What is your background?: I grew up in a very small town of Castalia, Iowa. It is in the northeast corner of Iowa. The population is about 200, with majority of the residents being related to me in some form. Everybody knows everybody, and I will forever be grateful I grew up in a community like this. I graduated from Postville Community School District in 2020 during the start of the pandemic and in a result of that, my senior year was shortened. I have one older brother that I look up to and admire dearly and very supportive parents.
What brought you to Kirkwood and why?: I knew I wanted to go to a smaller college, just because I was from such a small school and town. I went on a college visit to Kirkwood and I fell in love with campus right away. I also liked that Kirkwood has small class sizes and knew I would excel in that type of class environment, because that was what I was used to. Kirkwood also offered many different areas of interest for me, especially in the medical field.
What is your program of study and what interests you about it?: I am in the Occupational Therapy Assistant program. I chose this particular program at Kirkwood, because I knew I always wanted to help people, just on the therapy side of things. Once I looked into the OTA program, I knew this was something that interested me, and I was eager to look more into it. I attended a program conference, and after that I knew this was what I was going to do. Occupational Therapy as a whole is interesting because you can help people in many ways. I enjoy this as I always like to do something new and something that will keep me on my toes. I know I’m meant to help people in this world, and I look forward to the future as becoming Peyton Smith, OTA.
What do you do for fun?: I enjoy the outdoors, like hunting, side by side riding, and playing with my dog. I also enjoy traveling, seeing new things/places, and visiting tropical areas. I enjoy taking my puppy to the dog park and being active by going on walks. I also enjoy my current job as a home health giver, as I know I am doing what I love, helping people. I love any type of country music, so I do attend a lot of concerts with my friends and boyfriend. Hanging out with my friends and family is also important to me as they have been a part of making me who I am today.
Where do you see yourself in five years?: In five years, I will for sure have credentials behind my name, and I cannot wait. I imagine myself living in a nice house, near a small town, and maybe out in the country. I would like to own some land as well. I imagine myself being married, having a couple children, and maybe adding another dog or two as well. Overall, I hope to continue my success I’ve made so far and to be happy. I hope & pray for both success and happiness, because for me personally, both of these things go hand in hand together and are important to me.