All posts by Amanda Martin

Campus Announcements Archive

A Day in the Life of a Peace Corps Volunteer: with Tavia Swarney, Drake alumna

Tavia Swarney graduated from Drake in 2023 with a degree in Anthropology and Sociology, and minors in Spanish and Environmental Sustainability and Resilience. Currently Tavia is serving in the Peace Corps in Senegal, West Africa as an Urban Agriculture Extension Agent. Since arriving in Senegal at the end of September, she has been learning farming practices, Wolof, a completely new way of life. “My time with the Peace Corps has been a once in a lifetime experience that I have absolutely fallen in love with,” she says.

Tavia will be sharing about her experience in the Peace Corps and answering questions in a Zoom call on Friday, March 29, at 11 a.m. All Drake students, faculty, and staff are welcome to attend.

Register on DUgood to receive the zoom link.

— Amanda Martin, Community Engaged Learning

For Students Archive

Apply to be a Drake Student Ambassador, deadline April 8

The Drake Student Ambassador Application is live, with a deadline of April 8.  The Office of Admission welcomes interested students to apply.

Ambassadors play a very important role in the decision­‐making process for prospective students, as they portray the Drake student experience through interactions with prospective students and families during campus tours. Student Ambassadors represent the wide variety of academic majors and student involvement on Drake’s campus and as a group, reflect the student body. 

Duties & Responsibilities:

  • Be knowledgeable about important Drake features and academic and student life information.
  • Give tours of campus to prospective students and their families during individual visits, group visit programs on weekdays and select Saturdays.
  • Positively represent Drake in student panels at in person and/or virtual events. 
  • Assist with various office projects and tasks to prepare visit materials, answer calls, escort students, run errands. 
  • Student Ambassadors are required to work a minimum of four hours per week during the academic year and are paid $10 per hour.
  • Students selected will begin their professional orientation program and employment in the fall, however summer positions are available as well

Qualifications:

  • Must be a full time student at Drake University
  • Must be a sophomore or above status entering the 2024-2025 academic year
  • Must have a cumulative GPA of 2.5.

Application Process:

  • Student Ambassador application and one recommendation is required.
  • The application must be completed and submitted by Monday, April 8 at Midnight.
  • One recommendation from a Drake University faculty or staff member must be completed and submitted by Monday, April 22.  Please give your recommenders ample time to complete and submit.
  • All applicants will participate in a group interview. Applicants will be contacted in April with their scheduled interview time based on their availability. 
  • Eight to ten Student Ambassadors are selected annually to join the Ambassador program for the following academic year. In addition to communication skills, engagement in the University and commitment to Drake, a key aspect to the selection process is to ensure that the Student Ambassador group represents the academic, demographic, and extra- curricular components of the Drake student body. 
  • Given the selectivity of the selection process, the Office of Admission invites all applicants to become members of the Admission Cole-ition, a volunteer organization, if not selected as a Student Ambassador.

Questions can be directed to admissioncoleition@drake.edu or deneen.dygert@drake.edu

Link to Application: Application Link

Link to Recommendation Form: Recommendation Form Link 

— Deneen Rae Dygert, Office of Admission

For Faculty, For Staff

All Staff Council Sapphire Awards and Provost’s Social April 16

The 2024 All Staff Council Sapphire Awards will be held on Tuesday, April 16, in the Cowles Library Reading Room.

The Sapphire Awards will begin at 3:30 p.m. and will be immediately followed by the regular Provost’s Social at 4 p.m. Please join us to enjoy some refreshments and celebrate our colleagues!

Refreshments will include light snacks, assorted beverages, and cake. This is a family-friendly event, so please feel free to bring your children or partner.

— Madison Bemus, Office of the Provost

For Students Archive

Schedule Financial Aid appointments through Starfish

Effective now, Drake students should utilize Starfish to schedule appointments with staff in the Financial Aid Office. Appointment requests received via phone or email will be directed to the Starfish appointment scheduler. (The main Financial Aid Office email and phone line remain available for questions that do not require an appointment.) 

This change will streamline financial aid appointment scheduling and provide students with the ability to request appointments at any time, even during non-business hours. Coming soon, our office will be implementing a check-in kiosk for in-person visitors that will facilitate a meeting with available staff or allow a student to schedule a meeting for another time. 

— Ryan Zantingh, Financial Aid Office

Campus Announcements Archive

Get engaged with Civic Action Week April 7–13

Civic Action Week is a campus-wide week of events for students, faculty, staff, and the broader community to learn, engage, and encourage collective responses to persistent societal challenges.

Civic Action Week centers around the Pathways for Civic Action and Social Change. We recognize there are many strategies needed to create change; the Pathways include: Community Engaged Learning & Research, Community Organizing & Activism, Direct Service, Philanthropy, Policy & Governance, and Social Entrepreneurship and Corporate Responsibility.

Consider participating in one or more of the events happening that week!

