Clarissa McNally did not just walk across the stage May 15 - she spoke from it.
During McNally’s graduation from Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC), she took the podium as a commencement speaker, a role she once would not have pictured for herself.
A year earlier, she was looking for a smart start. EICC’s Muscatine campus was close to home and affordable, and she’d already earned a year of college credit through concurrent classes. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I started college, and here I had a chance to explore,” she said.
McNally expected classes. She did not expect to become a Student Ambassador, join Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), be named to the Iowa All Academic
Team, get involved in Silver and Blue, speak at a statewide event, and stand at the commencement podium.
“I didn’t expect to get involved in so much, and I’m grateful for every opportunity,” McNally said.
The first step came during her first week of classes.
McNally had promised herself she would join at least one club in college. When someone suggested she become a Student Ambassador, she paused. The role felt more public than anything she would have chosen for herself. Her mom talked her through it.
“I wasn’t sure at first, but I finally said yes, and now here I am,” McNally said.
That choice changed the year.
As a Student Ambassador, she gave tours, met future students and families, and spoke in front of others. The role connected her to more people across campus and led to new opportunities, including PTK.
“It pulled me out of my shell,” she said.
That mattered. In high school, McNally was active in dance, Girl Scouts, and community service, but most of that happened outside school. She often went to class, then left for the places where she felt more connected.
“I wasn’t involved in school the way a lot of other students were. That’s why I didn’t feel a sense of belonging,” she said.
EICC felt different within a few weeks. “It didn’t take long,” McNally said. “Being involved outside of the classroom gave me that sense of belonging.”
It also gave her steady practice doing something she once avoided: speaking up.
McNally describes her high school self as shy and quiet. At EICC, she gave tours, spoke in club meetings, helped at campus events, and talked with prospective students and families. “It grew my confidence,” she said.
Then the rooms got bigger.
After McNally was named to the Iowa All Academic Team through PTK, she was selected to speak at a Community Colleges for Iowa event. It was her first time speaking in front of a large crowd.
Afterward, she sat down next to her mom.
“She told me, ‘Good job,’ and I thought, ‘I actually did that,’” McNally said, adding she realized how much she had changed.
“I don’t know if I would have stepped outside my comfort zone somewhere else,” McNally said. “I love the small community we have here.”
She has always found ways to give back. McNally is a lifetime Girl Scout member and now leads a Brownie troop. She teaches dance to children ages 3 to 8. As a high school senior, she earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can receive, after spending 100 hours educating Iowans about laws related to funeral processions.
“Girl Scouts is all about giving back and leaving the place better than you found it,” she said.
That same sense of service shapes what comes next.
McNally plans to attend the University of Northern Iowa to study communication disorders. Her long-term goal is to earn a PhD and become a pediatric audiologist. Her EICC degree moves her closer.
It’ll help me reach my goals,” McNally said, adding that she’s proud of how much
she accomplished in one year at EICC. Now, when she talks with prospective students,
she encourages them to step in before they feel fully ready.
“I tell them it’s OK to feel that way,” McNally said. “I was once that way.”
Then she shares what worked for her. “Even if it’s as small as showing up for a meeting for a club you’re interested in. Taking that first step will open you up to so many more things,” she said.
For McNally, that first step led to an Associate of Arts degree, a transfer plan,
a future in pediatric audiology, and a place at the commencement podium.
She came to EICC looking for her next step. She left ready to help others find theirs.