黑料社

Abby Fry, Class of 2024

Abby Fry,听a Culver Fellow from Kansas City, Missouri, 听and graduated Magna Cum Laude in December 2024 with a degree in International Relations and Social Justice Studies and minors in Spanish and Legal Studies. She served as Undergraduate Assistant for the Culver Center during 2024, leading programs on tenants鈥� rights and law school preparation, among others. She also served on the Culver Center鈥檚 Voter Engagement Committee and was involved with 黑料社 Speech and Debate, Campus Activities Board, Kappa Kappa Gamma, and the Honors program. Abby plans to attend law school to study immigration and human rights law.

Zach Harnden 鈥� Class of 2024

Zach Harnden, a Culver Fellow from Clive, Iowa, graduated in December 2024 with a degree in Political Science. At 黑料社, he was an active member in Speech and Debate and the Pre-Law Society. He served as a field representative for Kim Reynolds鈥� gubernatorial re-election campaign and clerked for Rep. Heather Hora in the Iowa House of Representatives. Following graduation, Zach is pursuing a law degree.

Kyle Werner听鈥� Class of 2024

Kyle Werner,听a Culver Fellow from Winterset, Iowa, graduated Summa Cum Laude in April 2024 with a degree in Multimedia Journalism. He was recognized as the Outstanding Senior in Multimedia Journalism. As an undergraduate, Kyle worked as a reporter for听The Des Moines Register听and the听Indianola Independent Advocate. He also competed in speech and debate, served as an Andrew Goodman Foundation voting ambassador, and wrote for听The 黑料社ian听student newspaper. He served as a co-chair of the Culver Center鈥檚 nonpartisan Voter Engagement Committee, which works to maintain 黑料社鈥檚 high levels of student voter registration and voter turnout. Following graduation, Kyle is pursuing a master’s degree in mass communication at Iowa State University.

Madeline Petersen听鈥� Class of 2024

Madeline Petersen,听a Culver Fellow from White Bear Lake, Minnesota, graduated Summa Cum Laude in April 2024 with degrees in Political Science and Spanish. She was recognized as the Outstanding Senior in World Languages and Culture Studies and was inducted into Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honor Society. 听Madeline served as a Senator on Student Government Association and a Sexual Assault Response Advocate. In addition, she was involved in FCA, Pre-Law Society, SCscholars, Wesley Service Scholars, and the 黑料社 Softball team. After graduating, she plans to take a year to explore the world before attending law school to become an immigration attorney.

Scout Peery听鈥� Class of 2024

Scout Peery,听a Culver Fellow from Pittsburg, Kansas, graduated Summa Cum Laude in April 2024 with a degree in Political Science and minors in Legal Studies and Philosophy. She is a graduate of the 黑料社 Honors Program, was recognized as the Outstanding Senior in Political Science, and was inducted into both Epsilon Sigma Honor Society and Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honor Society. Scout served on the Culver Fellows Political Events committee, led 黑料社鈥檚 student government association as president, and completed the Capitol Hill Internship Program in Washington, DC as a senior. She was co-president of Pre-Law Society and was heavily involved in Speech and Debate, Wesley Service Scholars, and Kappa Kappa Gamma. Off campus, she gained valuable law experience by interning with Warren County鈥檚 District Attorney’s Office and at the Iowa Attorney General’s Office. After graduation, she plans to attend law school.

Abby Meyer听鈥� Class of 2024

Abby Meyer,听a Culver Fellow from Sumner, Iowa, graduated Summa Cum Laude in April 2024 with a degree in Political Science. She is a graduate of the 黑料社 Honors Program. Abby served as lead ambassador for the Andrew Goodman Foundation鈥檚 Vote Everywhere program at 黑料社, chairing the Culver Center鈥檚 nonpartisan Voter Engagement team and working with fellow ambassadors to register 黑料社 students to vote and empower them to participate in the political process as young voters. Abby was also a member of 黑料社鈥檚 Student Government Association, SC Scholars, Pre-Law Society, the 黑料社 softball team, and worked as a UGA in the Career Development office. She loved the opportunities presented to her as a Fellow and is excited to pursue a law degree in the future.

Scott Krueger听鈥� Class of 2024

Scott Krueger,听a Culver Fellow from Eagan, Minnesota, graduated Summa Cum Laude in April 2024 with a degree in Political Science and minors in Women鈥檚 and Gender Studies and Legal Studies. He is a graduate of the 黑料社 Honors Program, received the Women鈥檚 and Gender Studies Program Scholarship Award, and was inducted into Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honor Society. Scott served as co-chair of the Culver Fellows Programming Committee, Vice President of the Student Government Association, Undergraduate Assistant for Parliamentary Debate at 黑料社, and President of 黑料社’s Lambda Chi Alpha Chapter. 听Scott plans to attend Drake Law School after graduation.

Kacie Cowman 鈥� Class of 2024

Kacie Cowman,听a Culver Fellow from Winterset, Iowa, graduated Summa Cum Laude in April 2024 with a degree in Biochemistry. She was honored as the Outstanding Senior in Chemistry/Biochemistry/Forensics and was inducted into Epsilon Sigma Honor Society. Kacie served as a member of the Culver Fellows鈥� Communications Committee and was involved with Wesley Service Scholars, Pre-Health Society, Rotaract Volunteer Club, 黑料社 Students for Life, and the Catholic Student Organization. Kacie plans to attend the Carver College of Medicine at the University of Iowa following graduation.

Alyssa Beckwith 鈥� Class of 2024

Alyssa Beckwith,听a Culver Fellow from Des Moines, Iowa, graduated Cum Laude in April 2024 with a degree in Psychology. During her time at 黑料社, Alyssa served on the Culver Fellows Communications committee and was active in Pre-Law Society. She plans to attend law school after graduation.

 

Trenity Rosenberg 鈥� Class of 2023

Trenity Rosenberg, a Culver Fellow alum from Austin, Texas, graduated Magna Cum Laude in December 2023 with a degree in Philosophy and Spanish and a minor in Latin American Studies. Trenity plans to attend graduate school for philosophy. They served as undergraduate assistant (UGA) for the Culver Public Policy Center and 黑料社 Speech & Debate. In addition to the Culver Fellowship, Trenity was involved in Latinos Unidos, Symphonic Band, Pre-Law Society, Speech and Debate, Native American Intertribal Student Association, and the Indianola Water Treatment Research Project.

Kylie Banouvong 鈥� Class of 2023

Kylie Banouvong a Culver Fellow alumna from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, graduated Cum Laude in December 2023 with a degree in History. As a Culver Fellow, Kylie served as Lead Ambassador for the Andrew Goodman Foundation鈥檚 Vote Everywhere program at 黑料社, leading the Culver Center鈥檚 Voter Engagement team and its campus-wide nonpartisan voter registration drives. Kylie helped to develop and implement comprehensive presentations on civic and voter engagement that the Voter Engagement team makes to all Foundations I first-year seminar classes at 黑料社. In addition to her work as a Culver Fellow, Kylie was involved in Speech and Debate, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Pre-Law Society, Active Minds, Stormathon, Psi Chi Honor Society, and Phi Alpha Theta Honor Society.

Megan Jahn 鈥� Class of 2023

Megan Jahna Culver Fellow from Johnston, Iowa, graduated in August 2023 with a degree in Political Science. Immediately following graduation, she enrolled in Drake Law School as part of 黑料社鈥檚 3+3 program. While at 黑料社, Megan co- chaired the Culver Fellows Communications Committee, participated in Speech and Debate, and competed on the Women鈥檚 Volleyball team.

Gabe Madson 鈥� Class of 2023

Gabe Madson听a Culver Fellow alumnus from Harlan, Iowa, graduated in April 2023 with a degree in Management. While at 黑料社, Gabe was involved in 黑料社 Republicans, trading card club, theatre, CEO, band, choir, jazz band, Fandom, and International club. He was an active member of the Culver Center Programming Committee during his time at 黑料社, helping to select topics and speakers for multiple events.

