The Communique

Issue date: 4/29/04 Section: Feature

Media Credit: Erin Seger Jen Gladon plays with two spaniel puppies that were found in a timber near Iowa City. Gladon currently helps out at an animal shelter where these puppies were dropped off. Gladon was selected as the Outstanding Student from Kirkwood´s Iowa City campus. In the future Gladon said she hopes to go into social work.

One former Iowa State University student turned non-traditional KCC student said she found the confidence she needed here at Kirkwood Community College to be successful.

Jen Gladon is now a second-year student who initially enrolled to explore different career options. Gladon sees herself going into social work, which is why she changed her major to Human Services at the KCC Iowa City campus.

Gladon graduated from high school in 1992 and, in her own words, "became a big time drinker and almost flunked out" of ISU. She said coming to KCC to continue her education was a memorable and valuable decision.

"Coming back and getting 100 percent on my first midterm gave me the boost I needed," said Gladon. She has continued high academic achievement with a GPA over 3.5 as a full time student.

"Kirkwood is cheap and I'm trying to save money," said Gladon. "I also appreciate the fact that the classes are smaller here and I get one-on-one attention with the instructors.

"The instructors are very encouraging and they each look at things on different levels of understanding," she said.

Gladon said she hopes to work as a therapist, possibly overseas with mentally challenged people.

Gladon serves as a foster parent to two abandoned spaniel puppies found in a timber near Iowa City.

The puppies were taken to the animal shelter where Gladon does foster care for and were turned over to her. She will continue to care for the pups until late May.

"I could see myself working with animals but it might be too hard for me to see the injured or neglected animals," she said.

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