The Perfect Atmosphere

During her senior year at Lincoln High School in Des Moines, Rafal Alewi spent a considerable amount of time deciding where she would go to college. She settled on DMACC pretty easily, struggled with the decision on which campus was the best fit. Her family lived closer to the West Campus in West Des Moines, but there was something about Urban Campus just north of downtown Des Moines that intrigued her.

When it came time to make the decision, Rafal went with her gut feeling and chose Urban Campus. She says, looking back, that it was the right move.

"I like that the campus is not too big and there are opportunities to get involved everywhere," she says. Rafal is the treasurer of the Student Activities Council, a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and participates in a number of other activities across campus. "I don't think I would be as involved if I were at a bigger campus."

There is another unique aspect of Urban Campus that appeals to Rafal.

"There is such a diverse population of students here that come from everywhere," she says, smiling. "We are always learning from one another."

Rafal, who has benefitted from DMACC Foundation Scholarships during her time at Urban Campus, says she is looking forward to the challenge of a four-year school when she completes her degree at DMACC in 2019 … but as of now, she's not sure where she will transfer.

"I'm still not really looking right now," Rafal says. "I'm learning what I really want to do here, and once I'm comfortable with that, I'll go from there."