IW welcomes new students

Fall weather has yet to arrive but students are back on the Iowa Wesleyan campus and ready for their next step in life.

Iowa Wesleyan (IW) has 560 students total with over 200 in their incoming freshman class. New students moved in Thursday, Aug. 16, with the help of many nervous parents and excited staff members.

Iowa Wesleyan Dean of Students, Luis Aranda, was excited about the large incoming class and was looking forward to their futures at IW. ?I really enjoy seeing the exuberance in the students and their families,? he said. ?We had an impact in figuring out who they are as individuals whether that?s finding their career, their interests or their talents, I?m proud of being a part of that.?

One of the newest members of the freshman class is Emilee Rooney from St. Louis, Mo. Rooney is an elementary education major and member of the softball team. She is excited for her future at IW and hopes to take advantage of the intramurals offered on campus. Her mother, Jan Rooney, is nervous to see her move out, but excited for her daughter?s future. She said the small town and campus made her feel like IW was a safe place to send her. She hopes during her time at IW, her daughter will explore new opportunities. ?(I want her) to develop friendships but mostly to get an education and build a career as a teacher,? she said. ?I love the teachers in the (education) department. Those ladies are fabulous.?

Madison Osborn is from Fairfield and chose IW because of its proximity, but also because she felt like she could be heard. ?The main factor in why I wanted to come here was that I liked the feel of the campus and it has history, and I enjoy that,? she said. Osborn is a business major and chose IW because of their success as a business school. She felt like she would learn best in a school where the student-to-staff ratio is smaller and she would have an opportunity to connect with professors more easily. ?Here you?re an actual person,? she said. ?At other schools, you?re just a statistic.?

Chicago native Diamond Lasenby comes to IW with big dreams. The criminal justice major wants to be a forensic analyst, but first she?s going to play basketball and softball for the Tigers. Lasenby has never moved away on her own before but is excited for the challenge and the slow change of pace. She said there were over 900 students in her high-school senior class so the small number of students at IW made it more appealing. Her father, Alester Lasenby, is nervous for her to be so far from home, but is proud of her and hopeful for this next step in life. ?I was kind of nervous because she?s my only daughter,? he admitted. ?Anything can happen anywhere but because the town is small and caring, I feel better.?

Returning students were also excited about the new opportunities the new students would have. Nena Matthew, a junior digital media major from St. Kitts is involved in a variety of campus activities and hopes new students get involved as well. She said IW is full of opportunities to try new things and ways for students to get involved and make new friends. ?I hope they build lasting friendships and get involved,? she said. ?I hope they experience everything we have to offer here.?