Outstanding Students

Hayley Peters

Q: Where are you from? (city, state) 

A: North Liberty, IA  

Q: Why did you choose Kirkwood? 

A: I chose Kirkwood because they offered me the opportunity to obtain a college degree during high school, an opportunity that has altered the course of my education and has allowed me the ability to customize my education in ways I wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. 

Q: What is your major and how did you choose it? 

A: My major is Liberal Arts (AA). I chose to get a degree in general studies because of the transfer opportunities that it afforded me and the chance to experience a vast variety of courses in different disciplines before transferring to a much more specialized major. 

Q: What has been your proudest moment at Kirkwood?  

A: Making the All-Iowa Academic Team! It was such an honor to be able to represent Kirkwood as one of the outstanding community colleges in Iowa. 

Q: What are your plans after Kirkwood? 

A: This fall, I will be transferring to the University of Iowa to study biology and environmental science. After that, the plan is to go on to veterinary school! 

Q: What inspires or motivates you?

A: I’ve always been inspired by nature and the diversity of life on our planet. I am amazed by the complexity of life and I want to use my education to learn more about it and take care of it. 

Q: Tell us about who you are outside of Kirkwood – hobbies, family, other interests, etc.

A: I have a wonderful job at the North Liberty Pet Clinic as a veterinary assistant, and I am a volunteer and mentor at the Iowa City Animal Care and Adoption Center. Outside of my work with animals, I love to read and I keep a bit of a garden in the warm season. I live with my parents and younger siblings, as well as my very sweet cat called Pumpkin. I am very close to my family and I would not be nearly as successful without their support. 

Q: What does being named an Outstanding Student mean to you? 

A: Being recognized as an Outstanding Student at Kirkwood is such an honor, and I am so grateful to Kirkwood for nurturing my talents and helping me to reach my potential. I think it is so wonderful the way that Kirkwood recognizes and celebrates the achievements of its students; it is this encouraging environment that has made my education at Kirkwood so rewarding. 

Q: Is there anything else you’d like to add? 

A: Kirkwood has such a close-knit community feel, and I am thankful to the faculty and my peers who have made it feel like home these past few years. I am proud to call myself a Kirkwood student. 

Categories: Outstanding Students