Name: Samantha Danielson-Jones
Major at ISU: Music - BA
Graduation Year: 2005
Hometown: Pleasant Hill, IA
Current Residence: Ankeny, IA
What were you involved in during your time at ISU:
I was involved in the music department/ensembles, SAI, Alpha Delta Pi sorority, and VEISHEA committees.
What do you currently do for a living:
I am serving as a Pulmonary/Critical Care Physician.
Are there other ways that you participate in your community and/or how you engage as a Citizen Artist?
I am the Medical Director for organizations including Iowa Donor Network and the Board of Directors of the Iowa Clinic.
How did your time at ISU prepare you for your career?
The perseverance and dedication it took to balance a full music major class and rehearsal schedule while also taking difficult science classes to prepare for medical school set me up for success with the difficulty of medical school applications and coursework.
What was your favorite class while you were at ISU? Why?
My favorite would have to be the Percussion Ensemble. It was always a pleasure to prepare and practice for. I always looked forward to this time each week as I knew it would be a fun time to connect with my closest musician friends/colleagues.
How was your involvement in music and theatre beneficial in different parts of your life?
I have been able to balance my work schedule with family life fairly successfully based on the experience I had with time management and splitting my responsibilities amongst many classes and organizations while at ISU.
Any words of wisdom for current or prospective students?
Keep going! Even though I don’t get the chance to play percussion nearly as much as I used to and my profession is in something very different than music, I would not change the experience and opportunities I had in music in undergrad for anything!