KEEPING UP WITH "Globally Colbee"

Growing up in a rural Iowa community of 2000 people, Colbee Cunningham ’23 says she didn’t really have a lot of opportunities to explore the world. But at Simpson College she put together an amazing global portfolio — accomplishing more in eight semesters than even seems possible. She’s thousands of miles ahead of the pack in pursuing her career dreams.

“If you would have told me four years ago that I would graduate from Simpson with three majors, having studied abroad twice and having completed 10 internships plus fellowships, I would have never believed you,” said Cunningham. “It’s kind of crazy, but I didn’t do it alone.”

On her first visit to campus as a prospective student, Cunningham says faculty in Simpson’s multimedia communication department instilled her with confidence that she could achieve most anything.

“I met with Brian Steffen and told him I wanted to combine my passion for international relations and journalism to become an international news correspondent. And instead of laughing at me like others had done, he said, ‘Okay, let’s make it happen.’ From that day on, I knew Simpson was the place where I could make even my wildest of dreams happen.”

She has since tweaked the focus of her career dreams, but Cunningham says the journalism skills gained at Simpson are applicable to everything she’s done and will do. Indeed, her degree in international relations, multimedia journalism and Spanish is grounded in one-of-a-kind, real-world experiences that have opened many doors.

Those opened doors included a virtual year-long traineeship with the Global Ties U.S. Emerging Leaders program, Cunningham was among 20 students selected nationwide who all aspire to pursue careers in public diplomacy and international affairs. She was also just one of 20 students to get an inside view of foreign affairs as a Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Scholar participating in a six-week program at the U.S. Department of State and Howard University in Washington D.C.

“It was one of the most impactful experiences I’ve ever had. I met people from all over the country and diverse walks of life. We were all united by our interest in foreign policy and how to leverage it to make the world a better place.”

Making an Alumni Mentor Connection

Sandwiched in between those incredible learning opportunities were a pair of study abroad adventures for Cunningham, which she chronicled in her blog, “Globally Colbee.” She spent one semester at the University of Granada in Spain, where her deep language and cultural immersion featured a volunteer role as a Spanish language teaching assistant for immigrants and refugees.

Her other semester abroad was at the American University in Dubai, receiving full tuition support as a William Jefferson Clinton Scholar. During that experience, Cunningham had the chance to get some real-time mentoring during an inperson visit with Brandon Hyde ’12, who serves as an assistant principal at the American Creativity Academy in Kuwait. It’s all part of a student-alumni networking program established by Simpson’s Office of Alumni Relations.

“It’s nice to have another globally minded individual to bounce ideas off,” said Cunningham. “Just seeing everything he’s done

— he’s lived in Mexico, Italy and now Kuwait —shows that someone from Simpson can make that happen. And knowing that I have the potential to do that, too, is awesome.”

On the Move Everywhere

When she wasn’t studying around the globe or gaining world-class career preparation through prestigious national programs, Cunningham also found time to take advantage of opportunities close to home. Her resume includes internships with the Iowa United Nations Association, Iowa International Center and the City of Des Moines.

She also savored life on campus — making great friends, working for Simpson student media, and encouraging others to be engaged global citizens. Most importantly, Cunningham says, her advice for any current or future Simpson student is to get moving.

“Get out of your comfort zone and push yourself beyond your boundaries because you’re stronger than you think. Travel the world, make mistakes and you’ll come back stronger — I promise.”

On the strength of her stellar Simpson resume, Cunningham ultimately desires a career as a U.S. diplomat. Next fall, she will be a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Colombia. For now, she just wants to catch her breath.

“My time at Simpson has been a whirlwind, in the best way possible. First-year Colbee was not the same person I am today. I’ve learned a lot, but I’ve gained more confidence than anything. I know now that I can do anything I put my mind to.”

While studying at the University of Granada, Cunningham’s many adventures in Spain included a visit

Simpson Bus Rolls to Biggest Impact Award

Simpson’s branded bus earned the 2022 Des Moines Biggest Impact Award —recently presented by Adsposure, The Transit Advertising People. The honor recognizes top advertising campaigns across the country that “best represent how to use transit to spread a message and reach people.”

