Winter Newsletter: Hello from Honors Publications!

Welcome to our Winter Newsletter, packed with inspiring stories from our honors community! Whether you’re curious about student experiences, program initiatives or the impact of honors connections, there’s something in this issue for you. Take a moment to read and celebrate the voices that make Honors at Iowa special!

In this issue, our student writers explore some of the diverse arenas where honors students lead and grow as well as the ways they stay grounded.

Cameron Vest ushers us into the world of Iowa’s many literary magazines, where students like Ashlyn Solinsky and Ollie Naber transform from solitary writers into collaborative editors and designers. With Natalie Thomas, we witness the empathetic care provided by students in healthcare like Vincenzo Dimarco and Ellie Hyten. Reese Harke invites us to reimagine sorority life as a hub for scholarship and service, where leaders like Emma Lephart foster "study sisterhoods" and wellness initiatives. Ansley Tonkovik takes us to the honors program’s experiential learning fair, where students learn about opportunities such as these, and hear from peers like Shreyas Natarajan and Ava Russ how "learning-by-doing" bridges the gap between classroom content and real-world impact.

Out and about on campus, Maggie McKinney shows us how student tour guides like Nina Osborne and Solenn Vincent illuminate facts and statistics with personal storytelling, building connections with prospective Hawkeyes. Kendall Doerr introduces us to two honors students who work as drivers for the CAMBUS system, managing the immense responsibility of campus safety and efficiency while developing vital professional skills. 

Honors students thrive when they embrace their multi-faceted interests, whether pushing physical limits in Division I athletics, discussing Rory Gilmore’s relatable challenges in the “Gilmore Girls” TV series, or connecting with other Swifties at a listening party in the Blank Honors Center, as Ania Naso, Ellen Tews, and Emily Vitosh show in their respective stories. In the same spirit, Antonino Pollina examines how embroidery artist Lilly Froehlich and tennis partners Jack Bier and Emelia Caruthers find essential balance and grounding through personal creative and athletic pursuits.

On behalf of the Fall 2025 semester’s student writers and undergraduate TAs, I invite you to immerse yourself in these stories of exploration, growth, and community.

Sincerely,

Holly Blosser Yoder

Honors Publications Staff Advisor