Outcomes
Beyond Central
Central College alumni put the “hire” in higher education, with nearly 100% of graduates employed, in graduate school or completing service a year after graduation. The real-world value of a liberal arts education continues to accelerate as work environments transform.
Central graduates find professional success as they attain high-powered positions in Fortune 500 companies, retail, television shows and music studios. Others find their futures in social justice-driven careers in higher education, public and private schools, governments, nonprofits and healthcare systems.
Real World Preparation
Student success can be directly linked to the internships, service-learning and off-campus experiences that Central students can access through the Career Development and Civic Engagement office. Central has more than 500 connections to internship sites.
Central connections and the close-knit family follow alumni into and throughout their careers. Many jobs for recent alumni are posted on Handshake, our online recruiting system and job board.
Career Development Internships Service Learning Handshake
Don’t Take Our Word For It
We’re more than proud of all our alumni have accomplished. Explore the latest news about our alums below, or check out all of our alumni stories!
More Than a Label
Leo Bird ’14 is a live storyteller who uses original artwork as a visual aid. With pictures drawn from his Central College experiences, he tells stories about fitting in, building talent, character and autism.
Curiosity Takes You Places
Graduate programs and employers are consistently impressed by Central graduates’ professional agility. Their active curiosity demonstrates ambition, commitment to lifelong learning and an ability to approach challenges from a variety of perspectives. It’s something Central students have in abundance.
Central graduates work in locations around the world. Examples of employers include Apple, Inc., Corteva Agriscience, Iowa Governor’s office, Mayo Clinic, National Geographic, Pella Corporation, Principal Financial Group and Vermeer Corporation.
Here are just a few of our notable alumni:
- Will Daniels ’19
United States Decathlon Competitor for the 2020 Olympics - Jake Hirst ’17
Hitting Coach, New York Yankees Organization - Karlee Rock Schneider ’15
Criminalist, State Crime Lab, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation - Taryn Pennington ’13, High-Performance Health Care Provider, United States Olympics
- Michael Blake Kruse ’12, Actor, “Chicago P.D.”
- Taylor Schuelke ’12, Documentary Producer/Editor, National Geographic
- Kurtis Brondyke ’11, United States Decathlon Competitor for the 2020 Olympics
- Chris Weaver ’10, Contestant, “The Voice”
- Carol Mendez ’09, Excellence in Teaching and Teacher of the Year Award Winner
- Sarah Frese Nickel ’09, Executive Director, U.S.-Kazakhstan Business Association, Washington, D.C.
- Adam Gregg ’06, Lieutenant Governor, State of Iowa
- Nate Weir ’05, Assistant Athletic Trainer, Green Bay Packers
- Danny Beyer ’04, Awarded Des Moines Business Record Forty Under 40, 2014 and Amy Jennings Young Professional of the Year, 2013
- Rob Lindley ’95, Actor, “The Phantom of the Opera National Tour”
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Dean Furness ’94,
TED Talk Motivational Speaker
Business Intelligence & Analytics Professional, Wells Fargo - Bernadette M. Allen ’78, U.S. Ambassador, U.S. Department of State
- Harry Smith ’73, Emmy Award-Winning Journalist and NBC News Correspondent
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