March to End the Isms Returns to Simpson

This spring, Simpson faculty, staff and students took part in the March to End “Isms.” The event brought awareness to societal issues surrounding various “isms” such as racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, class-isms and size-isms. Spoken word artist Caleb Rainey was the keynote speaker.

Simpson was one of nine regional winners, as voted on by the public in March 2023. Rolling with a “Take Your Future by Storm” campaign, Simpson’s brightly branded red and gold bus has been a visible presence in greater Des Moines since last fall.

Death Row Exoneree presents at Simpson

On Tuesday March 28, 2023, Simpson College was honored to present an evening with Anthony Ray Hinton.

Anthony Ray Hinton was the 152nd person exonerated from death row since 1983. One of the longest serving death row prisoners in Alabama history and among the longest serving condemned prisoners to be freed after presenting evidence of innocence. Hinton wrote about his experiences, in the New York Times Bestseller The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life, Freedom, and Justice. Today he works as a Community Educator at the Equal Justice Initiative, tirelessly and powerfully advocating for the abolition of the death penalty.

Celebrating the First George Washington Carver Day

On Wednesday, February 1, Simpson kicked-off black history month, honoring George Washington Carver, an American agricultural scientist and inventor. The College hosted several events across campus and the Indianola community, including a guided tour around town, a presentation on Carver in Iowa, and a performance showcasing Carver’s travels from Civil War-era Missouri to the halls of Congress.

Research and Creativity Symposium 2023

Over 100 students showcased their work at Simpson’s annual Research and Creativity Symposium on April 20. Students across all disciplines exhibited projects through papers, performances, posters and panel discussions.

Dr. Chris Jones, a research engineer with IIHRHydroscience and Engineering at the University of Iowa. Dr. Jones presented “This Land is Their Land: Iowa Agriculture and the Struggle for Clean Water,” which focused on the evolution of Iowa’s farming systems since European settlement and the consequences for water and the rest of the environment.

Speech & Debate Dominance Continues

Simpson College’s prolific Speech & Debate team is once again national debate champions.

The Storm posted the top Debate Sweepstakes score at the 62-team Pi Kappa Delta National Tournament held March 15-18 at West Chester University in Pennsylvania. Simpson took third place in the overall Speech & Debate Sweepstakes. Simpson’s impressive performance included two individual national titles and four national runners-up.

Alyssa Beckwith ’24 received National Champion Speaker honors in Public

Forum Debate while Sydni Powell ’26 was the Tournament Champion in Student Congress.

Varsity national runners-up included Mo Marks ‘22 for Extemporaneous Speaking and the duo of Ryan Corcoran ‘25 and Abby Fry ‘25 for Open Public Forum Debate. Elsewhere, teammates Zach Harnden ‘26 and Maddux Stout ‘25 placed second in Junior Varsity Public Form Debate, while Gracie Crow ‘26 and Maggie Fitzpatrick ‘25 captured second place in Junior Varsity Parliamentary Debate.

Campus Day 2023

On April 5, students, staff and faculty teamed up and showed out to participate in the long-standing tradition of Campus Day. Participants braced the cold to beautify the Simpson campus and volunteer at different locations across the Indianola community.

Mike Murphy delivers the 12th Annual Culver Lecture

Republican political media consultant Mike Murphy delivered the 12th Annual Culver Lecture at Simpson College on Tuesday, April 11, 2023.

Mike Murphy is one of the Republican Party's most successful political media consultants, having handled strategy and advertising for more than 26 successful gubernatorial and Senatorial campaigns, including 12 wins in "blue" states that have consistently voted Democratic in Presidential elections. He served as a top campaign advisor to John McCain, Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush and Arnold Schwarzenegger, along with dozens of other GOP Senators, Members of Congress, and Governors, including former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad.

Murphy is currently co-director of the University of Southern California's Center for the Political Future and serves on the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools and the University of Chicago Institute of Politics boards. Murphy also works as a writer and producer in the entertainment industry with projects at HBO, CBS and 20th Century Fox Studios and co-hosts the popular podcast Hacks on Tap with Democratic political consultants Robert Gibbs and David Axelrod, who delivered the Fifth Annual Culver Lecture at Simpson College in 2015.

