Category: Events

campus events

My Iowa : Diversity, Inclusion, Identity, & Discussion

In the wake of the indictment decision in the Ferguson trial, and nationwide tension and attention on the racial issues that tear at our country, I have begun reflecting on some of the great discussion that I had in a university program called My Iowa.  During the My Iowa retreat, there was ample amount of time made for students to connect with each other and talk about the deep stuff. That is why I loved My Iowa, because some of the conversation that I had there, proved to me that I’m not alone in some of my experiences of injustice and that there are some good people out there (black, white, brown, red, and yellow) who care about making the world a better place. Today you can meet some of them in my post!

Four years ago I had the opportunity to participate in My Iowa: Multicultural & International Student Summit, and this year I applied and became a Peer Leader for the summit. I had an amazing time facilitating discussion and creating cross-cultural friendships with some of the best folks on campus! If you can’t already tell, I met some amazing people through the summit, and so instead of just telling you what I thought about the summit I asked a few of the other participants to share with you all what My Iowa is to them.

Below you will find a collection of bus ride reflections on the My Iowa experience of my peers and of course they are accompanied by a My Iowa T-shirt selfie!

My Iowa is…a great summit that everyone should participate in. I got to meet so many different diverse group of people I wouldn’t have met if it wasn’t for My Iowa. I’ve gained so much more knowledge about other culture and background of other people, it was an amazing experience!! -Gocale

My Iowa is strong, genuine,diverse, welcoming, supportive, united, non-stereotypical, appreciative. -Efe

MY IOWA: Multicultural & International Student Summit

The next MY Iowa is next year, don’t miss out on an opportunity like this! Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact CSIL in advance at 335-3059.

The MY IOWA Multicultural and International Student Leadership Summit is an overnight retreat. Open to all UI students, MY IOWA will give participants a chance to build connections and leadership skills with a diverse group of people who want to make the university a place where all feel welcome. This is a fun and exciting way to start your semester off, and build strong relationships throughout your time at Iowa! The curriculum has strong connections with The National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI) model and other leadership development experiences. This year, MY IOWA will occur on October 24-25, 2014, with 45 student spots available. The event will be held at Crooked Creek Camp in Washington, Iowa, with transportation and meals being provided free of charge for all participants.

After the MY IOWA retreat, participants will be invited to several events, and dialogues throughout the year to build upon the relationships formed, and also to help connect these leaders to campus resources, administrators, faculty, staff, and fellow students.\

For additional information click here.

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Lastly, thank you to everyone who helped contribute to this post.

The “Student Council” of the University of Iowa

Many of us participated in student council in high school, and never dreamed that a school as big as the University of Iowa would have such an organization. Well… it does! It’s called University of Iowa Student Government or UISG for short.

This is my second year in UISG, and this time around I’m a part of the Executive Branch. I’m this year’s Diversity Liaison. In student government you learn a lot about politics (you run a campaign to get votes for your party in the spring), you meet tons of other student leaders, you build relationships with administrators and community members, and you are presented with ample amount of opportunity to create change on campus. The last one is my favorite part.

Anything from staples in the library (provided by UISG!), to advocating on behalf of Tuition Freeze (yep, we do that), to keeping the student center open for 24 hours to accommodate the late owls and early birds, there are truly no limits!

UISG just had their first senate meeting of the year. It was part of a carefully planned retreat to get everyone acclimated to all parts UISG.  We had dinner together, learned about Robert’s Rules, met with our committees (Sustainability, Diversity, Academic Affairs, Student Life, Governmental Relations, Communication and Outreach, Nominations, & Financial).

UISG Retreat
UISG Retreat Selfie

We passed our first legislation of the year, and I’m happy to announce that the International Student Advisory Board is going to be up and running soon. How cool is that?
I had a great time, and I’m looking forward to a great year.

There are five seats reserved for Freshman Senators which are filled at the beginning of the Fall semester.

All students will be notified via email when the application is open, so be sure to check your emails! 

For more information on The University of Iowa’s Student Government visit http://uisg.uiowa.edu/ or comment here.

