Alexander T. Buck
Alex is a freshman from Cedar Rapids, Iowa where he graduated from Linn-Mar High School. He took a college preparatory curriculum at Linn-Mar and found that one of his favorite classes was "calculus because it is extremely helpful in higher level science classes, and it pulls every math class I have ever taken together." His two favorites were chemistry and physic "because they helped me to understand my world around me. I really enjoy learning about why things are what they are." During his education at Linn-Mar, Alex participated in out reach to elementary and middle school students. He worked on two projects while in high school 1) making ethanol out of potatoes which showed some promise; and 2) trying to develop a salt compound that would breakdown the H2O molecule in snow. The later project was not as successful so he is still shoveling snow. Alex applied to USC, Purdue, Carnegie Mellon and Harvard, but came to his first choice which was Iowa State University.

Ruth Cink
I became interested, much to my surprise, in the sciences in high school, approximately the beginning of my sophomore year. Before then, the snippets of metereology and astronomy seemed lackluster because they did not pertain to my life. The weatherman was only right half of the time and the stars were just beautiful scenery. Then in biology and more so in chemistry, I became fascinated with how much science not only relates to my life but also explains so much of regular events. Through science the world becomes less a mystery. Now, I want to major in chemistry at Iowa State University. Following my graduation, I intend to teach in a rural or suburban school district in the Midwest, preferably in Iowa. Then, if I decide to further advance my career, I will return to school to receive a PhD to be able to teach at the college level. Another option I would like explore is the possibility of teaching on a military base overseas. This opportunity would allow to explore the world and teach the unique group of students the fascinating subject of chemistry.

Alex
Alex is a freshman from Cedar Rapids, Iowa where he graduated for Lin-Mar High School. On his scholarship application he was asked what subjects he found most stimulating in school and why. His response has proven insightful in to his character.

"Obviously, Chemistry - a mix of tangible and abstract, blends math and ideas, awesome transformations.
German - hopefully practical someday, wonderful sound.
English - ebb and flow of universal ideas, craft of writing, human connection (in class and literature).
Psychology and History - insight into the minds of today and yesterday."

One of his teacher's from high school wrote in a reference letter for Joshua that he "was asked to judge the majority of the debates fro the Debate Club because students knew they could rely on him to be unbiased and fair, and to report his judgments thoroughly and with great reflection". These are all traits that will serve him well as scientist.

Grant Kellogg
Over the past year I have stayed on schedule with my undergraduate B.S. in Chemistry. In the fall I have enrolled to complete all core chem classes and to do undergraduate research with an ISU professor, which will help me to understand and model my teaching after the real process of scientific discovery. This fall I will also apply to graduate school through the Human Sciences Department to attain my masters degree in teaching (MAT).

Christopher Kurtt
I have enjoyed all of the chemistry classes I have taken here at ISU as well as my research experience. However, it has been my teaching and tutoring responsibilities that I have enjoyed the most. Therefore I will be applying for the MAT teacher licensure program after graduation and pursuing a teaching career most likely a the high school level.

Matthew Moffitt
Last semester I finished my last methods course and got some great teaching experience at Valley Southwoods, a freshman high school in West Des Moines. Next semester I will be working on courses in history, special education, Multicultural and Gender Fair Education, and Inorganic Chemistry II. In the fall of last semester, I was able to complete undergraduate research in Organic Chemistry under Dr. William Jenks. I focused on the synthesis of substituted thiophene sulfonium ylides. I would like to say thank you to the Hach family for everything that they do. I truly appreciate attending the banquets in Colorado and the assistance with my tuition.

Jennifer Streff
In the sixth grade, I began to develop a love of science. Although I was not interested in any particular branch of the subject, I discovered that science was one of my strengths. After three wonderful years of middle school science, I transitioned into high school and began taking lab sciences. Between my freshman and junior years, I took Advanced Chemistry, and AP Physics. Biology and Physics were okay, but chemistry fascinated me in a way that many people cannot understand. I thought that nomenclature and stoichiometry were incredibly interestin and I loved the labs we did in class. I absolutely love learning about all the various topics that chemistry encompasses. I want to be a chemist because I truly enjoy chemistry and I want to be able to share my enjoyment and talent with the many other people I will encounter in my future.

Brett Hamilton
Over the last year, I have continued my degree program in Chemistry and focused on Community involvement by volunteering at the hospital and in youth camps such as the First Lego League. This summer, I am currently working at Hach Company in Ames as a Chemistry intern in the Test Strip Lab. Starting next semester, I am looking to work as a TA for an undergrad chemistry lab as well as look for research position in physical or inorganic chemistry.