The University of Iowa is proud to welcome students from all over the world. Our International Ambassadors are students that are excited to make the college search process a little more personal to future Hawkeyes around the globe.

Here, you’ll hear from International Ambassador Grace Bryant, a first year student double majoring in International Relations with Spanish and French minors. She shares why she became a Hawkeye.

Why I Came to Iowa

As a high school student living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, I always swore there was NO WAY I was going to attend college in-state. I didn’t want to run into people I knew all the time. I wanted to experience the diversity of a big city. I wanted a vast array of academic and experiential learning opportunities that I didn’t think were available at Iowa state schools.

However, upon visiting the UI campus, my opinions changed. Along with falling in love with the urban-feeling campus, I realized that the University of Iowa offers over 200 areas of undergraduate study, meaning anything and everything I was interested in learning about was likely to be offered here. I was excited to learn that UI has sent students to study abroad on all seven continents and that a high proportion of Iowa students find internships and employment opportunities during their undergraduate years.

Deciding to come to Iowa was one of the best decisions of my life. I have had the opportunity to take a wide variety of classes focused on my various interests. I am preparing to study abroad in Spain in the fall and have received scholarships to do so. I’ve become involved with several student organizations, through which I have met people from all over the state, country and world.

The University of Iowa is a wonderfully diverse campus in which I’ve had the opportunity to pursue my interests and dreams. I couldn’t be happier to be a Hawkeye!