By Katie Linder
More than 2,100 undergraduate students will receive their degrees from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences this spring. During commencement ceremonies at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on May 13, 2023, they will receive a message from their fellow students. This spring, two academically accomplished students who studied writing at Iowa, but on different tracks, will deliver the addresses.
Meet the morning speaker: Quinn Kamberos
Quinn Kamberos, of Littleton, Colorado, will speak at the 9 a.m. ceremony. She will receive a Bachelor of Arts in English and creative writing with University Honors and highest distinction, and a minor in cinema.
Kamberos is highly accomplished academically. She is graduating in the top two percent of her class, is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honors society, and has earned a spot on the president’s list every semester during her undergraduate career.
In addition to her studies, Kamberos served as an undergraduate teaching assistant this past spring and has been published in the campus literary magazine Wilder Things. As a student, she says faculty and peers in the Department of English helped take her writing to a new level.
“Being surrounded by so many amazing writers with such strong visions and ideas has been incredibly influential to my own writing, and I feel that it’s something I could have only found here at Iowa,” she explains.
Kamberos says choosing Iowa, located 16 hours from home, allowed her a unique opportunity to forge her own path—something she is endlessly grateful for.
“The most meaningful thing for me during my time at Iowa was the absolute wealth of possibilities that were presented to me, and how those all let me build a college experience that I can look back on without regret,” she added.
Kamberos will return to her home state of Colorado to work this summer and desires to enter the publishing industry in the future.
Meet the afternoon speaker: Eleanor Hildebrandt
Eleanor Hildebrandt, of Des Moines, Iowa, will speak during the 1 p.m. ceremony. She will receive a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and mass communication and a Bachelor of Science in global health studies, with University Honors and distinction, and a minor in German. She is also a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honors society.
Writing has been at the forefront of her experience at Iowa. Hildebrandt wrote for the Daily Iowan, rising in the ranks to managing editor, helped publish seven literary magazines while working on the staff for Ink Lit Mag, earthwords, and Wilder Things, and worked five internships related to journalism and mass communication.
In addition to writing, Hildebrandt worked as an undergraduate research assistant examining the impact libraries have on communities and understanding the work of health journalists in the 21st century. She also served as an honors writing fellow and honors teaching practicum student.
Hildebrandt says the relationships and community have been most meaningful to her while at Iowa.
“The people I met in my four years as a Hawkeye have left a hand print on my heart. They are my joy and excitement,” Hildebrandt explains. “The professors and staff I’ve connected with have offered incredible advice and I will continue to look up to them for years to come.”
After graduation, Hildebrandt will move to Germany to teach English as a Fulbright Scholar. She hopes to eventually earn a graduate degree in journalism and work as a reporter for a major daily newspaper or online news website—and desires to eventually become a professor and teach journalism.
For more information about University of Iowa commencement, visit commencement.uiowa.edu.