Integrals and Intervals

“I looked at a couple DIII schools that I could run at, and also a bigger school just to see what kind of environment I wanted to be in,” said Laura Kellem. “And then I went to visit Iowa State, and I was like, no… this is too big. Thirty minutes to lunch every day.”

That visit made something click. She realized what mattered most wasn't a huge campus but it was about connection.

“I liked the smaller campus feel,” she said. “I came on a couple visits to Simpson and Central, and when I did an overnight at Simpson, I really felt like I connected more with the girls on the team. It just felt like home.”

Laura hadn’t planned to run track at all. “I had my heart set on just cross country. I didn’t do track in high school... so why start now?” she laughed. “But Coach Heath was like, ‘Oh, we’ll get you out there, don’t worry.’ And apparently, we did.”

Her first year at Simpson came during COVID, which could’ve made everything harder. But being on the team made all the difference.

“We couldn’t have our dorm doors open or anything. It could’ve been hard to meet people. But I was really thankful for the team. They were the only people you could really see, and we were together all the time. It made it easier to connect.”

As the years went on, those connections deepened.

“I moved in with teammates, which was great. We had the same schedules, so we kept each other accountable. Like, ‘Hey, are you going to run?’ It just worked.”

She also branched out through Simpson’s Women and Gender Studies themed housing.

“I have a Women and Gender Studies minor, and I kind of ended up in that housing out of desperation, to be honest,” she said. “But I really liked it. We did a lot of campus events, and it wasn’t just a résumé thing. It was fun. I think it helped open people’s minds too. Like, ‘Oh, this isn’t as weird as I thought.’”

Laura came to Simpson undeclared, but she found her major through an old love: math.

“I didn’t take any math my first semester. Then, I signed up for Calc I because I’d already taken Calc AB in high school, and I kind of missed it. And I had Heidi as my professor, she’s the best.”

That class led to encouragement to apply for summer research.

“She was like, ‘You should try the Brian Summer Research Project; I think you’d be good at it.’ But you had to declare a major to apply. So I did. And I got in. I did research all summer and loved it. I enjoyed working with the math and computer science professors.”

From there, she kept going. “I signed up for Calc II, Calc III, a couple other math classes… and I just kind of stuck with it.”

Laura also took part in Simpson’s math modeling competition which is a high-pressure, team based challenge in which students have just a few days to solve a complex problem.

“It really helped me learn how to work in a team setting with a deadline. You have to problem-solve fast. It was a lot different from the summer research, where you have weeks and weeks. This was like a race but with math.”

She also briefly joined the fencing club “back when it still existed,” she laughed. “That was wild.”

Fast forward to now, Laura is pursuing a graduate degree in Applied Math and Computational Sciences and running Division I for the University of Iowa.

“Simpson definitely helped prepare me for this. Doing research, independent studies, capstone projects, it all mattered. They encouraged me to take upper-level classes even after I’d met my major requirements. They were like, ‘It’ll still help you. Don’t skip it.’”

And as for athletics?

“Coach Heath did a great job helping me understand what works best for my body. That’s been huge as I transitioned into a new program. I’ve been able to advocate for myself more with my new coach to set boundaries and know what I need.”

She reflects on her time with the coaches.

“All of them are so supportive. They want you to succeed. Not just in races, but in life, and finally having a woman coach around? Shoutout to Coach B.”

But it’s Coach Heath who left the biggest impact.

“He fosters real relationships. You see people always sitting on his couch in the office. He asks about your goals, not just sports, but everything. And he gives you a fair shot at reaching them. Even now, when alumni come back to visit, he’s like, ‘Hey, come in!’ He doesn’t forget people. He genuinely cares.”

When asked what advice she’d give to someone considering Simpson, Laura didn’t hesitate.

“There’s space here to figure out who you are and people who’ll believe in you before you believe in yourself. I came in not knowing my major, not planning to run track, not even sure I’d like college. And I left loving it.”