Nothing Else Compares
“At Central, you can’t help but get involved and form close bonds with the people around you. It’s so impactful, and it absolutely sets Central apart.”
— Quinn Deahl ’23
Hometown: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Majors: English and Philosophy
Minors: Political Science (Pre-Law)
Scholarships: Heritage and Presidential
Campus Activities: Student Body President, United Minority Alliance President, Students Against Sexual Assault, Writing Tutor, Peer Instructor, Mock Trial and SOS Leader
Career Goal: Law
Quinn Deahl ’23 expected top-notch success for her college career at Central College. That kind of aspiration comes naturally for a lifelong athlete with an academic track in pre-law. But sometimes destiny has a way of taking things into its own hands.
During high school, Deahl, like so many other students, made the rounds visiting colleges. However, her first one may have been the only visit she needed to make her decision.
“Central was my first college visit,” Deahl says. “I remember coming into Pella and just thinking how beautiful everything was. Then I stepped on campus and just had a feeling like this is home. This feels like where I want to be. From then on, in every other one of my college visits, I was comparing it to Central, and none of them really stacked up.”
Deahl played basketball and soccer for the Dutch with the dream of becoming an All-American. However, after several injuries during game play, she had to make a difficult decision to retire from athletics.
With some dashed dreams and a search to fill that part of her identity, Deahl has poured herself into activities across campus. She even found the time to start two student organizations here at Central: Alliance of Underrepresented People and Students Against Sexual Assault. She was inspired to start AUP after taking an African American literature class with Valerie Billing, assistant professor of English.
“I wanted to start a group to address some of the concerns I’ve heard from my classmates, and try to make more societal change,” Deahl says. “So, we started the Alliance of Underrepresented People to help underprivileged Central students feel more welcome and involved on campus, to support minority affinity groups and to help the rest of the student body be aware of things Professor Billing taught in our class.”
Her initiative has not gone unnoticed. Deahl’s classmates and peers have so appreciated the work she has accomplished, they elected her as Central’s 2022-23 Student Body President — an honor she didn’t anticipate would be hers.
“I am super excited! It was definitely not something I was expecting to do as a freshman, but I’m really excited to make more changes as I work with administrators and students,” Deahl says.
In the classroom Deahl has been led by and inspired through professors that she says have been some of the most influential people in her life. “My relationships with my professors have been what’s kept me here, and ultimately have allowed me to succeed,” she says. “There are so many, I can’t even count on two hands the number of professors here that I feel like I have a really close relationship with and have impacted me. At Central, you can’t help but get involved and form close bonds with the people around you. It’s so impactful, and it absolutely sets Central apart.”
As she finishes the final chapter of her college career, Deahl credits Central for allowing her to try new things. In fact, she highly recommends trying new things to anyone considering Central.
“Try new things and don’t limit yourself,” Deahl says, “That has allowed me to figure out who I really am, and the opportunities I’ve had at Central set me up for my future really well.”
However, her most important advice comes from her heart … and she encourages future Central students to do the same: “The most important advice I could give is to follow your heart. That’s what I have done at Central, and I feel like it’s the most important thing you can do coming to college.”