 

 

Lessons Learned This Semester

Lessons Learned This Semester
A quick overview of my growth and understanding of just a few things entrepreneurial and businessy

First, let me reflect on what my perception of entrepreneurship and business were five months ago. It’s strange to think that they could have possibly changed in such a short amount of time. My views of entrepreneurship before this semester were as followed:

  • An entrepreneur was something I had to wait to become because I didn’t have an idea yet.
  • The business that I will eventually start would have a TOM’s shoes business model.
  • Raising Capital is a long, formal, and technical process
  • Customers are important

Kyra’s Shoes
Although the idea isn’t completely ruled out, I have pretty much decided that building a company identical to TOMS shoes but in a different industry isn’t necessarily how I want to save the world. I’m almost more interested in starting a company with no one social good officially tied to all marketing and business. I would like my company to give because it’s the right thing to do, not because we exploit the emotions of others. I still would like it built into our mission, but I’d almost like it if my niche is what first came to mind in my customer’s heads. However, if a bunch of students in a Social Entrepreneurship class did a Corporate Social Responsibility analysis of my company, they would discover that we operate the best we can in order to not only avoid, but combat exploitation of others. I would like them to discover that we care about our impact on the environment throughout our supply, production, and distribution chains. I want to compete in the business world on customer service, quality, and overall awesomeness of my product and service, while at the same time being aware of all negative externalities of my company, and encouraging more positive externalities.

Kyra the Entrepreneur in 2024
I’ve always known that there were a lot of students at Iowa that were starting their own businesses. I knew I had the skills to be one of them, I believed I had everything going for me except I didn’t have an award winning idea. So I was a wannabe entrepreneur, and I was determined to groom myself for the day that I would come up with something and make millions! It dawned on me this semester that I already am an entrepreneur, and that it didn’t have to be my “idea” to play a critical role in adding value and taking it to the next level. I am doing that right now, with the local startup Ellison.

2024Getting That Startup Dough
A combination of taking my Entrepreneurial Finance course and being in the Venture School has really helped me understand the processes and options for raising capital, which was a really a foreign concept to me prior to this semester. I had my silly assumptions, I won’t waste time explaining them all, but I did think that raising money for a business was more of an application process, and the character or network behind the team had no significance throughout the process. Now I’m more in tune with the minds of venture capitalists, business model competition winning material, pitches, angel investors, and bank loan terms and conditions. I’m definitely on the right track now.

My Inspiration
Where I derive my inspiration from has also expanded. I have never felt a connection between my entrepreneurial spirit and that of the military in any way shape or form. I realize now, that there is a lot I can learn from the SEALs that easily transfer over into other areas of my life, including the entrepreneurial sections. Thanks mostly to the activities in my Social Entrepreneurship class, I’ve really grown to think about lessons I can learn from all walks of life, and the art of connecting it to my entrepreneurial pursuit of success.

navy sealsBaby Jesus, Bill, & Tony
What do Jesus, Bill Strickland, and Tony Hsieh have in common? Probably a lot of things, but for the purpose of this essay I’m referring to the way they changed the world around them for the better despite the fact that that very same world was calling them all crazy for even thinking about it.  Brilliant innovation doesn’t come about by following all the rules and sticking to the status quo, in order to have that type of impact you may have to go ahead and do what your intuition is telling you even if it doesn’t sit right with those around you.

zapposWhich came first, The Hen or the Egg?
This semester I’ve had my eyes opened to just how much more valuable it is to value and understand your customer, than it is just have a good idea. I know this may come off as common sense, but I always thought of entrepreneurship in a chronological order beginning with an idea and then ending with a customer. Now I see how beginning with the customer their wants, needs, and pain points is a much better route.

Thanks To These My Experience @UIowa
–University of Iowa’s Venture School, Social Entrepreneurship Class with Joseph Sulentic, Entrepreneurial Finance class with Scott Hauser, and my new team Ellison startup company, JPEC,  & Hawkeye Innovation Summit

“Spring” Break

*Clicks Red, Sequined Heels* “I just want to wear shorts. I just want to wear shorts”
Well that didn’t work! It is still cold here, which is definitely not the best weather for my new high-waisted shorts from Four Seasons. Because it is snowing outside right now, on March 25th, I have to put my mind in a warmer place in order to keep my sanity! 