Abby Cozzoni 鈥� Class of 2023

Abby Cozzoni听a Culver Fellow alumna from Wentzville, Missouri, graduated Summa Cum Laude in April 2023 with a degree in Elementary Education and Liberal Arts. While at 黑料社, Abby was a decorated member of the women’s soccer team and was recognized as the Outstanding Senior in Elementary Education. As a Culver Fellow, she was an active member of the Culver Center Communications Committee, working to publicize programs and events. Following graduation, Abby will begin her teaching career in the Des Moines metropolitan area.

Alice Medick 鈥� Class of 2023

Alice Medick听a Culver Fellow alumna from Des Moines, Iowa, graduated in April 2023 with a degree in Criminal Justice and minors in Political Science and Women鈥檚 & Gender Studies. As a Culver Fellow, Alice served on the Culver Center鈥檚 Programming and Political Events committees. She represented 黑料社 at the 2022 inaugural National Student Dialogue hosted by the Biden Institute and Biden School of Public Policy & Administration at the University of Delaware. While at 黑料社, she was involved in Mock Trial, Speech and Debate, and Best Buddies. Alice has interned at the Iowa State Capitol, specializing in Government Relations, and has also worked for the Iowa Democratic Party.

Donni Kinghorn 鈥� Class of 2023

Donni Kinghorn a Culver Fellow alumna from Shenandoah, Iowa, graduated Summa Cum Laude in April 2023 with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and Psychology. Donni created her own independent interdisciplinary major (IIM) entitled Health Psychology, which is a branch of psychology that focuses specifically on the relationship between mental and physical health. As a senior, she received the Carl Halgren Certificate of Excellence in Psychology and Epsilon Sigma Recognition from the Division of Social Sciences. As a Culver Fellow, Donni was a member of the Culver Center鈥檚 Programming and Political Events Committees. Outside of the Culver Fellowship, Donni was a member of 黑料社鈥檚 Women鈥檚 Tennis Team, the director of academics for Pi Beta Phi Fraternity, and a member of the Honors Program. Outside of extracurriculars, Donni was employed at Life Time Fitness and Brain Balance of Des Moines where she worked with children on improving mental and physical health. After graduation Donni plans to work in the field of health promotion.

Monserrat Saucedo 鈥� Class of 2023

Monserrat Saucedo a Culver Fellow alumna from Springdale, Arkansas, graduated Magna Cum Laude in April 2023 with a degree in Criminal Justice and Psychology. Monserrat co-chaired the Culver Center Political Events committee and was 黑料社鈥檚 Newman Civic Fellow during her senior year. She was also involved in Speech and Debate, Wesley Service Scholars, and the Honors program. As a senior, Monserrat was recognized with the Women鈥檚 and Gender Studies Program Scholarship Award. Following graduation, Monserrat accepted a position in immigration services in Des Moines.

Will Keck 鈥� Class of 2023

Will Keck听is a Culver Fellow from Waukee, IA. He graduated from Waukee High School where he served as Student Body President and participated in Cross Country, Show Choir, and Track along with National Honor Society, Student Council, and more. At 黑料社, he is majoring in Political Science, and minoring in Management and Legal Studies. Will also serves as the 黑料社 Student Body Vice-President, Andrew Goodman Foundation Ambassador, is on the Speech and Debate team, and participates in the honors program. He is planning to attend law school in the future.

Marissa Salber 鈥� Class of 2022

Marissa Salber a Culver Fellow from Omaha, Nebraska, graduated Summa Cum Laude in December 2022 with a degree in Management. She gained valuable experience in her legal assistant position for the Warren County Attorney and her internship in the compliance and legal departments at Farm Bureau Financial Services. On campus, she served as president of Pre-Law Society, captain of the women鈥檚 volleyball team, undergraduate assistant in Career Development, member of speech and debate, and an Interfaith Fellow. She was inducted into 黑料社鈥檚 circle of Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society. Following graduation, Marissa is pursuing a J.D. at the University of Nebraska College of Law.

Sam Porter 鈥� Class of 2022

Sam Porter a Culver Fellow from Phoenix, Arizona, graduated in December 2022 with a degree in Philosophy. Sam was active in Speech & Debate, 黑料社 Democrats, and served as co-chair of the Culver Center鈥檚 Political Events Committee, helping to host multiple presidential candidate visits during the 2020 Iowa Caucus campaign. Following graduation, Sam is pursuing teaching and graduate school opportunities.

Ava Shannon 鈥� Class of 2022

Ava Shannon听a Culver Fellow from West Liberty, Iowa, graduated Cum Laude in April 2022 with a degree in History. She was inducted into Phi Alpha Theta, the National History Honor Society. At 黑料社, Ava was involved in Speech and Debate, On the House, PRIDE, and 黑料社 Feminists. As a member of the Culver Center鈥檚 Political Events committee, she helped to organize candidate visits, mock caucus trainings, and debates.

Elise Sturgeon听鈥� Class of 2022

Elise Sturgeon听a Culver Fellow from Sioux City, Iowa, graduated Summa Cum Laude in April 2022 with a degree in Political Science and Applied Philosophy and听minors in Spanish, Latin American Studies, and the Honors Program. She was recognized as the Outstanding Senior in Political Science and the Norman Thomas Outstanding Senior in Philosophy and was inducted into Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society. Elise has been politically engaged from a young age, interning for her first campaign at the age of 14 and working on multiple campaigns since. At 黑料社, she was active in a diverse array of campus organizations and projects focused on increasing student civic engagement. While working as a Fellow for the Campus Election Engagement Project (now named Civic Influencers), she helped organize mock caucus events, social media campaigns, and tabling events to increase student participation in the 2020 Iowa caucuses. Elise also served as 黑料社鈥檚 lead Andrew Goodman Foundation Vote Everywhere ambassador during the 2020 general election, directing the Culver Center鈥檚 Voter Engagement team through the challenges of COVID regulations while working to decrease barriers to voting. She was named 黑料社鈥檚 Newman Civic Fellow for the 2022-23 academic year and was recognized by Iowa Campus Compact with a Presidents鈥� Student Leadership Award for her leadership of nonpartisan civic and voter engagement initiatives. A decorated member of 黑料社鈥檚 PKD National Champion Speech & Debate team, Elise served as the team鈥檚 undergraduate assistant while competing at the highest levels nationally. Following graduation, Elise accepted a position managing the re-election campaign of Iowa State Senator Jackie Smith (D 鈥� Sioux City).

Jocelyn Smith听鈥� Class of 2022

Jocelyn Smith听a Culver Fellow from Waukee, Iowa, graduated Summa Cum Laude in April 2022 with a degree in Theatre Arts and Political Science. She received the Women鈥檚 and Gender Studies Program Scholarship Award as a senior. During her time at 黑料社, Jocelyn was deeply involved with theatre and musicals through 黑料社 Productions and served as a member of the Culver Center鈥檚 Communications committee. Jocelyn also worked with NextGen Iowa to register young voters across the state and amplify their voices through advocacy on climate change.

Kylie Doupnik听鈥� Class of 2022

Kylie Doupnik听a Culver Fellow from Harvard, Nebraska, graduated in April 2022 with a degree in Political Science and Accounting. During her time at 黑料社, she was a decorated member of 黑料社鈥檚 PKD National Champion Speech & Debate team and served as National Parliamentarian with Phi Beta Lambda. As a Culver Fellow, she served as an ambassador for the Andrew Goodman Foundation鈥檚 nonpartisan Vote Everywhere program and as a co-chair of the Culver Center鈥檚 Voter Engagement Team, which was recognized by Iowa Campus Compact with a Presidents鈥� Civic Engagement Leadership Award. She was also an active member of 黑料社 PRIDE and 黑料社 Feminists and served as secretary for 黑料社 Democrats. Following graduation, she accepted a position as a revenue examiner with the Iowa Department of Revenue.

Maria Veasey听鈥� Class of 2022

Maria Veasey听a Culver Fellow from Houston, Texas, graduated in April 2022 with a degree in Forensic Science/Biochemistry. At 黑料社, she was a member of the women’s soccer team and the Culver Center鈥檚 Programming committee.