Simpson Named Voter Friendly Campus by NASPA, Campus Vote Project

Simpson College has earned designation as a Voter-Friendly Campus, one of 258 campuses in 38 states and the District of Columbia by Fair Elections Center’s Campus Vote Project and NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. The initiative recognizes institutions that have planned and implemented practices that encourage their students to register and vote in the 2022 elections and in coming years.

The mission of the 2023-2024 Voter Friendly Campus designation is to bolster colleges and universities’ efforts to help students overcome barriers to participating in the political process – every year, not just during years featuring federal elections. Simpson College was evaluated based on a written plan for registering, educating, and turning out student voters in 2022, how it facilitated voter engagement, as well as a final analysis of those efforts.

“Simpson College’s student-led civic engagement initiatives, supported by the Andrew Goodman Foundation’s Vote Everywhere program, reach a broad cross-section of our student population with essential nonpartisan information on voting and political participation,” said Seth Andersen, Director of the John C. Culver Public Policy Center at Simpson College. “We are proud to have some of the highest rates of student voter registration and turnout in the nation, with our student team working equally hard during Midterm elections and oddnumbered years to maintain a high level of student engagement in the democratic process.”

Moon Earns All-American Honors

Spencer Moon ‘24 finished 10th at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championship last fall to earn AllAmerican status. He is the first All-American Storm runner since Dave Halferty ‘90.

Moon has been keeping — and exceeding — pace with all the greats in program history. He now holds all six Simpson distance records, including three previously held by Danny Bauer ’85

“It means a lot to be the first All-American since Danny set all the school records that I have been chasing and breaking,” said Moon. “I have so much respect for Danny and the team then, and to be compared in any way to that team is an honor in itself.”

This was Moon’s second straight appearance at nationals, running a 25:12.0 for the 8k race —achieving the second-highest placing at the NCAA Division III Championship in school history. This spring, Moon eclipsed Bauer’s nearly four-decade-old track and field record in the outdoor 10,000 meters by almost 25 seconds.

Moon, an accounting and business management major from Lake City, Iowa, has earned multiple All-Academic accolades — including twotime selection to the All-A-R-C Academic Team.

Salber Receives NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship

Former All-Conference volleyball honoree Marissa Salber ’22 has been awarded a prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship for her academic and athletic achievements. The NCAA awards up to only 126 postgraduate scholarships annually across all divisions. Salber plans to attend the University of Nebraska College of Law next fall.

"Simpson helped me grow into an extremely well-rounded individual and law school applicant," said Salber. "While continuing my passion for volleyball, I was still able to challenge myself academically and become very involved in the community.”

Salber graduated summa cum laude in December 2022 with a bachelor's degree in business management and was a four-year member of the Storm women's volleyball team. She plans to attend the University of Nebraska College of Law next fall.

Men’s Gymnastics Sends Three to NCAA Nationals

In its first competitive season at Simpson, men’s gymnastics advanced three gymnasts to the NCAA National Championship meet. Sterling Pariza ‘26 and Michelangelo Villani ‘26 qualified as all-around individuals, and Alex Catchpole ‘26 competed on the parallel bars. All three competed in the qualifying round.

“Our young athletes had a good experience this year,” said Colin Payne, head men’s gymnastics coach. “And we have another big recruiting class coming in next year. We should be better next year with that added depth.”

Joseph Makes Women’s Wrestling History

Jenna Joseph ’26 highlighted the debut of the women’s wrestling program by reaching the National Collegiate Wrestling Championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She finished her first season with a 28-10 overall record while notching 13 pins and seven technical falls, as the Storm posted a 5-5 mark in its inaugural season.

Joseph says the invaluable experience gained at the national meet will no doubt help her in coming campaigns.

“It helped show me the potential I have for my next few years here and what this team can accomplish,” said Joseph. “It also feels good to know that I can be a role model for all the incoming freshmen and other team members. Nothing is truly impossible if you set your mind to it.”