Shane and Jackee Austerman with their children, Isaiah and Elizabeth. Contributed photo. Shane and Jackee Austerman’s children, Isaiah, 15, and Elizabeth, 12, were born with phenylketonuria, or PKU, a rare genetic disorder where the body is unable to produce an enzyme that breaks down the amino acid phenylalanine. Their diagnoses Read more…
In February, the African American Museum of Iowa named Jacqueline Hunter as its new executive director. Hunter joined the museum in August 2024 as museum educator with vast experience in education and history. She began her career as a recreation director in central Florida before going into teaching. She began a Read more…
The Iowa Women’s Foundation is dedicated to combating six major barriers to women’s financial self-sufficiency — transportation, housing, child care, education and training, employment, and mentoring. A statewide tour in 2016 revealed child care to be the barrier most pressing to Iowa families. “If you don’t have child care, you can’t Read more…
Akwaaba is a common greeting in the Akhan language used in Ghana. It means “welcome.” The phrase perfectly embodied what Nana Ouro-Agoro hoped to support in the Quad Cities — a welcoming place for all. Ouro-Agoro is the founder of Akwaaba QC, a nonprofit that supports immigrants and refugees from Read more…
By Heather Kriener As the financial literacy director for the Iowa Department of Insurance and Financial Services, I’m proud to lead initiatives like the SmartHer Money program, which empowers Iowa women to make informed and confident financial decisions. My passion for financial literacy stems from my early career work with Read more…
By Sarah Noll Wilson “What about the men who are afraid to say the wrong thing?” I was on a podcast recently and talking about ways to build stronger relationships with the team members you serve. The host appreciated my approach and followed up with, “I know a number of Read more…
Maanya Pandey’s life is a balancing act. The Waukee native is in her junior year at the University of Iowa. She’s majoring in public health on the pre-medicine track, preparing to take entrance exams for medical school. She’s a member of a South Asian fusion dance team. She’s also the Read more…
When I met Emily Wood for coffee in early 2024, I had no clue she’d help me launch into a new phase of life. I didn’t even realize I was craving something new. I had been living in the Des Moines area for a year, working in marketing at a Read more…
By Alex Sabbag, Guest Contributor I was sitting behind my apartment building in Chicago on a tiny iron fence enclosing a small patch of grass when I became aware of my life’s biggest earth-shattering truth: I had hit the bottom and this moment, this season of my life, was as Read more…
When Madison Melchert was hired as the activities director for Dallas-Center Grimes Community School District beginning July 1, it meant more to her than just finding a new job. It was a continuation of a legacy, giving back to a community that gave so much to her as a young person. Melchert Read more…