Noah Trujillo听鈥� Class of 2022

Noah Trujillo听a Culver Fellow from Littleton, Colorado, graduated Magna Cum Laude in April 2022 with a degree in Political Science and History. He received the Joe Walt Senior in History Award and presented his senior capstone paper, 鈥淒on鈥檛 Tell Me, Show Me!: Understanding the Success of Public Communication in Iowa鈥檚 Southeast Asian Refugee Resettlement Program from 1975-1983,鈥� at 黑料社鈥檚 2022 Undergraduate Research Symposium. He was also inducted into Phi Alpha Theta, the National History Honor Society, and Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society. As the Culver Center鈥檚 undergraduate assistant for two years, Noah provided invaluable support to the director in all aspects of the Center鈥檚 programming and activities. In addition to his leadership as a Culver Fellow, Noah served as a student senator on SGA and SC Leader for first-year seminar classes, competed in Speech & Debate, and was a member of Pre-Law Society. As a senior, he served as co-president of the Native American Intertribal Students Association and treasurer of Latinos Unidos. He founded 黑料社 Students for Andrew Yang during the 2020 Iowa Caucus campaign. Following graduation, Noah took a position with the Reacting Consortium, which promotes imagination, inquiry, and engagement as foundational features of teaching and student learning in higher education through the development and dissemination of Reacting to the Past role playing games. Noah plans to pursue a graduate degree in history.

Paula Carlson听鈥� Class of 2022

Paula Carlson听a Culver Fellow from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, graduated Cum Laude in April 2022 with a degree in Health Services Leadership and Applied Philosophy and minors in Health and Exercise Science and the Honors Program. At 黑料社, she was a member of the Culver Center鈥檚 Programming committee, student manager for the softball team, undergraduate assistant in the Office of Admissions, and member of the Student Alumni Association and Pre-Law Society. Following graduation, she is pursuing her goal of becoming a healthcare lobbyist or an attorney specializing in defending medical professionals in malpractice lawsuits.

Taylor Hoffman听鈥� Class of 2022

Taylor Hoffman听a Culver Fellow from Okoboji, Iowa, graduated Summa Cum Laude in April 2022 with a degree in English and Multimedia Journalism. She was recognized as one of three Outstanding Seniors in English. At 黑料社, Taylor was a member of the Culver Center鈥檚 Communications committee and competed in Speech & Debate.

Triniti Krauss Morse听鈥� Class of 2022

Triniti Krauss Morse听 a Culver Fellow from Fruita, Colorado, graduated Summa Cum Laude in April 2022 with a degree in Political Science and Global Management. She was recognized as one of two Outstanding Seniors in Global Management. At 黑料社, she served on the Culver Center鈥檚 Communications and Political Events committees, working to build the Center鈥檚 social media presence and engage more students in nonpartisan civic engagement programming. She served as Event Coordinator for the Women鈥檚 & Gender Resource Center and was a decorated member of 黑料社鈥檚 PKD National Champion Speech & Debate team, reaching the national quarterfinals in public forum debate as a senior. Triniti worked as a debate coach and instructor with Valley High School in West Des Moines and BL Debate Academy in Canada. She worked as a writing fellow and a student leader of the Interfaith Youth Core Grant on Religion & Politics. In May 2021, Triniti gave a TED talk at TEDx Des Moines on the importance of having political conversations with people you may disagree with. Following graduation, Triniti moved to Dallas, Texas to pursue a career in teaching.

Michael Roets听鈥� Class of 2021

Michael Roets, a Culver Fellow from Princeton, Texas, graduated in December 2020 with a degree in English and Philosophy. In addition to his involvement with the Culver Fellows program, Michael was a member of The Storm鈥檚 tennis team, an actor in the theatre department, a debater, and a really big fan of Hamilton. 鈥淭he Culver Fellowship gave me the opportunity to capitalize on the rich political environment of this part of Iowa, providing me with ample opportunities to learn how to turn the dreams of the classroom into the reality of our community.鈥� Following graduation, Michael is pursuing teaching and graduate school opportunities.

Emily Bell听鈥� Class of 2021

Emily Bell, a Culver Fellow alumna from Aurora, Colorado, graduated Magna Cum Laude in May 2021 with a degree in Management and Psychology. She was honored as the Outstanding Senior in Business Management. In addition to her involvement in civic engagement work as a Culver Fellow, Emily competed on the Speech & Debate team and was a four-year letter winner in softball, earning American Rivers Conference All-Academic honors and All-Conference Second Team pitching honors. She was also a student ambassador in the Admissions office and an active member of Pre-Law Society. Following her graduation from 黑料社, Emily is continuing her education at Drake University Law School. Politics are important to Emily because they are a force that can drive change. 鈥淏eing a Culver Fellow was the first step in improving my political knowledge to begin to make a difference in this world.鈥�

Katie Cardoza听听鈥� Class of 2021

Katie Cardoza,听a Culver Fellow alumna from Springfield, Missouri, graduated Magna Cum Laude in May 2021 with a degree in Political Science. As a senior at 黑料社, she served as the Culver Center鈥檚 Undergraduate Assistant, working with the director and forty other Culver Fellows to plan programs, events, and voter engagement initiatives. Her interest in combating misinformation and protecting privacy in the digital age led her to organize a virtual Culver Center program in April 2021 featuring Dr. Colleen Sinclair of Mississippi State University, a social psychologist who spoke on the rise of online misinformation and disinformation in the political realm. Katie was involved with women鈥檚 swim team, Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, and interned with Vote Smart. She spent a semester studying in Concepci贸n, Chile, which was unfortunately disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. After graduation, she is planning to travel and pursue opportunities to advocate for digital privacy rights.

Daniel Estrada听听听鈥� Class of 2021

Daniel Estrada,听a Culver Fellow alumnus from Gilbert, Arizona, graduated in May 2021 with a degree in Political Science and International Relations.听Daniel graduated from Perry High School and was a first-generation, Hispanic college student. On campus, he was involved in the Speech and Debate team, Collegiate Entrepreneurs鈥� Organization, Campus Activities Board, 黑料社 Democrats, Intramurals, Pre-Law Society, and a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. Off campus, he was involved in Senator Elizabeth Warren鈥檚 2020 presidential campaign and interned at an employment and civil rights law firm in the Des Moines area.听Following graduation, Daniel accepted a position at a family and divorce law firm in Mesa, Arizona.

His drive to pursue his interest in politics stems from understanding the struggle of lower-income families who wish to participate in politics.听Daniel sees education as a means to lessen the effects of poverty and in turn, provide a more informed, tolerant group of citizens who exercise the right to vote. As a Culver Fellow, he worked to promote civic engagement and voting on campus and to increase outreach to students who don鈥檛 think they can afford college.

鈥淭he decision I made to attend 黑料社 was ultimately based on what the Culver Fellowship offered me as a first-generation college student. This program continues to provide me with the opportunity to explore what civic engagement truly means and a community to debate the nation鈥檚 biggest issues with a diverse pool of viewpoints and perspectives.鈥�

Joe Sams听听鈥� Class of 2021

Joe Sams,听a Culver Fellow alumnus from Indianola, Iowa, graduated Cum Laude with a degree in Accounting and Political Science. In addition to the Culver Center, Joe was involved in Greek life, pre-law society, speech and debate,听and intramurals. Following graduation, he accepted a position as an associate in the West Des Moines office of CliftonAllenLarson accountancy firm.

Jailyn Seabrooks,听听听鈥� Class of 2021

Jailyn Seabrooks,听a Culver Fellow alumna from Alburnett, Iowa, graduated in May 2021 with a degree in Religion and Political Science. She was honored as the Roger Betsworth Outstanding Senior in Religion. Jailyn served as Vice President and President of the 黑料社 student body and co-chaired the Culver Center鈥檚 Political Events committee. She was involved in Speech & Debate, Residence Life, Kappa Kappa Gamma, 黑料社 Democrats, the Andrew Goodman Foundation Vote Everywhere program, and Model UN. She interned with NewBoCo in Cedar Rapids and the Fred Hubbell for Governor of Iowa campaign.听She was active in Senator Elizabeth Warren鈥檚 presidential campaign in Iowa and interned at the National Organization for Women in Washington, D.C. through the Capitol Hill Internship Program (CHIP). She decided听to pursue a career in politics after being involved in an organization, Iowa Student Learning Institute, that advocates for the involvement of students in educational leadership. After graduation, she is pursuing opportunities to work for a nonprofit focused on getting more women involved in politics.

