EICC Success Stories
Inspiring stories from our community.
Living, Learning, Leading, and Living: Allen Beard’s MCC Campus Life
For one Muscatine Community College (MCC) student, higher education wasn’t always part of the plan. But now, just two semesters in, Allen Beard is deeply woven into campus life — starting clubs, giving tours, and helping peers find their place.
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Carter Stevenson: Writing His Future, One Story at a Time
With the encouragement of his instructors and the resources available through Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC), Carter Stevenson is turning his passion into something real—one carefully planned-out page at a time.
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Gideon Cable Hall: Small Space, Big Feelings
A bed. A blanket. Half-tucked, half-forgotten. A pile of clothes in the corner, a pizza box shoved just out of sight.
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Sonja Tarallo: Father Time and Mother Nature Playing Chess
The cursor blinked on her screen. A blank canvas, waiting. And yet, this time, something felt different.
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Spencer Paxton: Self Portrait, 2024
Spencer Paxton never liked self-portraits. At least not in the traditional sense.
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Amelia House: Endless Decay
Amelia House doesn’t like abstract art. She prefers structure, clarity—art that has something recognizable to hold onto.
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Alyssa VanderHeiden: Still Life Self-Portrait
Walking into her first class at Clarke University, Alyssa VanderHeiden expected the usual first-day routine—introductions, syllabi, maybe some icebreakers.
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Faith, Family, and a Future: Jasmine O'Quinn
On a frigid January night, Jasmine O’Quinn sits at her desk by the main entrance of the Scott Community College (SCC) Urban Campus, her grey beanie pulled snugly over her ears and her Per Mar Security jacket zipped up tight.
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EICC Helped Lilly Clark Bridge the Gap to Iowa State
When it came time for college, she and her family hoped for a stepping stone between small-town life and the wider world. They found it at the Muscatine campus of Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC).
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Positivity Is Greater Than Negativity, Bottom Line
Meet David Andre Hines II, EICC Alum and Iowa Literary Council’s 2024 Outstanding Adult Learner of the Year.
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