Spring Break was last week (yes! I know! It is supposed to be spring!)
All students including myself, had a week off from classes.

Like most other college students, hitting up the tropical islands or other warmer parts of the world are all very common destinations among Iowa students. I asked a few friends what they did with their spring breaks, check out the pictures below to see what some of my friends were up to!

As you can see my friends enjoyed the treasures of the United States and abroad, the beaches and the mountains,  while others enjoyed spas or conducted several hours of volunteer in-service hours making a difference! Some of them even received college credit. 🙂

If you wanted more information about the class that took two of my friends to Mexico. Here is the class number and class description. There are just so many opportunities to be had. #GoIowa
#HawksAroundTheGlobe

165:126 (ABRD:3352) International Perspectives: Xicotepec
Introduction to providing service to communities in underdeveloped countries through discipline‑specific projects to improve community life in Xicotepec, Mexico; cultural and professional preparation for team work in an international environment; service‑learning course in collaboration with Rotary International. Spring break in Xicotepec, Mexico.

Hawkeye Visit Days

Today, I had the opportunity to revisit some of my old hobbies. I was invited to be on a panel for the University of Iowa’s Hawkeye Visit Day. It has been a long time since I’ve been on a panel, and quite honestly I kind of miss it. Now, before you turn judgmental and assume I’m a stage junkie, hear me out.

One of the things I have learned about myself is that I truly enjoy being a resource for others. I believe it is due to my upbringing, and all of the past experiences I have had of someone reaching out to help me. Being on the panel today gave me the opportunity to really share lessons that I’ve learned (some of which took all four years to finally sink in). It wasn’t until after the panel when I was sneaking out of the ballroom to head to one of my favorite classes (Introduction to Environmental Science), that I obtained a sense of accomplishment. A woman and her daughter ran to catch up to me to ask if I had a moment to talk. The first thing she asked about was my major. Then she shared with me that she too had visited Japan. Soon her daughter and I got carried away about the endless possibilities of customizing one’s experience at Iowa to really get the best out of your experience. It wasn’t too long until her niece came out to join the conversation, and I realized that her and I had even more things in common.

It felt good to get them excited for going to college, sitting in the front row of your life, and having access to a variety of resources at your finger tips. I remember feeling like that my freshman year, and I don’t regret it one bit. Today I was able to connect with someone, and truly share my experience here at Iowa, and watch how it inspired someone else. That is why I love talking with incoming students. That is why I can’t shut up about my time as an undergraduate here. That is why I’ve worked so hard to take advantage of all that the university and it’s community has to offer, so that one day (hopefully most days), I can set an example for someone who can see a little bit of themselves in me. To motivate them to be who they want to be and more, and to challenge themselves to think above and beyond what is considered standard. I think I did that today.

Annnnd because I know my friends who are reading this are going to call bolagna on something I said before, so here it is!  I really am a stage junkie. I perform every opportunity I get. I just didn’t think admitting that in the beginning was going to aid in the position I was trying to take in such a genuine topic (but now you know it all). 😀

#GoHawks

Alone and Defenseless

Poor thing was crawling with fleas and was too young to open his eyes
Poor thing was crawling with fleas and was too young to open his eyes

Had my heart broken today…for this little guy. I was on my way to work when I heard a series of little cries coming from a bush on the other side of a tall fence. He was so well camouflaged I almost missed him. I called out to him and after every call he would whine, as if he was communicating or was uncomfortable with the silence. His blue eyes were barely open, and his legs struggled to carry his own weight. After thirty minutes of trying to get him to come to me, I knew I had to get to my internship. At exactly 1 p.m. I rush to the gate with my friend Lucresia Sanchez. He was still there but he was not moving or responding. For a second I thought he was dead. On the other side of the gate there was an 11 year old boy (guessing his age) trying to train/ride this huge horse. He so kindly came over to help us get to this puppy that we thought it might be old enough to be fed the meat from our packed lunch (we were so wrong) When he pulled the little guy out from under the bush and from the crack of two stones… my heart melted and I wanted to take him home. His chances of survival are beyond slim even if his mother didn’t neglect him and was out looking for food. He was covered in fleas, and enjoyed the comfort of my hands. I eventually returned him to his bush, tucked away my tears, and prayed for his mother’s return.

