Coming from Olympia, Washington, Holtze arrived in Iowa City with a little imposter syndrome — and bright red hair. But once she stepped into production classes, she found her community.

“Whenever we were on set, whenever the lights went down and the camera was rolling, we all belonged in that space,” she says.

Over the past four years, Holtze didn’t just study film — she lived it. She worked on more than 20 student sets and 10 productions by graduates and professors, filmed and edited campus events, and screened five personal films at local festivals.

She also completed a summer internship in Seattle teaching filmmaking at a STEM camp and served as an Independent Creative Research by Undergraduates fellow for five terms.

Holtze says she found amazing mentors at Iowa, including Kaia Olsen, professor of practice for film and video production; Stephanie Miracle, assistant professor in the Department of Dance; Daniel Fine, assistant professor of digital media in performance; and Jean-Francois Charles, associate professor of composition/music theory co-area head.

“I was in Charles’ digital arts class, and to be honest, I didn’t really like the class. But at some point in the semester, he recognized my work connected with my film classes,” Holtze says. “He pulled me in for a meeting and asked me to be an assistant director for his upcoming opera music video project about Grant Wood. He showed a lot of respect toward me as a filmmaker and as a creative, just as much as I was trying to prove to him, and I think I will always be thankful for how encouraging he was as a person.”

For Holtze, being a Hawkeye means embracing surprises and learning from them. And she’s taking that lesson with her as she steps into the next chapter of her creative journey.

What are some of your earliest memories on campus?

I started college in January. I remember leaving for class at 7:30 in the morning, and as I was getting off the Cambus it was minus 12 degrees. I was not prepared for that. I was walking to rhetoric class questioning why I made these decisions and why I did not prepare better for this weather. But I learned my lesson and have since layered better.

What surprised you the most about the University of Iowa?

How many bridges the university has made with the culture and the city of Iowa City. It was really revealing to go downtown and see the many collaborations between the university, students, and art and music businesses. 
All these places are so committed to allowing students to find opportunities. And because of that, I was able to feel more comfortable with putting myself in new situations, knowing that there would be people that would be there to support me.

What did you get out of your Iowa experience that you don’t feel you would have gotten elsewhere?

The people here are so proud to be Midwesterners and so proud of the work that they've created in this space and the way that they've reflected themselves and their work within these environments. I met such incredible people who were able to make such incredible pieces of art out of that, and for that, I will forever be thankful. With this opportunity, I am going to go into the industry, go into this craft with a lot more confidence.

What is one of the biggest takeaways from your time here?

People kept telling me about “Midwest nice,” and I didn’t necessarily believe that it was a thing. But what I've noticed, walking around the streets on campus and seeing so many people, is that they all have so many different stories. They always share a part of themselves through their eyes. Walking around campus, making eye contact and smiling at people, I think I will forever miss those little interactions. It always reminds me that the Midwest is nice, and I can always return and know that I will be welcome here again. I will always be thankful.

What’s the best way to describe what it’s like to be a Hawkeye, to be part of the Hawkeye community?

Being a Hawkeye is feeling proud of the work you have accomplished as well as the work of others. This campus thrives off such an incredible variety of students and professors who are all passionate about so many different things. Everyone is an expert in something, and as a part of this community, it is my duty to listen, learn, and respond to them through an exchange of respect, curiosity, and admiration of one another.

This environment will usually, most definitely, offer things that will surprise you. And don’t be afraid to learn from it. For me, the University of Iowa has been that place, and Iowa can be that place for you.

What are your post-graduation plans?

I have a few personal projects of mine that will be created and completed here in Iowa City throughout the beginning of next year. Then I plan to move back to Seattle and begin expanding my creative endeavors with connections I made the previous summer.

I find a lot of satisfaction in being the right-hand man for directors. I’ve had some of my best experiences on campus working as an assistant director to professors and their projects.  And I feel like a lot of my skills have come out of those experiences because I'm able to implement my own vision on projects that have already been fleshed out quite a bit. So, I think my ultimate goal is to create relationships and create trust with people who I know can take those big steps into making their own productions.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank?

I would like to thank my mom, my dad and my sister for always accepting my abstract perspectives on the world and the way that I see my art. I would also like to shoutout Philip Rabalais and Auden Lincoln-Vogel, two professors of mine who I've consistently worked with throughout the years. And I'd also like to shoutout Jenelle Stafford, who was my TA when I was a freshman, who recognized how much I enjoyed yelling at people and keeping them on schedule. She's the reason that I got my first job on set, so thank you!