Big things are in store for University of Iowa Class of 2014 graduates, many of whom have already found jobs in Iowa and across the country or have decided to continue with their education.

Following are summaries of post-graduation plans for several other members of the UI’s Class of 2014. [Related: Putting their degrees to work]

Kennon Albert Christian
Hometown: Davenport, Iowa
Age: 28
Degree: Pharm.D.
College: College of Pharmacy
Post-graduation plans: I will be working at a long-term care facility in New Berlin, Wisconsin, for Thrifty White Pharmacy.

How did the University of Iowa prepare you for this next step in your life?
The University of Iowa did a great job of preparing me to interact with other health care professionals. With the evolving nature of healthcare, it's important to be able to provide input and work collaboratively with others. Through interdisciplinary exercises, we interacted with other students throughout the university.

Was there a particular class, instructor, or experience that inspired you most during college or encouraged you to pursue a particular career path?
It's hard to single out one class or instructor that helped me because so many people were involved. That's why I chose Iowa over other programs. They do a great job of helping you succeed versus just sending you through the curriculum. They helped me develop skills that I couldn't just learn in the classroom.

Andrew Heinisch
Hometown: Saint Paul, Minnesota
Age: 32
Degree: D.D.S.
College: The College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics
Post-graduation plans: I will practice as a general dentist at Implant and Family Dentistry in Iowa Falls. I will be an associate of AppleWhite Dental Partners and will work with Dr. David Gimer.

How did the University of Iowa prepare you for this next step in your life?
The most important component of the University of Iowa is the diverse learning environment. I believe the learning environment has not only prepared me for my career but also has contributed to the success of my classmates, by giving us the opportunity to share and learn from one another’s experiences. Iowa graduates have an increased sense of cultural awareness giving rise to compassionate, socially involved community leaders.

Was there a particular class, instructor, or experience that inspired you most during college or encouraged you to pursue a particular career path?
The program as a whole has contributed to my success as a dental student. The College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics has a remarkable curriculum supported by an outstanding team of faculty and staff. Every day is a new learning experience, and we are pushed above and beyond our comfort zone resulting in self-disciplined, dedicated students. For me, it was the training provided by specialists in each dental specialty that left me yearning for more knowledge in not just one area but in all areas of dentistry. In particular, my third year of dental school prompted me to pursue a career as a general dentist, as I enjoyed all of my clinical rotations. I feel the education and training I received has provided a solid foundation in all of the dental specialties, giving me the confidence and the skills to treat all dental needs.

Sean McGinn
Hometown: Bartlett, Illinois
Age:22
Degree: B.B.A. in Business Management- Human Resources Management
College: Tippie College of Business
Post-graduation plans: I will be an IT Recruiter/Account Manager at Advantis Global in Chicago.

How did the University of Iowa prepare you for this next step in your life?
The University of Iowa has helped me grow into an adult. The way the professors have held me accountable for learning the material and taking care of my responsibilities has prepared me to take on my responsibilities I will face in my professional career.

Was there a particular class, instructor, or experience that inspired you most during college or encouraged you to pursue a particular career path?
Introduction to Management with Eean Crawford. I had intentions of declaring as a marketing major prior to taking this course. But after seeing the passion Eean had for the material and how he presented it, it helped me decide I would rather pursue a degree in management

Kyle Moody
Hometown: Georgetown, Kentucky
Age: 30
Degree: Ph.D. in Journalism and Mass Communication
College/Program: School of Journalism and Mass Communication in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Post-graduation plans: In fall 2014, I will join the faculty at Fitchburg State University in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, teaching media criticism and social media applications as an assistant professor of Professional Communications and Communication Theory in the Communications Media Department.

How did the University of Iowa prepare you for this next step in your life?
The University of Iowa offered me multiple academic and professional opportunities that shaped my career. I gained valuable experience through my conference presentations, teaching, research, and academic service work that I took on at Iowa. Iowa’s graduate faculty and my fellow graduate students gave me the confidence and skills that I have turned into professional and practical communication practices. These practices were what set me apart from others at universities, and gave me the edge in my job search.

Was there a particular class, instructor, or experience that inspired you most during college or encouraged you to pursue a particular career path?
I have had the privilege of working with many amazing professors and colleagues in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. I also had the privilege of working with many progressive thinkers at the Digital Studio for Public Arts and Humanities. However, I would like to point out that David Perlmutter (now at Texas Tech University) and Venise Berry were instrumental in helping me find my academic voice. Professor Perlmutter gave me the opportunity to do research in my areas of interest within online communities and new media, while also pushing me to turn that research into a strong teaching record that combined practical application with communication theory. Professor Berry took me under her wing and helped me focus those academic interests and strengthen the way I write about my research subjects, giving me confidence and teaching me how to use narrative structure more effectively. Finally, I would not be here without the immeasurable help of Professor Julie Andsager, whose commitment to graduate students and research illuminated a career path for me.

Mitch Peck
Hometown: Burlington, Iowa
Age: 22
Degree:B.A. in economics.
Post graduation plans:Financial Representative with Northwestern Mutual in Coralville

How did the University of Iowa prepare you for this next step in your life?
One of the biggest resources for me was the Pomerantz Career Center. They helped me prepare for interviews, and revise my resume. They taught me how to be a professional. Those skills can go a lot further than a test score, and helped me obtain an internship at Northwestern Mutual in the fall of 2012.