And to answer the questions, “why didn’t you take him to an animal rescue shelter?” I was in a smaller town up in the mountains in the Dominican Republic where stray dogs can be seen five to a block. I give them my left overs when I have some and I’m careful not to step on any as they snooze in the middle of the day scattered along the sidewalks. There aren’t any dog shelters as we know them, but they do have a few pet stores where the conditions are definitely way worse than a bush. Disgustingly I’ve almost become immune to the dogs that run around here with their ribs showing and their scraggly matted unkempt fur. But this was the first time I saw a little puppy.

Dominican Salon

Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo of my hair afterwards. Haha Next Time For Sure!

I made some notes on salon spanish vocabulary, so I could know what to ask for, what to say no to, and etc.

The woman washed, and massaged, and washed my hair many times. She was like, ” Oye! Muy Sucio!” Which basically meant that my hair was gross and dirty. Haha, I bet!  Then she deep conditioned my hair, which was a gift from the heavens! You think because of the humidity here your hair would be moisturized all the time, but its the exact opposite. My hair is SOOOO DRY… my friends’ hair are dry too. After my trip to the salon, my hair had life again. Lastly, she blow dryed my hair with the hottest blow-dryer I have every felt. Ouch! I did ask her to use heat protectant. The whole thing costs me the equivalent of about 5 U.S. dollars. Wepa!

I am definitely going back, and when I do I’ll be sure to get photos after the fact. 🙂

The Most Stressful Midterms

Okay, so not to say that I had it worse than anyone else, but I’m sure it would be a tough call. The week before midterms I was engulfed in the internship application process; interviews, assessments, more interviews, etc. I think the University of Iowa could better space out when this fair occurs, because having it a week and a half before midterms is gruesome. All the employers expect you to get this done in two days, and that done in three days. I’m not complaining too much because it is a blessing that I have even been selected to be a part of the process. It just gets difficult if you are taking on a full load of classwork, and then having to choose where to spend your time-sensitive efforts, between internship and academics. The weekend before midterm week was my best friend’s wedding. It was an entire weekend-long event. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. She looked absolutely stunning, the food was fantastic, her family felt like my family, I won fifty dollars, and not to mention I am really happy for the both of them.

My friend's wedding IMAG1516_1_1 IMAG1623

After the wedding -BOOM midterm week! I had a total of four exams, one quiz, and two Spanish papers to do. After a very late night of studying and procrastination (I was having a hard time trying to focus), my first exam went great. After a pep talk with one of my good friends, my Spanish research paper turned out alright. The first day was done and I was feeling good.

Tuesday I had to do an assessment for one of the internships I was applying for. I found this internship at the Spring Job and Career Fair hosted by the university at the Iowa Memorial Union. They sent it to me on Friday and said that I had 2 business days to complete it. The wedding consumed my weekend, and I spent Sunday and Monday preparing for exams that I waited until the last minute to do the assessments for. Tuesday night I begin to start feeling really sick. It was obviously my lack of sleep was catching up to me. By 6pm I had a cough, sore throat and an achy body. At 10pm I was trying to get these assessments done, and I ended up being so fatigued that I fell asleep during one of them. I completely bombed them. I currently feel awful because I know that I could’ve done a lot better had I been well rested and not sick. 🙁

Wednesday morning I woke up so sick I could barely move. I went to an academic adviser meeting where I was encouraged by my adviser to “follow my heart.” Okay, so those were not her exact words, hers were of course less cliche and more wise, had a lot more content, and more structure. 🙂

Right before my first class I stopped by the Center for Diversity Office (my favorite place on campus), and although there was no food present I did find an empty beanie bag in the backroom. I sat there with the intention on taking a quick nap. I felt like complete dog poo. I had aches all over my body, and it hurt to talk or think. My nap turned into a two hour siesta.  Once I woke up, I knew I had to go to the doctor. While I was waiting for the bus a good friend of mine brought me some soup. I am so grateful for the friends I have made at Iowa, they are so sweet. Later, I called Student Health and made an appointment. After describing my symptoms the man on the phone told me to not go to class.

