All Grown Up

The model has remained the same for 50 years. Connect some of the most passionate, hard-working, and innovative students on campus. Rally them around a shared goal, event, or cause. Equip them with tools and resources. Help navigate obstacles. Cheer their success. Support their failures.

Student programs have been a part of the ISU Alumni Association since the 1940s and are responsible for crafting some of Iowa State’s most celebrated traditions. The association’s student programs were formalized in 1973 as the Student Alumni Association and renamed to the Student Alumni Leadership Council in 2000 to better reflect opportunities for leadership development. Since 1973, more than 4,000 students have participated in these programs.

WHERE TRADITIONS ARE BORN

The Student Alumni Association (SAA) and Student  
Alumni Leadership Council (SALC) organized such events and programs as homecoming, campus tours, high school visits, Family Weekend, Senior Class Council, and Lil’ Sibs Weekend.

Today, SALC consists of approximately 120 student leaders, advised by one full-time alumni association staffer, who organize events and programming to serve and engage Iowa State’s student body. The council’s committees—executive, homecoming, ambassadors, Cyclone Alley, Senior Class Council, and First Year Leadership League—execute a number of campus-wide celebrations and student activities.

Julie Larson (MS ’84 higher ed), advised student programs in the 1980s and 90s among other positions with the alumni association during her 34-year service. 
“It didn’t matter if their event was the best attended or the most successful, what was more important was that students learned something, had fun, and made lifelong friendships,” Larson says. 

Alumni formerly involved in SAA/SALC are consistently among the most engaged and supportive following gradua-tion, according to Larson. “When they first graduate, alumni often say skills in communications, event planning, organization, and professionalism are the most valuable things they gained from our student programs,” Larson says. “But as time goes on, it’s the relationships with each other and with Iowa State they value most.” 

Current SALC leadership is still giving life to new Iowa State University traditions. Their Homecoming Kickoff—launched at the ISU Alumni Center during Homecoming 2022—featured family-friendly activities, food, games, and live performances reminiscent of past student festivals bringing together students, alumni, friends, and the Ames community. 

And Cyclone Alley—a shared program with SALC and ISU Athletics overseeing the student section for Cyclone basketball games in Hilton Coliseum—has secured its spot among Iowa State University traditions built to last.  

Kevin Zhao, a senior in business analytics, is on Cyclone Alley’s basketball operations team. They handle game day logistics like promotional items, fan signs, and even the occasional face painting.

“Hilton Coliseum is famous for its fantastic atmosphere,” Zhao says. “Cyclone Alley stokes the fire within students to support our basketball program and keep Hilton Magic one of the best atmospheres in the nation, which positively impacts our basketball program, university reputation, and the overall culture of our fanbase.”

Kaley Severn (’21 event management), manager of student programs for the ISU Alumni Association, says SALC is setting its sights on expanding membership, embracing change, and holding true to traditions.

“Celebrating State Day will continue to grow,” she says of the annual celebration of Iowa State’s founding. “Last year, we served 5,000 pieces of pizza and hosted a dunk tank on central campus. And First Year Leadership League will continue to help get people involved in SALC and find ways to grow within the organization. All our programs are working to be more inclusive to reach various communities within our student body.”

Severn says there’s something in SALC for every student. “Whether they’re mechanical engineers or event planners, we work on adapting to change and developing problem-solving skills that will serve them well no matter what profession they’re pursuing,” she says.

More than that, Severn hopes SALC provides every student a community. 

“My hope is that SALC is a place for students to feel at home, where they’re given a community. You can feel that in the legacy of support from past members. Current students are part of the bigger picture and leaving an impact for fellow Iowa Staters and the next set of student leaders in SALC.”

A LIFE CHANGING DECISION

For Ken and Cyndi Bonus, the decision to join the Student Alumni Association (SAA) and serve on the 1985 Senior Class Council not only helped hone their leadership skills, but it also shaped the trajectory of their lives.

They became friends while working in SAA’s office tucked in a corner of the ISU Memorial Union and eventually realized they were better together. They got engaged beneath the campanile in true Iowa Stater fashion.

Cyndi (’85 consumer food science, MED ’92) says her only regret is not joining SAA sooner. 

“Our advisor Julie Larson helped me realize what I enjoyed most was what I did while on SAA—working with and mentoring students,” Cyndi says. “Julie is one of the people who have made the greatest impact on my life, and I know that’s true for many former students.”