Was there a particular class, instructor, or experience that inspired you most during college or encouraged you to pursue a particular career path?
I met some phenomenal people at the university and in Iowa City. Now, I get to meet new people every single day as I acquire my own clients.

Eliot Shearer
Hometown: Athens, Ohio
Age: 29
Degree: M.D. and Ph.D. in Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
College: Carver College of Medicine
Post-graduation plans: I will be starting my residency in Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, a five-year surgical residency. After residency, I plan to pursue a fellowship in either Pediatric Otolaryngology or Neuro-Otology. After fellowship I plan to start my own laboratory, combining basic and translational scientific research with clinical medicine and surgery.

How did the University of Iowa prepare you for this next step in your life?
I feel incredibly well prepared to start my residency training. The Carver College of Medicine is a fantastic medical school with incredible faculty that train well-rounded physicians. While completing my Ph.D. I had an immense amount of resources available and a supportive and collaborative environment that allowed me to succeed with my goal of making a positive difference in patients' lives.

Was there a particular class, instructor or experience that inspired you most during college or encouraged you to pursue a particular career path?
Richard Smith, M.D., was my doctoral advisor during graduate school and has served as my mentor since my second year of medical school. Not only is he a renowned surgeon, he is also a world-famous geneticist. On top of that, he is also an incredibly caring person and a fantastic mentor. Getting to train under him has been an experience that has changed the course of my life.

Nicholas John Rolston
Hometown: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Age: 22
Degree: B.S. in physics and math
College/Program: College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Post-graduation plans: Ph.D. in Applied Physics at Stanford University

How did the University of Iowa prepare you for this next step in your life?
The decision to pursue undergraduate research marked the beginning of a journey, one that shaped my perspective on life by re-defining failure, by instilling a deep-seated drive to discover the unknown, and by inspiring me to share my experiences with others. None of this would have been possible without the Honors Program. I received funding year-round through the Iowa Center for Research by Undergraduates (ICRU) in the Honors Program. I have presented at four undergraduate research festivals sponsored by ICRU and 3 Physics Colloquiums. I traveled to Cornell University and Haifa, Israel to discover more and satisfy my burning curiosity for science. The Honors Program, one of the most flexible in the nation, provided me with opportunities and resources to cultivate hands-on learning, engagement, and initiative. It truly allowed for me to make my connection while in college.

Was there a particular class, instructor, or experience that inspired you most during college or encouraged you to pursue a particular career path?
My decision to get involved in undergraduate nanotechnology research studying the behavior of materials at the atomic scale during my freshman year undoubtedly was the catalyst that fueled my decision to pursue graduate school.I have learned that while research may begin with a fundamental inquiry about science, oftentimes our results indicate that we were not asking the right questions in the first place. Much of my work operates in the unknown where the only certainty is failure. This is in stark contrast to the vast majority of my physics classes, where my day-to-day work consisted of studying neatly arranged and well-understood concepts. But as I have come to realize through my research experiences, I thrive on working at the frontier of modern science, diving into the figurative black space—the unknown—in order to find the questions that I want to ask. I know not what lies across the horizon, but that does not stop me from asking questions, and I learn so much from the struggle to push into new territory. I will embrace the obstacles and uncertainties as they come, one atom at a time.

Crissa Toledo
Hometown: Glenview, Ill.
Age: 22
Degree: B.B.A. in Marketing
College/Program: Tippie College of Business
Post-graduation plans: I’ve accepted a full-time position doing business development for Acquity Group, part of Accenture Interactive in Chicago, Illinois. I will be working with clients to help their companies grow and evolve through integrated and dynamic strategy, marketing, creative, and technology solutions.

How did the University of Iowa prepare you for this next step in your life?
The University of Iowa gave me an incredibly strong foundation for real world application of my degree as well as an opportunity to advance myself socially, culturally, and spiritually through clubs, coursework, and most importantly relationships.

Was there a particular class, instructor, or experience that inspired you most during college or encouraged you to pursue a particular career path?

While studying abroad through the University of Iowa’s Consortium Institute of Management and Business Administration (CIMBA) in Italy, I was able to take class from one of my most treasured professors—Selina Neri. I was most impacted by her passion for helping us to learn through case studies and real-world business challenges rather than regurgitating information from a book on test day. I appreciated that not only was she an academic but was also a previous vice president of marketing for a multinational brand. Learning from someone who was an incredibly accomplished woman in my field internationally would not have been possible without this program. Even though we are located on different continents, I still stay in contact with her today and she remains a positive mentor in my life.

Zachary Phillip Veigulis
Hometown: Des Moines, Iowa
Age: 22
Degree: Health and Human Physiology-Health Studies
College/Program: College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Post-graduation plans: Health care informatics position at the VA Hospital (VA Central Iowa Health Care System) in Des Moines, Iowa.

How did the University of Iowa prepare you for this next step in your life?
The University of Iowa has provided me with an invaluable experience that I will not only use in my future career but also in life. This includes academic knowledge as well as real-life experiences. I will remember my time at Iowa forever and would recommend it to everyone. I now feel comfortable entering my career knowing that I am fully prepared, based on my experience and knowledge gained while at the University of Iowa.