You don’t appreciate what you have until it’s gone. That might sound cliché, but it felt true when I left the University of Iowa and Iowa City in 1998. Before then, I’d never pondered how important it would be for me to be among Hawkeyes when I was far from Iowa. That is, until an IOWA Club became part of my life.

I grew up in Iowa City, graduated from the UI, and worked in town for a couple years afterward. I couldn’t wait to leave Iowa City for someplace — any place — else. When I received a job offer in central Florida, I seized the opportunity, loaded a moving van, and jumped in the car before I could change my mind.

It took a move of 1,400 miles for me to appreciate the true value and vibrancy of my hometown and the UI. I love the Florida community in which I’m raising my family, but few places can compare with Iowa City. The experience of living and studying here shapes those who attend the UI in ways we don’t always see or understand right away. It creates a common bond that unites us no matter how distant we are in time or space from our alma mater, and I had to move away from Iowa City to fully recognize this. I love coming back for Homecoming weekends to appreciate and feel the familiar comfort of this amazing place.

My new life in a Florida town of less than 6,500 created a sudden absence of the arts, sports, and culture I’d grown accustomed to in Iowa City. I missed the fall influx of new and returning students to campus and the buzz of a new football season. I also felt adrift without boundless information on my beloved Hawkeyes. Most new people I encountered had never met anyone from Iowa before.

Then somehow, I discovered a newly created IOWA Club started by Dick Roseberry, ‘52 B.M.E., in Fort Myers, Florida. I drove 70 miles each way to watch the Hawkeyes on a corner TV in a bar crowded with SEC fans. I was so happy to watch the Hawks with other Hawkeyes. This is the power of the IOWA Clubs. It didn’t matter that the majority of the members were old enough to be my grandparents — this was a gathering of Iowans, and that’s as good as it gets.

IOWA Clubs are much more than just a source for camaraderie and love of the Hawks. They allow alumni and Iowans to feel a connection to the life of the UI — and to become ambassadors who give back to their communities. When Iowa alumni and friends affect their communities through charitable acts as part of an IOWA Club, they increase what I like to call the “Hawkeye Footprint.” Each time IOWA Club members help construct a Habitat for Humanity home or volunteer at a food bank wearing the black and gold, they show their communities that no matter where Iowa graduates ultimately settle, they create positive change in the world. It’s in our nature.

Strengthening the Hawkeye Footprint through our IOWA Club network is one goal I have as this year’s head of the UI Alumni Association Board of Directors. I hope our clubs can reach even greater heights when it comes to promoting the UI. I also hope to grow the association’s relationship with students from the minute they set foot on campus until the day they graduate and further build our ability to engage alumni through the power of social media.

I urge all Iowans and Iowa alumni, no matter where you are, to get involved with the IOWA Club system. If there’s not an IOWA Club in your area, start one. Continue the tradition of growing the Hawkeye Footprint in your community while maintaining your important relationship with the university.

    Once a Hawkeye …

Justin McBride, ‘96 B.S.

head, Alumni Association Board of Directors

For more information about IOWA Clubs, visit www.iowalum.com/clubs.