Fall 2024 graduate spotlights
Ava Haberer grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona, but she spent many of her summers running around Iowa City and the University of Iowa campus while visiting family. When it came time to think about where she wanted to go to college, she sent in only one application: to Iowa. The university’s criminology, law, and justice major has influenced the type of law she plans to practice.
Despite having childhood dreams of becoming a meteorologist, Marshawn Gunn realized he didn’t love it as much as he loved something else. “What I do love is telling people’s stories,” Gunn says. He credits his professors and classes at Iowa, broadcast experiences working for Daily Iowan TV, and an internship at Des Moines television station KCCI for helping him hone his storytelling skills.
While many students are surprised to discover they can participate in research during their undergraduate studies, Olivia Kopp went looking for a university where she could do just that. “I chose the University of Iowa because I wanted to go to a research school,” says Kopp, who will graduate with a BS in psychology. “I like the idea of constantly finding out new things and learning more, so I wanted to go to a research school specifically.”
Ethan Dabareiner has led tens of thousands of fans in cheering for the Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium, Carver-Hawkeye Arena, and stadiums across the country. The Naperville, Illinois, resident didn’t plan to try out for the Iowa Cheerleaders when he started at the University of Iowa. But he’s sure glad he did. “It really has made me feel like Iowa is my home.”
After graduating with her undergraduate degree, Lauren Mudd returned to Iowa and received an MS in biostatistics in 2014. Since then, Mudd has had three children, moved back to Texas, and started working as a biostatistician, all while pursuing a PhD. “It took a lot of focus, dedication, and not giving up,” Mudd says. “I missed out on a lot of fun things while I just sat and worked. It took a lot of sacrifices from everyone — myself, my husband, our kids. But the dissertation work did ultimately end up being fun, and I kind of don’t want it to be done now that I’m at the end.”