Natasha Shipp听听鈥� Class of 2021

Natasha Shipp,听a Culver Fellow alumna from Oskaloosa, Iowa, graduated Summa Cum Laude in May 2021 with a degree in Political Science and Applied Philosophy. She was honored as both the Outstanding Senior in Political Science and the Norman Thomas Outstanding Senior in Philosophy. Natasha developed her passion for politics and public service while debating in high school and as she worked on the Hillary for Iowa Campaign in 2015 and 2016. While at 黑料社, Natasha enjoyed several wonderful opportunities such as interning on the Hubbell for Governor campaign and attending a civic engagement conference at the Harvard Institute of Politics. Giving a voice to those less fortunate remains an important goal for Natasha. She plans on using her experiences from 黑料社 and the Culver Fellowship to advocate healthcare policy issues in Iowa. Following graduation, Natasha accepted a position at State Public Policy Group in West Des Moines focusing on the Capital Crossroads regional development program for Central Iowa.

Geoff VanDeusen III听鈥� Class of 2021

Geoff VanDeusen III,听a Culver Fellow alumnus from Olathe,听Kansas, graduated in May 2021 with a degree in History and Political Science. Geoff was a leader on the Speech and Debate team, president of the 黑料社 Democrats, and recruitment chair for Lambda Chi Alpha. He co-chaired the Culver Center鈥檚 Programming Committee and helped to host mock caucus trainings and voter engagement events throughout his four years at 黑料社. He represented 黑料社 at the National Campaign for Political and Civic Engagement conference at the Harvard Institute of Politics, working with students from across the country to mobilize young voters to address political polarization. Following his graduation from 黑料社, Geoff will continue his studies at Drake University Law School.

Drake Wood听鈥� Class of 2021

Drake Wood, a Culver Fellow alumnus from Blue Springs, Missouri, graduated Summa Cum Laude in December 2021 with a degree in Political Science and a minor in Religion. In addition to his involvement in civic engagement work as a Culver Fellow, Drake competed on the Speech & Debate team, 黑料社 Rugby, and was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity. He was also a student voting ambassador for the Andrew Goodman Foundation and President of the Pre-Law Society. Following his graduation from 黑料社, Drake is working as a staffer on Capitol Hill and continuing his education at American University Washington School of Law. 鈥満诹仙� is where I found a voice and a newfound agency to help others.鈥�

Kathryn Hays 鈥� Class of 2020

Kathryn Hays, a Culver Fellow from Macomb, Illinois, graduated in May 2020 with a degree in French, International Relations, and Political Science. She spent the spring of 2018 studying in France and the fall of 2018 serving as an intern at the French Embassy in Washington, DC as part of the Capitol Hill Internship Program. Kathryn鈥檚 passion for languages, traveling, and serving others has led her to pursue a future fighting for children鈥檚 rights internationally. She first became interested in public policy after receiving the honor of attending the Youth to Washington program, where she fostered her love of American politics. In May 2020, Kathryn was selected to present her research on political disinformation at the prestigious Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) Posters on the Hill event. Following graduation, Kathryn launched a search for positions in the nonprofit sector.

Levi Lefebure 鈥� Class of 2020

Levi Lefebure, a Culver Fellow from Fairfax, Iowa, graduated Magna Cum Laude in May 2020 with a degree in Political Science, Mathematics, and History. He received the Joe Walt Senior History Award. As a Culver Fellow, Levi co-chaired the Voter Engagement committee, co-designed and led mock caucus trainings for students, and was principal investigator for a survey of 黑料社 students on campus free speech and the First Amendment. Levi was involved with Cross Country, Track & Field, the Iowa History Center, the Campus Election Engagement Project, the Andrew Goodman Foundation Vote Everywhere program, the Student Athletic Advisory Council, Undergraduate Research Symposium, Summer Research program, and 黑料社 Colloquium听on campus.听Policy has interested Levi from a young age as well as the numbers behind anything and everything. As a Culver Fellow, he took advantage of as many opportunities to be involved in politics on campus as possible. Following graduation, Levi launched a search for positions in the political methodology field.

Erin Magoffie听 鈥� Class of 2020

Erin Magoffie,a Culver Fellow from Anthem, Arizona, graduated Summa Cum Laude in May 2020 with a degree in Political Science, English, and French. Erin was named the Outstanding Senior in Humanities, Political Science, and World Language & Culture Studies. She also received the Alpha Lambda Delta Society鈥檚听Maria Leonard Book Award听as a senior. She graduated from North Canyon High School and is an International Baccalaureate diploma recipient. In addition to being a Culver Fellow, Erin was also a Cowles Fellow, a member of the Speech and Debate team, a Wesley Service Scholar, a member of the Delta Delta Delta Women’s Fraternity, and Student Ambassador in 黑料社’s Admissions Office. During her time at 黑料社, Erin spent a semester studying abroad in Tahiti, where she interned for the U.S. Consulate Agency. She completed a Capitol Hill Internship in Washington, D.C. in the spring of 2019 for Earthjustice, the nation’s largest nonprofit environmental law firm. Erin also interned for U.S.听Congressman Andy Biggs in his DC office, along with former U.S. Congressman Trent Franks and former U.S. Senator John McCain at their Arizona offices. Erin has also completed research at Biosphere 2, the world’s largest facility for Earth processing and environmental science research. After graduation, Erin enrolled at UCLA School of Law to study environmental law.

Kelsey Poppe 鈥� Class of 2020

Kelsey Poppe,a Culver Fellow from Ionia, Iowa, graduated Summa Cum Laude in May 2020 with a degree in Psychology and Management. She graduated from Nashua-Plainfield High School before coming to 黑料社. In addition to being a Culver Fellow, Kelsey was involved with 黑料社 Women鈥檚 Golf Team and Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society. During her time at 黑料社, she interned in the Des Moines office of U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley. Following graduation, Kelsey enrolled at the University of Minnesota to pursue a Master of Human Resources and Industrial Relations.

Abby Schulte 鈥� Class of 2020

Abby Schulte, a Culver Fellow from Keota, Iowa, graduated Summa Cum Laude in May 2020 with a degree in History and Political Science. She received the Joe Walt Senior History Award. As a Culver Fellow, she co-chaired the Voter Engagement committee and served as 黑料社’s Lead Ambassador for the Andrew Goodman Foundation鈥檚 Vote Everywhere program. She and Culver Fellow Casey Nickel attended the 2018 National Campaign for Political & Civic Engagement conference at the Harvard Institute of Politics and returned to campus to develop the 黑料社 Dialogue Series, which brings students together in respectful, structured dialogue sessions to share their views on controversial and challenging issues. Along with the Culver Fellowship, she was a member of the Speech and Debate team and Career Peers mentorship program. Abby’s passion听for public service began while working on a civic engagement project during the 2016 Iowa Caucus that involved getting presidential candidates to visit her small rural high school. She has carried this passion throughout her Culver听Fellowship as she held internships at Congressman Dave Loebsack’s District Office in Iowa City, the Iowa Quilt Museum, and participated in the Capitol Hill Internship Program in Washington D.C. She has also been inducted to the Iowa Second District Democrats Hall of Fame, the Phi Alpha Theta National Honor Society in History, and the Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society. She worked as the Undergraduate Assistant in the 黑料社 Archives, paving the way for future graduate studies in history and museum studies. After graduation, Abby accepted a position as archivist for the World Food Prize in Des Moines.

Jake Stoulil 鈥� Class of 2020听

Jake Stoulil, a Culver Fellow from Kansas City, Missouri, graduated Magna Cum Laude in May 2020 with a degree in Actuarial Science and Economics: Finance. He was named Outstanding Senior in Actuarial Science. As a Culver Fellow, Jake helped sponsor and co-host the spring 2018 Democratic gubernatorial candidate forum at 黑料社. Jake became interested in politics while participating in debate in high school. He was the听Lincoln-Douglas听Event听Undergraduate Assistant for 黑料社鈥檚 back-to-back PKD National Champion Debate Team. Jake was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. In the summer of 2018, Jake completed his first actuarial internship at Athene. Following graduation, Jake accepted a position with an actuarial firm in West Des Moines.

