Robert Lyons '17

Located just south of Iowa’s capitol, Simpson College is the perfect place for students considering a career in government while still wanting a small-town feel. This combination is exactly what Robert Lyons ’17 was looking for.

“However, the most important reason I chose Simpson was because of the freedom this institution offered me in choosing how to shape my college experience,” he said.

And Robert took full advantage of that freedom, creating two student organizations during his four years. One of them is Rotaract, a group dedicated to service. Since the first meeting with just 15 students, the group has grown to about 50 active members.

“Building this organization from the ground up really gave me an appreciation for how service organizations and nonprofits work,” Robert said. “Personally, it helped me to grow as a leader and showed me how important service is to a community’s health.”

The other is something the Denison native never expected himself to get involved in: satire. With help from another student, Robert co-founded The Acorn, a satirical newspaper that gave him a new perspective.

“Having done this for the last three years, I’ve really come to respect and appreciate the role that satire plays in public discourse,” he said.

Outside his own organizations, Robert participated in Residence Life, the Iowa History Center, band, speech & debate and Student Government Association. In SGA, he served as his class president for three years before serving as the student body president, an experience that he said taught him the importance of consensus building and teamwork.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better organization to learn the ropes of HR and conflict mediation as well,” he said.

All these experiences and his degrees in political science and public relations under his belt, Robert is headed to the nation’s capitol to attend American University and get his master’s in public administration.

For Robert and countless other students, Simpson offered a place for him to explore his options and spread his wings before taking off into the rest of his life.

“The opportunities available to you at this institution are limited only by the time you have available and your imagination.”