After graduation, you likely moved. Perhaps life took you to a big city; perhaps you moved to a family farm. Or maybe it was simply to a new residence here in Cedar Falls. Wherever you call home, you became part of a community — a community with whom you share your time and talents.
A degree from UNI signifies to the world that you have the knowledge and determination to succeed after college. What is becoming apparent to those outside the Panther family is that UNI students and alumni have also learned the importance of contributing to the public good.
University of Northern Iowa students and faculty have known for generations that the best way to learn is to do — and the highest goal of learning is to serve. Community engagement is built into the learning that happens on campus, enriching scholarship, research and creative activity. Students don’t wait until graduation to start making a difference — students put their skills and knowledge to work making a difference today. UNI is preparing educated, engaged citizens.
Each year, UNI students complete more than 1,000,000 hours of community service. Students discover passion for work done to promote the greater good and have gone on to build careers working to improve life in the communities they call home.
UNI students leave campus equipped knowing they can make a positive difference in the world — because they’ve already done it. The knowledge base and experiences gained while students provide a fertile springboard from which to build a vocation where the primary goal is not a stable paycheck, but so much more. There exists a greater purpose to UNI alumni — to serve, to improve, to make this world a better place. UNI alumni are elected to serve as mayors, school board members and members of Congress. They run food banks, coach youth sports, serve on boards of their local United Way and find countless other ways to give back.
This issue of UNI Alumni Magazine is dedicated to those who are committed to community engagement, development and empowerment. It all starts here. UNI