Kyler Zielsdorf 鈥� Class of 2020

Kyler Zielsdorf, a Culver Fellow from Merriam, Kansas, graduated in May 2020 with a degree in Political Science and International Relations. As a Culver Fellow, Kyler helped to develop programs examining international relations and foreign policy. He and Culver Fellow Quinn Slaven hosted 鈥淧oli Sci Guys,鈥� a talk show on 黑料社 radio station KSTM 88.9 FM. Kyler was a four-year member of the men鈥檚 soccer team. Kyler is honored to have been chosen as a Culver Fellow and enjoyed being involved on campus and in the community. Immediately following graduation, Kyler commissioned into the United States Marine Corps as a second lieutenant 鈥� becoming the first Culver Fellow to follow Senator John C. Culver鈥檚 path of public service through the U.S. Marines.

Quinn Slaven 鈥� Class of 2019

Quinn Slaven, a Culver Fellow from Mason City, Iowa, graduated Magna Cum Laude in December 2019 with a degree in Political Science. As a Culver Fellow, he co-chaired the Communications committee and organized an event on 鈥淭he Future of Conservatism in the Trump Era.鈥� Quinn worked to bring prominent Republican speakers to campus, drafted and revised questions with other fellows, organized logistics, and co-moderated the event with Culver Fellow Stacey Post. He and Culver Fellow Kyler Zielsdorf hosted 鈥淧oli Sci Guys,鈥� a talk show on 黑料社 radio station KSTM 88.9 FM. Quinn has always had a passion for public service and leadership. In 2017, he traveled to New York over spring break to take part in a service trip addressing homelessness and hunger. In 2018, he was an intern on Republican David Young鈥檚 re-election campaign for U.S. Congress. In addition to being a Culver Fellow and partaking in the political science and public relations programs, Quinn was a four-year varsity letter winner in football for听黑料社, a member of 黑料社鈥檚 2018 PKD national champion debate team, and correspondent for听The 黑料社ian听student newspaper. Following graduation, he accepted a position as account coordinator with LS2 Group in Des Moines, where he interned as an undergraduate. 鈥淛oining the Culver Fellows, and attending 黑料社, have been two of the most rewarding experiences of my life,鈥� said Quinn.

Amir Suljic 鈥� Class of 2019

Amir Suljic, a Culver Fellow from West Des Moines, Iowa, graduated Summa Cum Laude in December 2019 with a degree in Political Science and History. As a Culver Fellow, he was a student leader on an Interfaith Youth Core grant-funded project exploring the intersections of religion and politics. At 黑料社, he competed on the Speech & Debate and Mock Trial teams. His interest in politics began as he grew older and began to understand his Bosnian heritage and the opportunities being born in the United States has given him; as well as how staying politically active can change not only one鈥檚 own life, but a community as a whole. His outstanding undergraduate research paper, “Nema Mira: Yearning for Prosperity Within a Democratic Bosnia and Herzegovina,” was informed both by rigorous scholarship and many personal visits to Bosnia. Amir interned for eight months with the Iowa Senate Democratic Research Staff at the Iowa State Capitol and served as Public Policy Intern for the Greater Des Moines Partnership. He currently serves as the Event Management Director/Voter Involvement Chair for the Bosniak-American Association of Iowa. His future career plans are to become a lobbyist or policy analyst and run for public office.

Danielle Bates 鈥撎鼵lass of 2019

Danielle Bates,a Culver Fellow from Kansas City, Missouri, graduated Cum Laude in May 2019 with a degree in Political Science, International Relations, and Religion. During her time at 黑料社, Danielle led nonpartisan voter registration and engagement initiatives as Lead Ambassador for the Andrew Goodman Foundation Vote Everywhere program. She played tennis for 黑料社 and was involved in the Speech and Debate team, Model UN team, and College Republicans. Danielle was also a member of the Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society. During her sophomore year, Danielle attended the Harvard IOP’s National Campaign for Political and Civic Engagement where she worked with students from around the country on solutions to today’s polarization. In the Spring of 2018, Danielle interned at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. where she researched topics relating to American Congress and Politics. In May of 2018, Danielle attended the Henry Clay Center for Statesmanship College Student Congress as the representative for Iowa, where she collaborated with students from all 50 states to reach solutions on divisive political issues through compromises. Following this, Danielle traveled with 24 other HCCS students to Washington, D.C. where they presented their solutions to members of the U.S. Congress. Danielle served as 黑料社’s 2018=-19 Newman Civic Fellow and used the opportunity to increase the Impson community’s civic engagement. Danielle is passionate about politics, foreign affairs, and civic engagement. Danielle is pursuing a career relating to her passions and may eventually go to graduate school.

Jacob Bruns听鈥� Class of 2019

Jacob Bruns,听a Culver Fellow from Washington, Iowa, graduated Magna Cum Laude in May 2019 with a degree in Applied Philosophy and Economics: Finance. Jacob’s campus involvement included positions of SC Leader in the First Year Experience, resident economic modeler on the Palmer Project research team, member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon executive council, founding member of the Ethics Bowl team, and a founding member of the 黑料社 Feminists.听
During the fall 2018 semester, Jacob participated in the Capitol Hill Internship Program in Washington, D.C as an intern for Congressman Dave Loebsack (IA-2). After graduation Jacob pursued a career in GTM Strategy and Finance; with time spent at Edward Jones, Olive, and Ownbackup.听
Jacob is currently located in New York City and employed as the Revenue Operations Lead at Sigma Computing, a Series C SaaS cloud data analytics firm based out of San Francisco.

Samantha Hafermann听鈥� Class of 2019

Samantha Hafermann,听A Culver Fellow from Goodell, Iowa, graduated Magna Cum Laude in May 2019 with a degree in English. She graduated from West Fork High School in Sheffield, Iowa before coming to 黑料社. Sam became interested in politics through her volunteer work at the Caring Pregnancy Center and listening to her parents talk about the elections as a child. Along with being a Culver Fellow, she was a part of Alpha Landa Delta honor society and Sigma Tau Delta English honor society. Sam had a very rewarding experience as a Culver Fellow and enjoyed her time at 黑料社.

Elizabeth Mixon听鈥� Class of 2019

Elizabeth Mixon,听a Culver Fellow from Leawood, Kansas graduated Summa Cum Laude in May 2019 with a degree in History and International Relations. She graduated from Blue Valley North High School before attending 黑料社. She became interested in public policy because she wants to give a voice to women and children, primarily in the area of combatting human trafficking. She plans to attend law school and hopes to go into the FBI. In addition to being a Culver Fellow, she participated in the 黑料社 Speech and Debate team and was active in the Delta Delta Delta Sorority. Elizabeth strongly believes that public policy is important because that is where real change occurs.

Randy Paulson听鈥� Class of 2019

Randy Paulson,听a Culver Fellow from Grinnell, Iowa, graduated Summa Cum Laude in May 2019 with a degree in multimedia journalism and Spanish. During his senior year, he served as the editor-in-chief for the student newspaper,听The 黑料社ian. As editor-in-chief, he helped moderate an on-campus debate between the candidates for the Iowa Senate District 13 during the 2018 midterms. Other activities and organizations he was involved with at 黑料社 include Speech and Debate, 黑料社 Feminists, and Active Minds. he was also a Writing Fellow for a 黑料社 Colloquium class and worked all four years at the Kent Information Desk. Randy had multiple internships during his time at 黑料社, starting with his internship with the Iowa House of Representatives in his freshman year. During the spring of his junior year, he was the communications intern at the Iowa National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). In the summer of 2018, he interned at Iowa Information Publications in Sheldon, where he wrote for two weekly newspapers (The N’West Iowa Review and the Sheldon Mail-Sun) and two magazines (Discover and Okoboji Magazine). After graduating, he accepted a full-time position at Iowa Information Publications as a staff writer.

