Meyer Chosen as CLAS Commencement Speaker

Allison Meyer, an undergraduate research fellow in the Politics and Policy Research Program, was selected to be the speaker for the virtual commencement of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Commencement speakers are selected through an application and interview process. Students graduating with highest distinction are invited to apply. The theme of Meyer's planned speech is that success isn't always what the world thinks it is. It comes in unconventional ways, and it's up to each individual what success means to them.

After graduation, Meyer will move to Kansas City to start an Americorps program called City Year, that helps kids in low-income schools to stay on track. She was part of the inaugural cohort of the Summer Policy Research Institute (SPRI), and produced a policy brief called Exploring Determinants of Food Insecurity in Iowa. She hopes to pursue a career in education policy.