Jodie Ball (C'14) Selected as Alliant Energy Achievement Award Recipient
Jun 2, 2014 | University of Dubuque
Jodie Ball (C’14) received the Alliant Energy Achievement Award, a special scholarship from the Iowa College Foundation. Ball was the only student throughout the State of Iowa to receive the scholarship. The scholarship is intended for minority students pursing a business degree in Iowa.
While Ball says that the scholarship fell in her lap, her work ethic and commitment to finish her degree at UD sets her apart from many students. She graduated in May with a degree in accounting and business administration. Her next step after graduation is to start the Becker review program to test for her Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensure.
Prior to attending UD, Ball had received her bookkeeping diploma and was working as a medical laboratory technician in Waukon, IA. When she lost her job there, she moved to Georgia in search of a new opportunity. Remaining unemployed for seven months, she relocated to Iowa and started working for G and G Living Centers in Guttenberg, IA.
Maintaining her full time position at G and G Living Centers, she decided it was time to go back to school. She attended classes at NICC and came to UD to finish her degree. Transferring from NICC to UD made Ball nervous, but she knew it was the right step for her future.
“Transferring from NICC, I wasn't sure what to expect. But after the first week, I had confidence that it would work out,” explains Ball. She sited small class sizes and the welcoming environment at UD for reasons why the transition was easy. In addition, she adds, “Professors are very easy to work with.”
While Ball continued to work her full-time position and attend classes, she also pursued an internship that has led to part-time work at Guttenberg Development and Tourism. Her duties there involve planning events, work she has enjoyed. “This is temporary work to gain more experience in the business aspect of everything,” Ball said.
Needless to say, Ball has spent the last year referencing a planner that tells her where she needs to be and when. “Balancing full-time and part-time work and family has really been a balancing act.” Throughout this experience she has learned that whatever job she has in the future, “I will be able to handle it and do the same thing. Life experience has taught me more than in the classroom.”
However, while life experiences have provided Ball with the skills to be successful, so has her experience at UD. Ball is thankful for her UD education. “Thank you to all the professors for making things easier. And for students, being a non-traditional student, coming in at my age, I wasn't sure what to expect. I never felt different and always was right along with other students. It was great to fit in.”