Sydney Samples听鈥� Class of 2019

Sydney Samples,听a Culver Fellow from Des Moines, Iowa, graduated Summa Cum Laude in May 2019 with a degree in Spanish and Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on Environmental Studies. Sydney spent her junior spring semester studying abroad in Concepci贸n, Chile, where she lived with a host family and spent time learning about Chilean culture and improving her Spanish language abilities. At 黑料社, Sydney was involved in the Student Government Association, the Speech and Debate team, Sustainability Club, Light Company, and the sorority Kappa Kappa Gamma. Sydney had the honor of serving as the youngest Student Body President in the school’s history in 2017. She also served as a Newman Civic Fellow of the 2017-2018 school year and attended the national Newman Civic Fellow Conference in Boston. Sydney was a member of the Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society and Pi Sigma Alpha Honor Society. Following her first-year at 黑料社, Sydney interned at the Iowa Environmental Council. During her sophomore and junior years, she interned over her breaks at IMPACT7G. While at 黑料社, she worked on many projects to make the campus more sustainable, including leading a prairie reconstruction project and promoting increased recycling on campus. After graduation, Sydney began her graduate studies in International Environmental Policy at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.

Bobbie Fogle听鈥� Class of 2018

Bobbi Fogle,听a Culver Fellow from Oskaloosa, Iowa, graduated Magna Cum Laude in December 2018 with a degree in Political Science and Psychology. Bobbi became active in politics in high school, participating in debate and volunteering on campaigns. At the forefront of Bobbi’s drive to learn more about government and policy is the idea of equity, striving towards “liberty and justice for all” as outlined in the Pledge of Allegiance. This principle is evident in Bobbi’s internship and employment experiences as well, having worked for Hillary for America, NARAL, Youth Emergency Services and Shelter, AmeriCorps at Des Moines Public Schools and Beacon of Life. Outside of work and the classroom, Bobbi furthered her advocacy by volunteering for the Des Moines SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice) chapter as well as on-campus as a SARA,听Bobbi served as a legislative clerk in the Iowa House of Representatives. She was a proud member of the 黑料社 Speech and Debate team where she won several honors and awards including a team national championship. Her hobbies include video games, listening to podcasts, and playing with her dog Sullivan. After graduating from 黑料社, Bobbi enrolled at the University of Seattle Schoool of Law.

Casey Nickel听鈥� Class of 2018

Casey Nickel,听a Culver Fellow from Grinnell, Iowa, graduated in December 2018 with a degree in Political Science. During her time at 黑料社, Casey was involved in Speech and Debate, Student Government Association, Kappa Kappa Gamma, and was a member of the cheer team. She served as the Culver Center Undergraduate Assistant, the Student Development Marketing and Promotions Undergraduate Assistant, clerked for State Senator Amy Sinclair, worked as a Field Director for the Iowa Senate Majority Fund, and interned with the Iowa Senate Republican Analysts. After graduation, Casey worked in the United States Senate before returning to Iowa to take a position as a client services coordinator for the Ames Chamber of Commerce.听She has served as Legislative Coordinator for Nyemaster Goode, P.C. since January 2020.

Emily (Schwickerath) Wemark听鈥� Class of 2018

Emily (Schwickerath) Wemark,听a听Culver Fellow alumna from New Hampton, Iowa, graduated Summa Cum Laude in December 2018 with a degree in Political Science. Emily was heavily involved on 黑料社’s campus as a member of the Speech and Debate team and as a member of 黑料社 Republicans.听She also attended the Harvard Institute of Politics National Campaign conference as a sophomore. Off-campus, she worked as a field director for the Senate Majority Fund, legislative secretary in the Iowa Senate, field director for Kim Reynolds For Iowa, and Deputy Director of the Senate Majority Fund. After graduation, Emily served as Executive Secretary to the Iowa Senate Majority Leader. Since 2019, she served as Political Director to State Senator Randy Feentra’s 2020 Congressional Campaign and now serves as field director of his district office in Ames. Feenstra made national headlines after defeating 18-year incumbent congressman, Steve King, in Iowa’s Fourth Congressional District in the June 2020 Republican primary.

Olivia Anderson 鈥� Class of 2018

Olivia Anderson,听a Culver Fellow from Greensboro, North Carolina, graduated Magna Cum Laude in April 2018 with a degree in Applied Philosophy and Political Science.听Olivia also earned听minors in Spanish and Public Relations. She served as听President of 黑料社 Democrats and as the lead Vote Everywhere听Ambassador for the Andrew Goodman Foundation at 黑料社.听Olivia was a member of the Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women听and the 黑料社听Speech and Debate Team. Olivia worked as a 2015听Organizing Fellow with the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign. She interned with the Immigrant Rights Network of Iowa and the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) in Des Moines. During the spring of 2018, Olivia completed an internship with the Council on Hemispheric Affairs in Washington, D.C. as part of the Capitol Hill Internship Program (CHIP).

Niki Dean 鈥� Class of 2018

Niki Dean,听a Culver Fellow from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, graduated in April 2018 with a degree in Sociology. The Culver Public Policy Center was one of the main reasons Niki decided to attend 黑料社听as it provides many involvement opportunities to expand her interest and knowledge of politics.听听Aside from being a 听Culver Fellow, Niki was on the 黑料社 volleyball team, a member of the TRiO program, and a member听of听the pre-law society.

Allie Karpurk 鈥� Class of 2018

Allie Karpurk,听a Culver Fellow from Peoria, Arizona, graduated Summa Cum Laude in April 2018 with a degree in Political Science and Management. She was named Outstanding Senior in both of her majors. Allie is pursuing her law degree at the Sandra Day O鈥機onnor College of Law at Arizona State University. She hopes to one-day work in the public sector as an attorney and become a judge later in life. Through 黑料社 and the Culver Center, she had the opportunity to attend a conference at Harvard on voter mobilization and intern for the Iowa Attorney General and U.S. Senator Joni Ernst in her Washington D.C. Office. She was deeply involved in a range of activities 黑料社鈥檚 campus, as a Culver Fellow, Senior Class President of SGA, a member of the cheerleading team, Crew Captain of Love Your Melon, a 黑料社 Colloquium Leader, and Kappa Kappa Gamma Women鈥檚 Fraternity. Politics and public policy are important to Allie because she believes that through them people have the power to make a positive impact in America. 鈥淭he Culver Fellowship has provided me with so many opportunities, and I know this is the best way for me to get involved in politics at a young age.鈥�

Kara Eischen 鈥� Class of 2017听

Kara Eischen,听a Culver Fellow from Wesley, Iowa, graduated in December 2017 with a degree in Criminal Justice. She plans to attend law school in the fall of 2018.

Kara graduated from Bishop Garrigan High School in Algona. At 黑料社, she was involved with the Culver Fellows, the Student Alumni Association, and the Writing Fellows. In addition, she was a member of the Epsilon Sigma honor society. During the spring semester of 2017, Kara completed an internship at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa under a magistrate judge. In听May of 2017, she traveled to Italy for a May Term course with 黑料社. Kara was excited to gain the knowledge and cultural immersion that studying abroad can offer.听鈥淚 was so fortunate to make connections and have experiences at 黑料社 that will help develop my career plan and let me find success,鈥� she said.

Zach Goodrich 鈥� Class of 2017

Zach听Goodrich, a听Culver Fellow alumnus from Grimes, Iowa, graduated in April 2017 with a degree in Political Science, History and Business Management.听He currently听serves as Legal Counsel for the Iowa Public Information Board. Following graduation from 黑料社, Zach earned his Doctor of Jurisprudence from Drake University Law School with certificates recognizing his specialization in constitutional law and civil rights, as well as public service for his work in the community. Prior to his current position, he worked in private practice, non-profit organizations, and various roles in politics and state government.

Tegan Jarchow 鈥� Class of 2017

Tegan Jarchow,听a Culver Fellow alumna from Prairie Village, Kansas, graduated in April 2017 with majors in Political Science and Sociology听with a听minor听in Women鈥檚 and Gender Studies. After graduation, she enrolled at Drake University Law School.听While at 黑料社, Tegan served as a campus Ambassador for the Andrew Goodman Foundation鈥檚 Vote Everywhere program, helping to register and turn out hundreds of 黑料社 students to vote. She was involved in 黑料社听Democrats, Environmental Awareness Club, Rotaract Club, Social Justice Book Club,听Religious Life Community events, Pizza and Philosophy,听and听Speech听and Debate.