I went there and good news, I didn’t have the flu! However, they believed it could be something else. They couldn’t test for it, because the results for this “something else” do not show up until 1 week after you’ve begun to experience the symptoms. However, my doctor did tell me that I need to rest all evening and all day tomorrow to see if it helps. She also suggested that I did not go to class, until I was feeling better.

For the first time in a while, I thought… YES I CAN BREATHE! So, I went home and slept for quite some time. Then I woke up to dismal emails from my professors about making up my exams. Talk about STRESS!

My trip to China is even more precious now, I can’t wait!

Hikone Jo- “Hikone Castle”

I am not quite sure if I have said this enough times or not, but I am so thankful to be in such a beautiful country with such amazing people. Last Friday Scott and I took off on a little adventure of our own to go see the beautiful 400 year old Castle of Hikone. This is one of the highest accessible points (besides other mountain tops), and the point with one of the best views that I have seen so far. Looking out into the distance from any angle will give you an irreplaceable view of Hikone, including the beautiful Lake Biwa and the city of Hikone itself.

Time and time again, I had to just stop and take it all in. Just to think about people over 400 years ago walking on this very ground, building this very castle is quite a humbling experience. Once we made it to the top and I avoided the evil Japanese hornets, I sat on a bench in the wind and listened to every sound of the city. The holler of the air whistling through the mountains. The voice of the black and white birds in the trees just a few feet away. The city’s vehicles. What a sweet combination of nature, history, civilization, and peace. This gave me an opportunity to let my mind roam in places it ordinarily wouldn’t. I asked a lot of “why” questions to myself and imagined what life would have been like. Unfortunately, because of lack of planning and Scott and my spontaneous spirit, we did not get to the castle during the hours that the inside was open. In more than one way I am thankful for this. We were able to pay close attention to the outside architecture of the castle as well as its beautiful surroundings .

Leaving Hikone Jo, I felt renewed and restored. I had some prayer and much needed relaxation time. The JCMU Intensive Language program is very intense, I study here like I have never studied before… I might just need to visit Hikone Jo a little more often.

The landscape and view from the castle delivers peace and beauty with every look….

Its That Time Of The Year Again

So I had an amazing summer, hopefully I’ll have a chance to upload some more blogs about how my summer fell together.

With only 3 days ’til school starts, its crazy to believe that I am a sophomore now- a more experienced, more connected, and a less confused individual on a journey to greatness!

Earlier this week I was a Peer Leader in the Iowa Edge program. TALK ABOUT FUN 🙂

This program will always have a spot in my heart, it was so shocking to believe that I was once in the freshmen spot, just a year ago.  Iowa Edge brought me a long way, I learned so much and it really just gave me a head start and a taste of success. Iowa Edge made me eager to continue building the skills throughout the year that Edge originally equipped me with during the first week of my freshman year.

I was a Peer leader of the Dark Grey group! REPRESENT! Check out Iowa Edge Organization if you are looking to get involved!

Iowa Edge In The News:

The Iowa Edge banquet was last night! We all danced the night away! Oh, and the food catered was homemade and delicious!

Now that Edge is over, OnIowa has begun. The freshmen this year are really in for a treat.

Preparation: With classes right around the corner, I have to get on my A-game! I went and printed off all of my syllabi for class and read them over. I also marked in my planner when all assignments are due, exam time, and days that I should start studying or start on my projects.

My roommate moved in today. And our room looks sooo cute! Not too mention, because we are 2nd year students, we knew exactly what to bring and what not to bring. For example, I didn’t bring as near as many clothes or my printer. Unnecessary.

Me as a Edge Student:

Meeting Professor Mitch Kelly
"Iowa Edge gives you direct access to faculty"
Building Relationships & Making Friends

Me as a Peer Leader

Some of the Peer Leaders