Cyndi went on to pursue a master’s degree in higher education, which led to a position working for the SAA as the alumni association’s first homecoming advisor, and her career unfurled. 

Their tie to Iowa State has remained strong, says Ken (’85 construction engineering), executive vice president of operations for Baxter Construction Company. 
“SAA connected us with the university, and the alumni association kept us connected,” he says. “I don’t think we’d be as engaged with Iowa State if it wasn’t for SAA.”

The Bonuses have each served terms on the ISU Alumni Association Board of Directors and Ken on the College of Engineering advisory councils. They are life members of the ISU Alumni Association, as well as members of the Cyclone Club, Order of the Knoll President’s Circle, and Campanile Society. They remain close friends with their fellow Senior Class Council members.

And, they proudly share, they are “three for three” with all their children attending Iowa State. 

LEADERSHIP RUNS IN THE FAMILY 

The Hora family takes tradition to heart. In the fall, the grandkids always stop by for a combine ride in the field with Grandpa Gregg.

Their Cyclone traditions run deep as well. Gregg (’82 farm operations) and son Joe (’13 agricultural studies) both members of Alpha Gamma Rho, SAA/SALC, and senior class officers, catch as many Cyclone games together as possible with Joe’s two sons in tow. 

Gregg says service at Iowa State and involvement in ISU Alumni Association’s student outreach and engagement programs helped him take his campus involvement to the next level. 

“SAA helped me develop a broader range of friends and learn to deal with other people,” Gregg says. “Getting involved with university-level activities through SAA cemented my fondness for Iowa State, and I’m so pleased I’ve been able to remain involved with other Iowa Staters from way back when.” 

Joe, a distribution manager for Channel Seed, thanks his dad for modeling the traits he’s made central themes in his own life: faithful, hard-working, community and civically engaged, generous, and passionate. He hopes to pass it all along to the next generation of Horas.

“SAA appealed to me because it aligned so well with my passion for sports,” says Joe. “I joined Cyclone Alley  Central, and as I got more mature, I learned there was so much more to SALC than the sports opportunities… the engagement with different leaders, those with different backgrounds and different geographies – it helped diversify my Iowa State experience.”

The father-son duo remains passionate about encouraging other Iowa Staters to get involved in leadership and service for their alma mater both as students and alumni. They have each served terms on Alpha Gamma Rho’s alumni board and Gregg is active in College of Agriculture and Life Sciences advocacy and advisory efforts. 

Gregg’s siblings even followed suit – Brian (’85 farm operation) served as president of SAA and on the ISU Alumni Association Board of Directors. Sister Dana Wenstrand (’87 home economics) also served on the SAA executive team.

PAYING IT FORWARD

Alumni of the association’s student leadership programs remain a loyal and involved group. Several have created scholarship programs to support students and student programming.

Kurt (’85 accounting) and Kristyn Cassidy (’85 speech communication) Tjaden met through their leadership experience on Senior Class Council and now offer a scholarship to support a member of the council. 

David VanHorn (’89 aerospace engineering, ME ’90), a professor in the practice of management at Rice University, together with his wife Diana, created the VanHorn Student Alumni Leadership Council Scholarship.

“From my role as chair of the board for the ISU Alumni Association, I appreciated the role that the SALC plays in developing opportunities for our students at Iowa State to engage with the alumni community through events, services, and traditions, while fostering a sense of loyalty and pride,” he says. 

The VanHorns’ scholarship supports SALC executive committee members with financial need who demonstrate exemplary leadership skills and actively participate in extracurricular activities.

Maureen and Terry Tobin (’79 economics and political science) were inspired to create the Tobin Family Student Alumni Leadership Council Diversity Scholarship to facilitate involvement of alumni and students of color and of diverse backgrounds, genders, faiths, and abilities. Terry participated in SAA while a student. 

As a Tobin Family Scholarship recipient, Zhao says the ability to receive support allows him more time to serve in organizations like Cyclone Alley and across campus. 

“Receiving scholarship support has helped me afford college expenses and alleviate the stress associated with them,” Zhao says. “I believe joining SALC was one of the best decisions I’ve made during my time at Iowa State.”

The ISU Alumni Association established the Julie Larson Student Leadership Programs Endowment in 2021 as a way to provide support to student programming in the association, including SALC. 

“These endowment funds provide general support and help students pursue innovative ideas while learning to work as a team and develop leadership skills,” Severn says.