Tegan became interested in politics and public policy because she has always been interested in history and current events. She believes patterns of听politics and policy contribute to history and how our society is maintained. She hails from a family that discusses politics a lot. She is constantly inspired to use politics and public policy as an end to better society and individual people鈥檚 lives.

Nick Laning 鈥� Class of 2017

Nick Laning,听a听Culver Fellow alumnus from Byron, Minnesota, graduated in April 2017 with a degree in Political Science and International Relations and a minor in Religion. He currently serves as the Manager of Government Affairs at Advocacy Strategies, a nonpartisan government relations and public affairs firm in Des Moines. Nick worked at another bipartisan public affairs and public relations firm for about two years prior to becoming a registered, multi-client Iowa lobbyist听with Advocacy Strategies and the Rafferty Group. Nick has also received his Master’s in Public Policy degree from the University of Northern Iowa. 听As听a student, Nick was involved as a leader in听organizations including Student Government, Campus听Activities Board, and Kappa Theta Psi Fraternity. Nick was also highly involved with campus-wide efforts and was a representative to the Board of Trustees, several campus hiring committees, and the All-Campus Budget Committee. Nick chose 黑料社 because of the Culver Fellowship Program and the opportunities it presents to be involved in public policy and government service. He was deeply involved in politics while growing up in Minnesota, having worked on U.S. House campaigns and interning in the Minnesota State Senate. As a Culver Fellow, Nick clerked for Representative Guy Vander Linden in the Iowa House of Representatives and worked on the presidential campaigns of Carly Fiorina and Gov. Scott Walker. Nick also worked with several Iowa campaigns at the local and statewide levels. Nick is using the opportunities that the Culver Center offered him as a foundation for his current career as a lobbyist.

Emily Ortiz 鈥� Class of 2017

Emily Ortiz,听a Culver Fellow alumna from Lawrence, Kansas, graduated in April 2017 with a degree in History and Political Science. After graduation, she is doing ten months of service in Americorps NCC. She believes that service and public policy are important because they create fundamental understandings between people.听As a 黑料社 student, Emily was active in 黑料社 Pride, 黑料社 Feminists, and 黑料社 Democrats. 鈥淭he Culver Center has provided me with the opportunity to visit Washington D.C., an unforgettable trip that has furthered my interest in the politics of our nation.鈥�

Stacey (Post) Ellis 鈥� Class of 2017

Stacey (Post) Ellis,听a Culver Fellow from Des Moines, Iowa, graduated in December 2017 with majors in political science and applied philosophy. After graduation, she accepted a position with an event planning and production company in West Des Moines.听Stacey is a graduate of Dowling Catholic High School. While at 黑料社, she served as chair of听黑料社 Republicans and interned in the Iowa State Capitol office of Iowa Governor Terry Branstad and his state-federal relations office in Washington, DC. During the summer of 2016, she worked statewide for the Republican Party of Iowa鈥檚 Senate Majority Fund. Stacey plans on a career in economic development. She was employed听as the Greater Des Moines Partnership鈥檚 Executive Call Program intern for Summer 2017.听She loved being a Culver Fellow because of all the opportunities, 听including meeting prominent members of the political community, internships,听and networking.

Britney (Samuelson) Appelgate听鈥� Class of 2017

Britney (Samuelson) Appelgate,听a Culver Fellow alumna from Newton, Iowa, graduated in April 2017 with majors in Social Justice, Applied Philosophy, and Spanish. After graduation, she听served as an executive assistant with the Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement at Drake University and currently works as a program manager at State Public Policy Group in Des Moines.听During her senior year at 黑料社, Britney led an initiative听to pass a new state law providing more options for听Iowans to go back and earn high school equivalency degrees by applying work experience to diploma requirements.听Britney served as philanthropy chair of the 黑料社 chapter of Delta Delta 听Delta and volunteered with the Wesley Service 听Scholars program on campus.听Britney鈥檚 interest in听politics began when she听served as听a page in the Iowa Senate during her junior year in high school.听Ever since then, she has been interested in how politics and government impact lives. Public policy is important to Britney听because she believes it has the power to make a positive difference in all people鈥檚 lives.

Alanna Wendt 鈥� Class of 2017

Alanna Wendt,听a Culver Fellow alumna from Santa Rosa, California, graduated in April 2017 with a double major in Political Science and International Relations and a Theater minor. After earning her degree from 黑料社, Alanna enrolled at the University of Denver in the graduate program in international studies. She was a member of听Delta Delta Delta, 黑料社 Democrats, 听黑料社 Debate Team, and the Pre-Law Society. As a Culver Fellow, she attended the National Campaign for Political and Civic Engagement Conference at the Harvard Institute of Politics on September 2015. Alanna was also selected to represent the Culver Center and 黑料社 at two conferences in summer 2016 organized by the College Debate 2016 project to promote student political engagement through the presidential debates. She views the Culver Fellowship as an honor and looks forward to expanding her knowledge of government and public policy.

Michelle (Beving) Christen 鈥� Class of 2016

Michelle (Beving) Christen,听a Culver Fellow alumna from Hartley, Iowa, graduated in December 2016 with double majors in Political Science and Religion. Michelle is currently employed as a Legal Assistant at Hedberg and Boulton, PC and lives in Des Moines. She served as a campus Ambassador for the Andrew Goodman Foundation鈥檚 Vote Everywhere program, a nonpartisan voter registration initiative on college campuses nationwide. She also served as an intern in the office of the Iowa Secretary of State, assisting in the processing of voter registrations and election returns. In addition to being a Culver Fellow, Michelle was involved in Speech and Debate,听served as Community Service Chair of Rotaract, and was a Wesley Service 听Scholar.

MacKenzie Bills 鈥� Class of 2016

MacKenzie Bills,听a听Culver Fellow alumna from Altoona, Iowa, graduated in April 2016 with a degree in Political Science and International Relations and minors in French and Religion. Immediately after graduation, Bills traveled to Djibouti to serve as a U.S. State Department public diplomacy intern at the U.S. Embassy. She was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to teach English in Malaysia as a U.S. cultural ambassador in 2017. Returning from Malaysia,听Bills worked as the Africa Report Editor for the annual International Religious Freedom Reports for the U.S. State Department before landing at her current position where she works as an Analyst covering East Africa in the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons at the U.S. State Department.

During her senior year at 黑料社, Bills participated in the Capitol Hill Internship Program (CHIP), serving as a research intern with the Religious Freedom Center at the Newseum Institute and as a research intern with the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. She was heavily involved in 黑料社鈥檚 campus, as a Culver Fellow, Wesley Service Scholar, Pi Beta Phi, member of 黑料社 Democrats, and Interfaith Undergraduate Assistant through 黑料社鈥檚 Religious Life Community.听In the past, she interned for former U.S. Representative Leonard L. Boswell on his 2012 congressional campaign.

As someone who is deeply passionate about public policy and politics, Bills founded 黑料社 Votes, a nonpartisan student organization that registers hundreds of students to vote each year. Her passion for civic engagement has opened up many opportunities for her. She was able to engage students across the southern half of Iowa鈥檚 college campuses as the Campus Election Engagement Project鈥檚 Iowa contact. She furthered her voter engagement work听across the state as Lead Campus Ambassador for the Andrew Goodman Foundation鈥檚 Vote Everywhere program.听In the summer of 2013, she also interned in Washington D.C. for U.S. Representative Bruce Braley鈥檚 office and was a听Virtual Intern for the U.S. State Department. MacKenzie served as a听Government Affairs intern for LS2group during听the 2015 and 2016 sessions of the Iowa Legislature.听Public policy is important to Bills because she believes it strengthens democracy. It encourages everyone to have an opinion which leads to a better world.

