Alumni Success Stories
Charise Carstensen Flynn ’04- Des Moines Business Record “Forty Under 40”
“A liberal arts education exposes you to a lot of different things. It’s not a one-track education. It gives you critical thinking skills.” More…
Chad Buchanan ’95- Director Of College Scouting For The Portland Trail Blazers
“I think the one thing Simpson helped prepare me for is that you can’t sit in a classroom and hide. You have to be able to communicate and express yourself, which is critical for my job with the Portland Trail Blazers.” More…
Mike Pearson ’10- Upholding His Dad’s Legacy
I would say going to Simpson helped me a lot. The things you learn as a history major is how to ask questions and how to interpret things. It certainly helped me in that regard. More…
Bernard Franklin ’74- Improving Diversity, Equality And Inclusion
My experiences at Simpson were extremely important in terms of developing my leadership skills, and those skills have been my bedrock in terms of my own professional development. More…
Grant Woodley ’02 and Nicole Brooks Woodley ’02- Preaching At The Largest Church In Iowa
Some of the richest experiences and the most memorable learning that I can recall were done through relationships, not books. Simpson allows for that to happen. More…
Mike Miller ’11- Head Of Finance In Liberia For Mary’s Meals
All the classes I took at Simpson contributed to having this type of job. You have to learn to think on your own. More…
Amy Badger ’11- Lead Singer In Band “Love Songs For Lonely Monsters”
As someone who was working full time on top of going to school, the evenings/weekends program was perfect for me. If nothing else, the fact that my school schedule allowed me the flexibility to put time into the band was invaluable. More…
Deb Kunkle Hade ’78- Cross Country Biking For A Cause
Hade served as a support crew member for Above and Beyond Cancer, a Des Moines group that included eight cancer survivors and caregivers who were racers and eight who were crew members. More…
Roger Scott ’87- Marathon In Every State
Scott played football at Simpson all four years, then joined the track team his senior year. Track coach Keith Ellingson encouraged him to try his first marathon. More…
Omar Padilla ’07- March To End The Isms
At Simpson, I grew into my own. I started organizing groups and began working on diversity issues. That really fulfilled what I wanted to do. More…