Et cetera : Area students officially part of U of I Class of 2018

Students from the area are officially members of the University of Iowa's Class of 2018.

The undergraduate class is the largest (4,666 students) and most diverse first-year class in UI history and is extremely academically accomplished.

Local students include:

Benjamin Hyland of Vinton

Bonnie Duong of Vinton

Brennen Pace of Keystone

Brian Goodell of Vinton

Caitlyn Kithcart of Belle Plaine

Carley Deklotz of Shellsburg

Cassidy Cruise of Atkins

Dakota Hiner of Newhall

DeShaylea Pfannebecker of Blairstown

Emily Skow of Atkins

Halie Berger of Atkins

Heather Mahoney of Walker

Jacob Isbell of Garrison

Jay Scheel of Mount Auburn

Jennifer Cortez of Vinton

Kaitlyn Pegump of Atkins

Kaleb Rabe of Blairstown

Keaton Betterton of Atkins

Lane Bachelder of Belle Plaine

Lucas Murray of Vinton

Luke Moen of Shellsburg

Mara Jessen of Shellsburg

Monica Brokaw of Newhall

Nicole Banks of Van Horne

Nicole Hulsebus of Atkins

Taran Pottebaum of Vinton

Taylor Busta of Atkins

Taylor Vislisel of Vinton

Thomas Chase of Shellsburg

Whitney Schutterle of Norway

Among the record-setting academic achievements of the first-year class includes having 523 Old Gold Scholarship recipients, compared to 398 in 2013. Old Gold Scholars must have a 30 ACT, (or combined SAT critical reading and math score of 1330), as well as a 3.80 GPA on a 4.00 scale. The first-year class also has the highest ever average high school GPA of 3.63, compared with 3.62 in 2013.

"We're very pleased with the make-up of our incoming class," said University of Iowa President Sally Mason. "This is a fantastic class, and I couldn't be more proud that these first-year students have chosen to be Hawkeyes. I have no doubt the Class of 2018 will enrich the smart, talented, and successful student body at the University of Iowa."