One of the busiest Bees on campus would have you believe her epic student experience at St. Ambrose University just kind of happened when she wasn't looking.
Culminating with her senior year as the organization's vice president, Laura Meloy served three years on the Student Government Association (SGA), and also was a three-year member of the SAU Model United Nations team (and its president) and the student newspaper, The Buzz.
Additional club and organization memberships included Campus Democrats, Greenlife, Sustainability Committee, and Triota Honor Society. She volunteered as a tutor with the Student Success Center and worked eight hours per week in Student Activities. Earlier in her academic career, she also participated in Dance Marathon and choir.
This year alone however, Meloy
- was a New Student Seminar peer mentor;
- played a large role in creating an environmentally friendly gathering space in the Hayes Hall Courtyard;
- spoke at the 2021 Winter Undergraduate Commencement ceremony;
- co-chaired the inaugural Sustainability Fest, and then started a weekly sustainability podcast with fellow Greenlife leader Emma Duncan;
- led a Model UN-inspired campus march to show solidarity with Ukraine;
- and last month led the SGA's first Litterpalooza. The latter saw teams of Ambrosians pick up 710 pounds of trash from neighborhoods surrounding campus.
And, oh yeah. Academics.
Meloy graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Studies. She also double-minored in Environmental Studies and Theology
Meloy didn't anticipate building an extracurricular resume half this full when she came to St. Ambrose in 2018 from nearby Bettendorf.
"I never thought I would be president of this or president of that," she said. "Freshman year, I laid low and focused on making friends. I was afraid to go to club meetings by myself. It was scary. At the start of my sophomore year, I said, 'Laura, you're being dumb.' So I joined the SGA and Model UN, and that's where I fell into my majors."
While the fit seems natural now, political science and international studies weren't her certain future. But the Iowa caucus campaign season was in full swing as her sophomore year began. Like many Iowa colleges, St. Ambrose has leveraged Iowa's first-in-the-nation role to host presidential candidates from both parties. On- or near-campus forums have provided students a front-row seat to observe and engage in the democratic process.
Meloy's experience volunteering for two presidential campaigns – for U.S. Representative Beto O'Rourke (D-Texas) and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) – is evidence of the hands-on experience SAU political science students gain.
"I think it helped me decide I wanted to major in political science and international studies," Laura said of her caucus experiences. "Before that, I was thinking nursing, journalism, sociology. I was all over the place. I think the caucuses really crystalized going into politics."
Even then, Laura insists she didn't necessarily see herself in various leadership roles across campus. Yet, she's held them. Lots and lots of them.
"I know," she conceded of what is clearly a get-it-done pattern that defines her SAU career. "But it just kind of happened. (Former SGA President) Sara Killackey was a big role model for me my sophomore year. I just kind of fell into everything. It was never a goal. It was never something where I said, 'I am going to do all this.' It just happened. I don't know. I just want to make a difference."
She certainly has.
"It's been a wild ride," Meloy said. "It has been the best experience of my life, but I'm tired."
Laura doesn't know what's next. Maybe grad school with an eye on teaching at a place like St. Ambrose. Perhaps campaign work for an Iowa Congressional candidate. A summer vacation trip to Germany is certain. But after that?
"I'm not sure," she said. "I'm back to where I was freshman year. I'm not really sure what I want to do with my degree. Wherever the wind takes me, I'll go."
Won't that be fun to watch!
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