Megan Backman
Ames Chamber of Commerce
Ames, IA
I grew up in St. Paul, MN and in August of 2002, found myself walking across the glorious campus of Iowa State University. ISU provided me with a wealth of experiences and opportunities as well as a B.S. in Marketing; however I knew that come May 2006, I would be off to the windy city to live the life of a true young professional. It took only eight months for me to realize that what I thought be a seamless transition into the city was not turning out to be just that. I decided to start where I left off in Ames, Iowa, but as a professional rather than a student.
I chose Iowa because it gives its residents a quality of life one can not easily find elsewhere. With its lower cost of living, young professionals can live in the heart of downtown or location of their choice and still afford to enjoy the outdoors, entertainment, and culture offered in the city where they live. For me, “Why Iowa?” ultimately boils down to three things: I work in Iowa because I support its advantageous business climate and commitment to volunteer service. I play in Iowa because it’s FUN, safe, affordable and accessible! I live in Iowa because of its small town feel with big city opportunities. Iowa is truly a great place to live, work and play!
Coming from a large family and seeing 4 of my brothers and sisters move to Arizona, Texas, or Virginia, I get asked "Why Iowa?" all the time. To me, it is more than than just a nice place to visit. It is the perfect place to live, work, play, and raise a family. I am very proud to say that I am a life-long, born and raised, Iowan who has no intentions of moving. My wife and I are able to work, own a home, provide a good life for our children, and be involved in the community at a higher level than many of my friends who have moved away. Sure, Iowa may not be on top of the "who gets paid the most list", or the "warmest place to be on January 1st list", but I know we are on top of "who gets the most out of life list".
With having a large family spread all over the country, I do get a chance to visit many cities in several states. Each town has amenities and attractions that I may not have immediate access to in Sioux City and could be a reason to consider moving there. But, when it is time to go home, I get more excited about crossing that State of Iowa border and getting back to a place where the people are courteous, respectful, and genuinely interested in your life. There is NOT a state in this country that wants, and needs, to know what Young Professionals have to say more that Iowa. YPs in the State of Iowa are a strong group that is asked to be a part of major decisions happening everyday. We truly bring value to the lives of Iowans.
The thought of moving to Minneapolis, Kansas City, Dallas, Phoenix, etc leaves my mind as quickly as it comes in. All I have to do is think about the life we live, the people we care about, and the opportunities we have to make a positive impact in this world, and I know that Iowa is the right place for me.
Christian Fong
AEGON USA Realty Advisors, Inc.
Cedar Rapids, IA
Fundamentally, young professionals follow great jobs and lifestyles. Our income is rising in Iowa faster than the nations, we have low unemployment, and for talented people there is simply less competition to keep them from growing fast within both their career and community life. It is a state so balanced and progressive that, with a well-managed lifestyle, people can "have it all", with strong careers, good paychecks, vibrant social life and deep civic involvement. The ultimate place for a well-rounded, talented person to live is Iowa.
Lynn Olberding
Marshalltown Chamber of Commerce
Marshalltown, IA
My husband and I were both born and raised in Iowa, choose to attend college in Iowa and have remained in Iowa for a number of reasons. We like that you can access things throughout our state, without having to travel too far, like the Civic Center, state football games, hiking/biking trails and shopping. We work for companies that have a commitment to keeping young talent in our area and in our state.
We have chosen Iowa because it allows us to be close to family, offer a tremendous quality of life and gives us opportunities each and every day to meet other young people who want to live, work and play here. We can’t imagine being anywhere else.
Why Iowa? I say, give me a reason to say “why not?!”
Holly Pearson
Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation
Spencer, IA
IOWA! I grew up in rural Northwest Iowa - Royal to be exact - and it is a great place to grow up. We had the freedom of riding our bike all over town with no worries-not even our parents had to worry, because everyone knew who you were. I graduated from Clay Central Everly, a small high school that allowed us to participate in extra curricular activities that I wanted. It gave me the opportunity to find out who I was and who I wanted to be. As a high school student I was not fond of the small town living as many high school students think, so I traveled to the other side of the state to attend Kirkwood Community College for two years. After Kirkwood I went to the University of Iowa for a year and moved on to Iowa State University where I found myself walking across the stage to receive my diploma and thinking what a great state I was in!
Someone once asked me, “Why did you end up at Iowa State?” I thought and thought, but I found myself always going back to how the people at Iowa State were like the people I grew up around. They worked hard and knew how to have a great time! I believe that is why I am here in Iowa, because Iowa Culture has a great work ethic, we like to indulge ourselves with friends and family, and live up the arts and entertainment scene. Yet we know how to take life at a slower pace. I am back in Northwest Iowa. I am married to a Northwest Iowa native and we feel there is nowhere better to raise a family than right here in IOWA! We enjoy getting up to go to work and trying to make a difference by getting young people to come to our area to live, work and play. This is a great place to do all three!
Charity Tyler
The Zach Group
Cedar Rapids, IA
Why Iowa? Well, it's hard to explain to those who haven't been here or haven't taken the time to get to know Iowa. I'm originally from, and my family remains, in Oklahoma City. After graduating from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, my family questioned why I stayed. The simple answer is that Iowa has been extremely good to me. Not only is this a beautiful state with amazing landscapes and outdoor adventures waiting to happen, but this is a state with genuinely good people and abundant opportunities.
If leadership and community involvement is your thing, you should know that Iowa's employers and communities are dedicated to making sure young people have a voice. Leadership opportunities in public and private arenas are more easily accessible, and the leaders of these same organizations are willing to listen and share their wisdom for our benefit. If you're more interested in what happens on the evenings and weekends, there are endless options for recreation, travel, culture and food. We have athletic and entertainment venues that boast first class competitions and performances, and Iowa's trail systems, parks, lakes, rivers, and rural areas give us the chance to make our own fun.
Iowa has enabled me to become a leader in my community. Iowa has inspired me to try things I never thought possible. Iowa has given me countless weekends of fun and memories shared with my Iowa family. Iowa is home.
