Mentor A Hawkeye Student


University of Iowa alumni and friends can give back by mentoring and providing internship and practicum experience to current students.

Are you a professional with an opportunity that would be valuable to a current Iowa student? Would you like to mentor a Hawkeye? Reach out to the university contact in your field to discuss the possibilities.

Business, undergraduate level: internships

Barb Thomas, Executive Director, Communication, Alumni and External Relations
barbara-thomas-2@uiowa.edu

Business, graduate level: internships

Cindy Meis, Director, MBA Career Management, Specialized Masters
cindy-meis@uiowa.edu

Dentistry: dental practice opportunities

Amanda Shoemaker, Director of Alumni Relations and Continuing Education
amanda-shoemaker@uiowa.edu

Journalism and Mass Communications: internships and mentorships

David Ryfe, Director, School of Journalism and Mass Communication
david-ryfe@uiowa.edu

Law: internships and mentorships

Pamela Funke, Assistant Director, Alumni Relations
pamela-funke@uiowa.edu

Pharmacy: mentors for first-year Doctor of Pharmacy students

Kayla Sanders, Constituent Relations
kayla-sanders@uiowa.edu

Public Health: internships and mentorships

Tara McKee, Alumni and Constituent Relations Coordinator
tara-mckee@uiowa.edu


If you do not see an area that suits your career opportunity, visit the Pomerantz Career Center website to learn how you can recruit and hire current Hawkeyes for internships, micro-internships, and/or employment following graduation.

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A University of Iowa scholarship supports students who have a passion for the game of basketball?all thanks to a few former UI basketball players. Pictured are former Iowa men's basketball players who took part in a charity basketball game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in 1986. The first of three charity basketball games helped raise more than $300,000 for two UI scholarships. Front row (left to right): Ronnie Lester, Fred Brown, Bo Hairston, Rick Williams, Waymond King, Jim Hodge, Kirk Speraw, and Chad Calabria. Second row: Fred Haberecht, Craig Anderson, Steve Krafcisin, Steve Waite, Mike Henry, Greg Stokes, Michael Payne, Clay Hargrave, and Mark Gannon. Back row: Kenny Arnold, Ken Grabinski, Kevin Boyle, Dan Frost, Mike Gatens, Bobby Hansen, Dick Peth, Tom Norman, John Johnson, and Glenn Vidnovic. Basketball is more than just a game to Brooke Stout. Stout, who started playing basketball in the third grade while living on a farm outside of Washington, Iowa, learned countless life lessons on the hardwood. ?Basketball taught me to never give up and to work hard to accomplish my goals,? says Stout, who was a two-year varsity starter at Washington High School. ?My teammates were the reason I enjoyed basketball so much. The game produced some of my closest friends, and we learned responsibility, accountability, and to never give up on each other.? When Stout chose to come to the University of Iowa, she left competitive sports behind, including basketball. Because of her love for the game, though, Stout was a recent beneficiary of the Iowa Farm Scholarship/Iowa Basketball Letterman Fund, which provides one-year full-tuition scholarships to UI students who played basketball in high school and have a rural or agricultural background. The Iowa Farm Scholarship/Iowa Basketball Letterman Fund got its start during the 1980s farm crisis. While the economic downturn was wreaking havoc on rural Iowa families, a few Hawkeye basketball letterwinners decided to help. ?We wanted to find a way to give back to the state that we represented and to the people who supported us during our time on the court,? says Mike Gatens (76BA), an Iowa City native who earned three varsity letters under former coaches Dick Schultz and Lute Olson. ?We thought it would be great to have an alumni basketball game and have the money go toward helping those affected by the farm crisis.? In 1986, Gatens and other UI basketball letterwinners held the first of three alumni basketball games at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Their efforts were substantial, raising $300,000 over five years to support two endowed scholarships: the Iowa Farm Scholarship/Iowa Basketball Letterman Fund and the John Streif Men?s Basketball Scholarship, which honors the longtime Iowa athletic trainer. While Stout says the full tuition scholarship has improved her Iowa experience, other recipients such as Kaylee Kortenkamp?who suffered a career ending basketball injury during her time at East Buchanan High School in Winthrop, Iowa?said it has helped her get involved in organizations such as Dance Marathon. ?This scholarship has allowed me to focus so much more on my studies in biomedical engineering and get involved on campus,? says Kortenkamp, who received the scholarship in the 2017-18 academic year. ?I can?t express how grateful I am to these individuals who believe in future generations.? To date, the Iowa Farm Scholarship/Iowa Basketball Letterman Fund has supported 58 students by using the interest accrued each year to award the scholarship. Gatens said he?s been humbled to meet several of the recipients and see that the former Hawkeyes? work more than 30 years ago continues to have an impact on Iowa?s students. ?As a kid in Iowa City, I dreamt of being a basketball player at Iowa, and I was fortunate enough to be a scholarship athlete,? says Gatens. ?It?s so important to give back so that others can participate and have memorable experiences. Through these scholarships, we have been able to help some really good kids.? If you or someone you know may qualify for the Iowa Farm Scholarship/Iowa Basketball Letterman Fund, learn more.

Are you new to Iowa City, Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Chicago, or the Twin Cities? Alumni in each of these Hawkeye havens have prepared an insider's guide to their cities to help you find your way.

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