Katelyn Woodard loves her CNA job and loves being an honors outreach ambassador, both of which allow her to help people in a time of transition. In her letter, Katelyn recalls feeling homesick during her fist days of college and the kindness of her Honors Primetime instructor who noticed, and who took the time to talk with her.

Dear Prospective Students,

Welcome to the University of Iowa! Congratulations on all your accomplishments and the milestones you have accomplished. I know it seems like there is so much going on but it is so important to take time to appreciate yourself and all that you have accomplished. Your future's so bright, and you will do so much.

My name is Katelyn Woodward and I am a second year student who is studying pre-nursing. I am so excited to be able to pursue a career in nursing at the University of Iowa, surrounded by so many incredible instructors and leaders. I am a CNA in my hometown of Waukee, Iowa (a Des Moines suburb), and I adore it so much. Being able to help others get back to their normal lives, supporting them and their families, and helping individuals in their most vulnerable state means so much to me. I aspire to always be someone that individuals can count on and rely on.

One of the things I am so excited to be able to do as an ambassador is to connect with future Hawkeyes and help guide them through their crazy and vulnerable times. The amount of stress that goes into graduating high school and moving off to college is no small joke, and I am so excited to be able to help students through this process. Being able to meet with students and listen to them and their concerns is such a gift! I want to be able to give back to the honors students what I was given. I fell in love with the honors program the first day of my honors primetime class. It was my first day in Iowa, and I was so homesick. I spent almost the entire first day sitting in class or the bathroom crying, because I missed my family and home so much. I began considering just not going to college, but my primetime instructor reached out to me to talk with me. That conversation I had with her made me feel so at home and welcome at the University that I kept on pushing on. I slowly got more involved with the honors program and more of the staff within the honors program, and I knew it was such a great place for me to be! This has been a constant for me here since that time. The support from other honors students and faculty is so motivating and exciting. There is so much knowledge to learn within the program from so many people, and there are so many role models to look up to and work with every day to become a better version of yourself.

I hope everyone can find their place here at Iowa! From the wave at every football game to the children's hospital to the sunsets at the old capitol building and everything else in between, The University of Iowa is such an outstanding and beautiful place to be. There is no other place I would rather call home.

Katelyn Woodward