鈥淭he Culver program has connected me with so many people and organizations. I have had some great opportunities and will have numerous more to come. Lastly, I have made some great friendships out of it.鈥�

Ethan Fredrick 鈥� Class of 2016

Ethan Fredrick,听a Culver Fellow alumnus from Ankeny, Iowa, graduated in April听2016 with a degree in History and Economics. He is currently pursuing a graduate degree in history at the University of Minnesota. Fredrick was a page in the Iowa Senate, a fellow for the Obama for America campaign in 2012, and served as the 黑料社 student body president in 2015. 听He served as student body treasurer from September 2013 to December 2014. 听He presided over the 黑料社 听Democrats, Inter-Fraternity council, and was active within his own fraternity, Sigma Alpha Epsilon.听As a member of the 黑料社 Speech and Debate team, Fredrick earned individual national championships in Open Parli and anchored the team鈥檚 national championship at PKD nationals in spring 2016. Fredrick earned the senior history award and was lauded by professors in his department for possessing 鈥渟uperpowers鈥� of persuasion. He also served as an assistant coach of the Ankeny High School Debate team.

Public service is important to Fredrick because society is shaped by individual choices. He feels his participation allows him to input his values into the process, and he believes that a true test of public service is encouraging others to share their beliefs and ideas in our decisions as well.

Molly Monk 鈥� Class of 2016

Molly Monk,听a Culver Fellow alumna from Rochester, Minnesota, graduated in April听2016 with a degree in Political Science and International Relations and a minor in French. The summer after graduating, she continued her undergraduate research applying mathematical modeling techniques to the study of the invasive weed Palmer Amaranth, which is destroying cropland across the South and creeping into the Midwest. In the fall of 2016, Monk accepted a position as an accelerator program manager with the nonprofit start-up accelerator New Bohemian Innovation Collective (NewBoCo) in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.听As a senior, Monk was elected class president and homecoming queen. While studying at 黑料社, she听worked as an AmeriCorps volunteer at the Des Moines Catholic Worker, a local homeless outreach center. She served as a research intern on homelessness for the Institute for Community Alliances. Monk also completed internships for the Iowa Senate Democratic Research Team and worked with the American Legion Auxiliary as a convention speaker and a counselor for their Girls State and Girls Nation programs. She spent the spring semester of 2014 studying abroad in French Polynesia as a Cowles Fellow. While suffering from acute sunshine withdrawal, she worked on research regarding the politics of independence in French Polynesia and听presented听her findings in spring 2015

鈥淭he Culver Center made it possible for me to attend 黑料社. I鈥檓 thankful for all of the opportunities it has created for me and the people I have been able to meet.鈥�

Valerie Goodhue-Nolte 鈥� Class of 2015

Valerie Goodhue-Nolte,听a Culver Fellow alumna from Carlisle, Iowa, graduated in May 2015 with a double major in French and Spanish and minor concentrations in Political Science and History. In the fall of 2015, she enrolled in the Master of Accounting program at Drake University. As a student, Goodhue-Nolte participated in 黑料社 Republicans and 黑料社 Students for Life. Public policy and service are both important to her because her goal is to make a positive change in this country by inspiring her future students to be active members of the community. 鈥淭he Culver Fellowship provided some wonderful opportunities such as bringing amazing speakers to campus.鈥�

Kyle Hauswirth 鈥� Class of 2015

Kyle Hauswirth,听a Culver Fellow alumnus from Corwith, Iowa, graduated in December 2015 with a degree in Political Science and Marketing. After graduation, Hauswirth moved to Washington, DC to pursue a master鈥檚 degree in political management at George Washington University. He also served on U.S. Senator Joni Ernst鈥檚 Capitol Hill staff. Hauswirth is pursuing a career in politics because he would like to make the United States stronger and a better place to live. He is a member of the largest North American Greek-letter fraternity, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, which he served as Eminent Recorder while studying at 黑料社. He was also involved with the Freemasons and Inter-fraternity Council. To Hauswirth, public policy and service have both been extremely important from the very start. He has always wanted to help people and to make the world thrive.

鈥淚t was a great opportunity and honor to be a Culver Fellow. It has allowed me to travel to great places such as 听Harvard, and really do some serious networking and working on my career. I鈥檓 really looking forward to the future 听of the Center and all the good it will do.鈥�

Steffi Lee 鈥� Class of 2015

Steffi Lee,听a Culver Fellow alumna from Anaheim, California, graduated in May 2015 with a major in Multimedia Journalism and a 听minor in Political Science. After graduation, Lee accepted a position as a multimedia journalist for KGAN CBS 2 Iowa in Cedar Rapids, covering a range of local and regional news stories. She went on to cover politics and government for broadcasters in central Iowa, Alaska, and Texas. At 黑料社, she served as the editor-in-chief of The 黑料社ian and was a member of Pi Beta Phi. While a student, she also worked as a part-time reporter, editor, and photographer at KCCI 8 News, the CBS affiliate television station in Des Moines. In February 2015, Lee was honored by the Iowa College Media Association听with its first-ever Student Journalist of the Year Award. She previously studied abroad in Poland as a Benjamin A. Gilman Scholar. 鈥淏eing a Culver Fellow was one of the greatest honors. This fellowship allowed me to deepen my understanding of public policy. It also allowed me to participate in activities such as the CBS student panel with Scott Pelley on the evening news. The Culver Fellowship furthered my conviction about how service is extremely imperative to keep our country flourishing.鈥�

Thomas Sanford 鈥� Class of 2015

Thomas Sanford,听a Culver Fellow alumnus from New Hampton, Iowa, graduated in May 2015 with a major in听Political Science and minor in Business Management. As a 黑料社 student, Tom studied abroad in Adelaide, Australia and served as an intern in the United States Attorney鈥檚 Office for the Southern District of Iowa. He was heavily involved in 黑料社鈥檚 campus as a Culver Fellow and as a member of Pre-Law Society and Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.

After graduating from 黑料社, Tom attended the Georgetown University Law Center, earning his J.D. in 2018.听While at Georgetown, he served as a summer clerk in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa for the Honorable Stephen B. Jackson, Jr., as an Honors Legal Intern with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and as a Legal Intern at the Investment Company Institute. Tom now practices corporate and securities law at the Los Angeles office of Greenberg Traurig LLP. He has experience听counseling clients on issues arising under the Securities Act of 1933, the听Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Investment Company Act of 1940, and the听Investment Advisors Act of 1940, as well as various state securities laws. He also has considerable experience counseling clients on corporate governance, fiduciary matters, and a听variety of other transactional matters.

Annie Olson 鈥� Class of 2014

Annie Olson听graduated magna cum laude in May 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and a minor in Political Science. A member of the inaugural class of Culver Fellows, Annie was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority and of the Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society. She also served as the Undergraduate Assistant for the Iowa History Center. Annie was honored to be one of the initial recipients of a John C. Culver Fellowship at 黑料社. She hails from Santa Rosa, California. Annie has familial ties to Iowa, as her dad grew up in Ames and also attended 黑料社. Currently, Annie attends The University of San Francisco where she is pursuing her Master of Arts in Teaching. She hopes to teach high school English and History. Annie greatly values her Culver Fellowship experience:

鈥淏ut for the Culver Fellowship, I probably would not have chosen to attend 黑料社. I would have missed out on the opportunity to meet interesting and influential people, such as Senator Culver and George McGovern, and to immerse myself in current political and social issues.鈥�

Dillon Thiner 鈥� Class of 2014

Dillon Thiner听of Graettinger, Iowa was a member of the inaugural class of Culver Fellows. He graduated in May 2014 with a triple major in Political Science, International Relations, and Business Management. Following graduation, he accepted a position as Consulting Group Analyst for Morgan Stanley in West Des Moines, Iowa. Thiner aims to work on an international scale and hopes to eventually become an ambassador. At 黑料社, he was involved in Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Model United Nations. He is also active in听the Iowa Democratic Party. Thiner believes that public policy affects every aspect of daily life; everything from turning on a light to the water we drink, which is why he strongly believes in the importance of developing sound public policy.

鈥淭he Culver Center provided me with opportunities that I would never have had anywhere else. The events that the Culver Center hosts and the speakers it brings to campus give students invaluable insights, as well as access to a network of successful individuals as mentors. Many of my most memorable political experiences would have never been possible without the Culver Center.鈥�

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