Monday, April 8

  • SNAP out of Food Insecurity, 2-3pm in the Olmsted Breezeway. Join the first-year Changemaker Scholars to learn about food insecurity and how it affects college students. Learn about the many resources that are available for students, and discover ways to get involved! (Other tabling events will occur April 16 from 1-3pm and April 18, 9-10:30am). (Pathways – Community Organizing & Activism, Policy & Governance)

Wednesday, April 10

  • Civic Action Week tabling, 12:15-2pm in the Olmsted Breezeway. Swing by to learn about Civic Action Week events, grab some swag, and share why or how you like to give back to the community.

Thursday, April 11

  • Careers in Social Change Virtual Panel. 4-5pm on Zoom. Hear from professionals on how they have used their career to create change. Panelists include George Scott of YMCA Greater Des Moines, Kathryn Lehmann with FEMA, and Annelise Tarnowski, founder of the Rook Room.  Register on Handshake. Sponsored by Office of Community Engaged Learning and Career Services.

Friday, April 12

  • Findley Elementary School First-Grade Visit to Drake. Drake has adopted the first grade class at Findley Elementary School and on April 12 the students will visit campus for a morning full of activities. Start your day off the best way! Anyone from the Drake community is invited to welcome the students when they arrive at 9:30am with a “Welcome Tunnel” at the University entrance of Meredith. Form a line from the front doors down the sidewalk. Drake students have the opportunity to promote a college-going culture for youth in Des Moines. Contact abigail.axell@drake.edu for more information.  Hosted by the Office of Community Engaged Learning. (Pathway – Direct Service)
  • Sprout Spring Volunteer Day. 2-4pm. Help prepare the beds for spring planting, plant cool-weather crops, and clean up litter that has acquired over the winter.  (Pathway – Direct Service). 

Saturday, April 13

  • Drake Constitutional Law Symposium – “Climate Change, the Environment, and Constitutions.” 8:30-1pm in Cartwright Hall, 213. Prestigious speakers will discuss current environmental topics. (Pathways – policy & governance, community organizing & activism)
  • Sprout Garden Compost Pile Sifting, sponsored by DEAL. 1-2:30pm at the Sprout Garden. Sift through completed piles, break down garden waste, and prepare to build a new pile. (Pathway – direct service).

Learn more about events and opportunities. Follow along on Instagram @drakeservice.

 — Amanda Martin, Community Engaged Learning

For Students Archive

J-Term travel seminars still accepting applications

If you’ve been considering applying for a 2025 J-Term travel seminar, it’s not too late. Most programs are still accepting applications, with admittance on a rolling basis when space is available. Review available programs and apply on Terra Dotta or reach out with any questions to studyabroad@drake.edu.

Locations include:

  • Austria
  • Bahamas
  • Hawaii
  • India
  • Italy
  • Kosovo
  • Madagascar
  • Mexico
  • New Zealand
  • Panama
  • Thailand & Vietnam
  • Washington, D.C.

— Chelsea Funk, Global Engagement

For Students Archive

DU England: Harlaxton still accepting applications

Applications for DU England: Harlaxton for Fall 2024 are still open until April 15. Don’t miss out on a chance to live and study in a manor house in the English countryside with Drake Faculty-in-Residence, Professor of Political Science, Mary McCarthy. AOIs available. Take your full financial aid package & Drake scholarships with you. Learn more and start an application, contact our office with questions (studyabroad@drake.edu), or book an advising appointment on Calendly.

— Maria Rohach, Global Engagement

Campus Announcements Archive

2024 Harkin Retirement Security Symposium: Navigating the Journey to Financial Wellness

Whether you’re budgeting for the present or planning for your retirement, managing your finances can be an overwhelming task. That’s why The Harkin Institute chose “Navigating the Journey to Financial Wellness” as the theme for this year’s Harkin Retirement Security Symposium. The event will bring together advocacy and community organizations, government agencies, and private companies and their foundations that work on financial wellness and retirement security. The symposium will provide a forum to discuss the most pressing challenges and find collaborative opportunities to address documented financial wellness needs and their relationship to retirement security, with an emphasis on vulnerable populations.

WHAT: 2024 Harkin Retirement Security Symposium: Navigating the Journey to Financial Wellness

WHEN: Tuesday, April 30, 2024, from 8:30 a.m. – 4:15 p.m.

WHERE: Olmstead Center at Drake University (2875 University Ave., Des Moines, IA 5031)

RSVP: Registration is free for Drake students, staff, and faculty! The event will also be livestreamed on The Harkin Institute’s YouTube channel.

For more information on the 2024 Harkin Retirement Security Symposium, click here.

— Kathryn Kuckelman, The Harkin Institute

Campus Announcements Archive

Building Brands, Empowering Entrepreneurs: A Conversation with Emily Steele, BN’12

Join us Wednesday, April 10, at 7 p.m. to hear from Emily Steele, BN’12, Drake alum and the CEO & co-founder of Hummingbirds. Hummingbirds is a dynamic marketing platform connecting place-based brands with community-minded content creators. Emily will share insights on her innovative approach to marketing and entrepreneurship, leveraging social media and community collaboration to empower small businesses and elevate emerging brands.

This is a virtual event open to Drake faculty, staff, and students.

Register here.

Questions? Reach out to Andy Verlengia at andrew.verlengia@drake.edu.

— Andy Verlengia, Office of Alumni Relations