspective and entrepreneurial spirit to pilot new clubs, start up businesses, and break down barriers.
They represent the next generation, expanding human potential and improving people's lives.
Katie Paulson
Ottumwa, Iowa
Senior in Pre-Diet and Exercise |
Katie is a quiet but influential leader with a passion for improving the lives of people who are less fortunate. Earlier this year, she served on the Lance Armstrong grant committee, working to help instructors incorporate knowledge about cancer prevention and awareness into their courses on diet and exercise. The concepts will become part of the classes in the food science and human nutrition program as well as the health and human performance program. |
Rudy Papakee
Tama, Iowa
Senior in Health and Human Performance |
Rudy is a nontraditional student who says he is working toward his degree so he can provide better service to others. Rudy plans to oversee the health care department of his Native American tribe after he receives his degree in the health care administration option. He plans to deliver wellness programs to the tribe's members who are overweight or have diabetes. Rudy wants to work toward preventative methods and eventually stop the trends of poor health. |
Ashley Hunter
Goodell, Iowa
Sophomore in Health and Human Performance |
A member of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Learning Community, Ashley has firsthand experience opening and co-owning a coffee shop in Buchanan Hall. She invested her own money in the Barista Cafe, where she serves as vice president for human relations. Ashley is also a peer mentor with Students 2 Students, a campus group devoted to educating Iowa State students about health issues. |
Dan Determan
Early, Iowa
Junior in Hotel, Restaurant, and Institution Management |
Dan prides himself on getting things done. As past general co-chair for Homecoming 2006, he worked to expand events for all Iowa State students. Dan is proudest of his contributions to the Student Alumni Leadership Council. His most rewarding experience was helping with Operation Playground, where he worked with hundreds of other students to build new playgrounds in a single weekend. |
Jessica Kluver
Le Mars, Iowa
Senior in Apparel Merchandising, Design and Production, and Horticulture* |
Growing up, Jessica was forced to overcome many obstacles when a close family member died from cancer and she took on the responsibility of taking care of her younger brother and the family farm. Through that experience, Jessica has learned to appreciate each day and make the most out of her life. She plans to pursue her dream of owning her own garden center and continue the research on natural plant dyes that she began while working as a Rosenfeld intern. |
Kim Kiraly
Glenview, Illinois
Junior in Family and Consumer Science Education and Studies
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Working in South Korea one summer is what Kim describes as her most valuable life experience so far. There, Kim worked on an army post with children whose parents were deployed in Iraq. "My students were able to trust me as more than just a teacher, but a temporary parental figure. I made my students want to talk and break through their barriers. This was most rewarding," she said. |
Christie Hutchings
Bloomfield, Iowa
Senior in Family Finance, Housing, and Policy |
As a self-described "open-minded" leader, Christie learned many of her skills from a leadership boot camp in Washington, D.C., in 2005. Since then, Christie has been influential serving as the president of the new Family Finance, Housing, and Policy Club. Christie is passionate about her major and thinks everyone needs to know about personal finance since "it applies to everyone." |
Lydia Greene
Randall, Iowa
Senior in Child, Adult, and Family Services
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Lydia follows her brother's advice, "Its all about the people," while developing lasting relationships and applying herself to academic and social service endeavors. Working with Adopt-A-Block, a program that offers outreach programs for people in underprivileged neighborhoods in Ames, provides Lydia with an opportunity to gain experience for her future as a social worker, helping others discover their "untapped potential." |
Lisa Olson
Humboldt, Iowa
Senior in Dietetics
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Lisa works as an undergraduate research assistant in the Center for Designing Foods to Improve Nutrition to get hands-on experience with her dietetics major. She also keeps her major in mind while volunteering in community and campus programs like Lighten Up Iowa, through which she helps promote healthy living. While volunteering for the Women, Infants and Children program in Story County, Lisa learned that she enjoys the clinical aspects of dietetics, and she has been working to gain more clinical experience ever since. |
Ted Brimeyer
Ames, Iowa
Senior in Teacher Education (Music)*
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"In music, the sound of the whole group is greater than the sum of each individual's contribution," is a lesson Ted teaches his elementary and high school music students. Ted believes in leading by example and knows that if he demonstrates a positive attitude, his students will likely do the same. He says one of the biggest obstacles he has overcome is learning to avoid overextending himself. Ted also says he has come to realize that focusing on the areas where he excels has paid off. |
Ashley Aamodt
Shoreview, Minnesota
Senior in Child, Adult and Family Services
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During her study abroad stint in New Zealand, Ashley learned the importance of accepting a wide range of backgrounds and cultures. She has also learned the importance of "laughing when things don't go your way" from working in day care centers. As a volunteer for Youth and Shelter Services, Ashley serves as a role model for teenage girls with substance abuse problems. Her passion for community service comes from "getting joy out of seeing other people happy." |
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*Horticulture is in the College of Agriculture. The University Teacher Education Program is administered by the College of Human Sciences. The music major is in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
For more information about the Student Sensations recognition, visit http://www.hs.iastate.edu/students/sensations/.
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| Vijay Kanagala champions multicultural ideals. The Iowa State University community recently recognized the doctoral student in educational leadership and policy studies with an Advancing One Community Award. |
Multicultural marvel
By Courtney Thomas
"Knowledge is power, the more educated you are, the more you can offer society," said Vijay Kanagala, words the second-year doctoral student in educational leadership and policy studies lives by.
The Iowa State University Advancing One Community Award was recently presented to Kanagala, in the student category. The award recognizes his commitment to an inclusive multicultural community and his efforts to reduce injustice and inequity on campus.
"Vijay has an uncanny ability to bring people together," said Penny Rice, director of the Margaret Sloss Women's Center, who nominated him for the award. Helping people unite is exactly his goal, says Kanagala.
President Geoffrey, who presented Kanagala with the award, said "Vijay"s dedication to the multicultural community makes him a great role model for students and his peers alike."
At Iowa State, Kanagala has not only been engaged in over ten different areas of student life, but he has made significant improvements to these organizations. He has been involved in creating new initiatives for academic success for the Multicultural Student Affairs programming committee. He produced workgroups for students in the residence halls to talk about internal racism and coordinated first-year experiences for students as part of the Community of Color Convocation board.
As a Multicultural Vision Program scholarship interviewer and a selector for the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity, Kanagala chose students to receive awards and helped launch the first overnight retreat for students of color. He also serves as president of the Indian Student Association and co-chair of the Asian Pacific Islander Caucus at NCORE, where he has not only boosted student participation, but has also brought many students together.
Inspiration for improving the multicultural community comes from the social injustice that exists in America, he said. He understands privilege because, while he was growing up in India, his family was considered upper class. When they came to the United States, they were treated like second class citizens, he said. He often felt oppressed by American people. Having been on both sides of social disparity helps explain why Kanagala intends to make Iowa State's multicultural community one of that works towards understanding and appreciating other cultures.
Kanagala says that he has made it his obligation to educate students about discrimination. He encourages them to stop judging people of different ethnicities because all people can be great if given the opportunity. He hopes to see more students of color in leadership positions and is confident that it is possible.
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