Same Place, New Adventure

By: Ryan Callahan 

This school year marks my sixth year as a Hawkeye and student at the University of Iowa. I enjoyed five years getting my undergraduate degree here in the great city of Iowa City, but even though starting a school year here should have seemed like old news, things were definitely different this year. 

For starters, I was obviously starting a whole new type of program than anything I had done in the past. It was also a fresh start from a social standing, as many of my friends had moved on after graduation. This was going to be a year of meeting a lot of new people and forming new friendships. Although these changes could have easily been cause for anxiety, I never felt that discomfort. This was not due to some steel reserve on my end but rather to the great way the MHA program at Iowa is set up to introduce its new students not only to the content of the program, but also to each other, as well as fellow students and faculty within the program. 

Before classes began, we had four days of orientation, wherein we got to meet the other members of our cohort, as well as those in the second year of the program and great faculty. Credit has to be given to the great members of the second year class. They have all gone above and beyond to make themselves available for any questions or concerns we first years have had about the program. They have also worked to create opportunities for us to get to know each other and feel more comfortable as a cohort. The year has just begun, but I think I can speak for all first years when I say that we have nothing but excitement for the years ahead of us, both in the classroom and out.