IU Online honors resilient learners at first Student Showcase
By IU Today
December 03, 2025
The inaugural IU Online Student Showcase honored Indiana University students who exemplify extraordinary grit, determination and impact while pursuing their degrees online.
The Nov. 12 event at the DeVault Alumni Center at IU Bloomington highlighted the resilience and impact of the IU Online community, whose students balance their education with significant personal and professional commitments.
“Listening to our online students share their journeys was genuinely invigorating for all of us across IU leadership, faculty and staff,” said Ken Iwama, IU vice president for regional campuses and online education. “Hearing these stories reminded us how transformative IU Online truly is — making an Indiana University degree attainable for students balancing careers, families and commitments. Their resilience and achievements uplift us and strengthen our resolve to keep expanding opportunities for every learner, both inside and outside our state.”
The showcase included four student speakers:
Morgan Bowman
Majoring in data science through IU South Bend, Morgan Bowman of New Hampshire is passionate about understanding technology’s evolving role in society.
She said that encouragement and kindness from faculty and staff have been key to her success. Through her studies, Bowman said she’s gained confidence in her abilities and proven to herself, and others, that she can achieve her goals, both personally and professionally.
Bowman said the thing she’s enjoyed most about the program is the faculty — something that has reinforced why she chose IU Online.
“IU Online had much more support in place for online students than other universities,” Bowman said.
Olivia Castetter
Olivia Castetter returned to IU Online determined to finish a history degree, “as a way to see how memory, activism and moral choices interact across time.”
The New Albany, Indiana, resident is a published writer and scholar who focuses on the lesser-understood voices of history, from Holocaust victims to women in the civil rights movement.
Castetter credits mentors such as professors Elizabeth Gritter, Robert Rennie and David Parnell for inspiring her academic growth, and her husband, Nick, their children and her close friends for their unwavering love and encouragement.
Mary Beth Jackson
Jackson’s studies are preparing her to thrive in a rapidly changing business world — one where she’s already leading by example with two start-up businesses.
Faculty mentors such as Christy Burge, Ranida Harris and Tim Scales have played a key role in Jackson’s development, offering guidance as she refines her business goals. Just as important, she said, is the support she receives at home. Her husband, Sam, takes on extra responsibilities to give her time to study and plan, and her children’s enthusiasm keeps her motivated.
Barry McKinney
Barry McKinney embodies the spirit of lifelong learning and community impact. He chairs the Tippecanoe County Black Heritage Committee, preserving and sharing the oral histories of his hometown of Lafayette, Indiana.
With a passion for storytelling and media, McKinney chose IU Online for its exceptional media program and the flexibility to balance his studies with meaningful community work.
He credits professors Natalia Rybas and Kristine Karnick and rural oral history scholar Olivia Novak for their support, as well as his parents, Debra Woods-Clayborn and Willis E. McKinney, for inspiring his journey of purpose and perseverance.
The other IU Online students who were honored were:
- Lehua Aplaca
- Jessica Bolin
- Blake Deckard
- Dakota Kim
- Lauren Majors
- Kimberly McKeever
- Jerrica Miles
- Deena Monnett
- Melanie Priestly
- Phiona Raffington
- Zoe Rochford
- Kelly Skaggs
- Reyne Vollmer
The showcase reflected IU Online’s commitment to celebrating students’ diverse journeys and ensuring they have the support they need to succeed.