Central Found My Heart
“Central is preparing me well to move into a sociology career to help kids.”
— DelTon Alexander ’24
Hometown: Iowa City, Iowa
Major: Sociology
Scholarships: Mark and Kay DeCook Family, Main Family Scholarship Bill & Connie Hinga Scholarship for Outstanding Campus Leadership and Journey
Campus Activities: Student Senate (Leader — 2 years), Campus Ministries, The CALM Leadership Team, Track and Cross-Country Manager, Student Board of Trustees
Career Goal: Work with nonprofit organizations that impact the childcare system.
DelTon Alexander ’24 grew up in a single-parent home with four other siblings, which left him concerned about his financial options during his college search. However, open communication and frank conversations with Central College’s financial aid staff afforded Alexander the ability to smoothly transition into college.
“Coming to college, I was really stressed about where my money would come from,” Alexander explains. “But Central has a lot of support for students, a lot of scholarship opportunities and ways to work on campus.”
Alexander knows all about opportunity — both capitalizing on it and creating it for himself. From his experiences in the classroom to leadership roles on campus, such as Student Senate leader and leading the Campus Ministries team, Alexander trailblazes his way through opportunities at Central.
“My willingness to talk to people and get involved has really helped me,” Alexander says. “Being a sociology major, my professors really encouraged me to have conversations with people, which is a big way to promote community on campus.”
The other side of Alexander’s coin was a state university in his backyard. While students are given the chance to meet far more people, Alexander says the small school and small-town environment allow him to build more meaningful relationships.
“I really feared coming here and not having any friends and not growing any relationships with people,” Alexander remembers as he was considering colleges. “Being here everybody is so welcoming. You can sit at any table in the dining hall and they’ll welcome you and talk to you. That welcoming feeling makes me really enjoy Central.”
Alexander is big on community. So, his favorite campus hangout is somewhere he can connect with his peers.
“There are a lot of places on campus where you can have a good time and find a lot of joy, but my favorite place is Maytag Student Center,” Alexander says. “I’m a huge community person. So, I study and do homework here and that allows me to have conversations. People walk through and I get to talk to them about life. Doing homework while having good conversations … it does not get better than that.”
Community on Central’s campus doesn’t stop with the students. There is a huge amount of support from professors and staff.
“The professors continue to pour knowledge into me. They’ll never let me fall behind and they’ll always reach out to me,” Alexander says.
Alexander’s heart for community extends to the younger generation and is where his future career aspirations are nested.
“I’m an Angel Tree kid. They invite kids who have family members in prison to go to camp,” Alexander explains. “My dad was in prison most of my life, and there’s a camp close to town that has an Angel Tree program.”
“I’ve been working there for the past three summers, which has really shaped my heart around helping these skids. I want to step in, and I want to lead them. Central is preparing me well to move into a sociology career to help kids.”
Students at Central are always growing. As students, as people, as leaders, and so much more.
“I think society has moved so fast and you miss a lot of good conversations when you’re moving fast with them. Being at Central has taught me that I need to slow down and listen, and talk to people, and grow with them,” Alexander explains.
Central will offer you a quality education, lifelong friendships, fun memories and an unforgettable experience.
“I found a home here. I found a great community here and I continue to want to come here and pour into the people here,” Alexander says. “Central found my heart and it still has my heart.”