Cindy Neil’s journey at DMACC began when she was 49 as a non-traditional student who had raised a family and managed a large department store. She decided it was time to finally pursue “the thing I always wanted to pursue…”
Now an adjunct humanities and international studies instructor at DMACC in Carroll, that “thing” was to follow her curiosity and long-held interest in international issues and communications. She had ideas but was not entirely sure where the path would lead. Ultimately her journey took her from west Central Iowa, where she grew up, to DMACC, five countries, and home again.
A full circle.
It was 2019 when Cindy enrolled in DMACC with just 13 college credits to her name. A child of the Cold War, she had taken an interest in Russian culture, intrigued by the way a country’s history, economics, politics, geography, and the media shape perception and affect diplomacy. She wanted to turn that passion to work in the federal government (which she did).
Between 2019 and 2024, she finished her Associate’s degree at DMACC, transferred to University of Iowa, and earned bachelor’s degree in Political Science. From there, she pursued a master’s degree in European Studies from Luiss University School of Government in Rome and completed a second master's in Strategic Communication online through University of Iowa.
Along the way, Cindy journeyed to Reykjavik, Iceland, to earn an Arctic Studies Certificate from the University of Iceland, a move that prepared her for the classes she develops and teaches today. While in Iceland, she spearheaded a two-year international research project in five countries and attended 11 Arctic conferences to gain a deeper understanding of the European Union’s Arctic policy.
“That was really transformative for me,” Cindy says. “I was taking this strategic communications master’s. At the same time, I was studying the communication patterns among these international elites that focus on the Arctic.”
The Arctic, she says, is an “emerging theater of operations.“ There, climate change and the environment, geopolitics, economics, and cultural anthropology intersect. The experience taught her to value “deep immersion into a region to better understand it.”
Among her gleanings, Cindy observed people everywhere seek a fulfilling life, safety and security, and an enduring peace. “We have more in common than not,” an understanding that comes from studying other regions and cultures.
Today, among other courses, Cindy teaches region or country-specific courses (such as Norway and Greenland) at DMACC with an emphasis on contextual analysis, not just geography and history. Through them, she emphasizes curiosity (an underrated soft skill in her opinion) and critical thinking skills that can apply to anything else students encounter.
“This idea of marrying curiosity with critical thinking skills is important. The curious mind is always going be encountering new information,” Cindy says. “ So, how can you approach that with an attitude of opening, but also have the ability to interrogate the information to determine whether or not its valuable, useful or true?”
She hopes to broaden students’ understanding of the world and how events in other nations impact them where they live.
“Many of the issues that impact the Arctic are issues that impact us in Iowa,” she says. “Both regions are rural, the cultures are lowkey and community centered, and the people are resourceful and resilient.”
Cindy also encourages students to think broadly about their interests and career paths. Students who have taken her classes sometimes see ways forward they hadn’t considered … a career in the Foreign Service as a medical provider, for example, or in international relations.
“I tell students to trust their curiosity and their ability to make good decisions based on sound information and their personal values.”
About her full-circle journey, Cindy says, “I was a first-generation college student from rural Iowa. I’m proud of being a DMACC alumna. I attribute any success I’ve enjoyed to my experience as a student at DMACC. I was supported intellectually, socially and financially, and it made all the difference.”
Cindy joined the DMACC as an adjunct instructor in 2025. Her connections to the college and with a former DMACC instructor proved pivotal in the hiring process and crafting engaging courses. For her, it’s an opportunity to give back.
“I am profoundly humbled to teach at DMACC. Helping students engage with the issues that are shaping our world is the most rewarding work I do.”
Bear Trails highlights unique journeys of DMACC students, alumni, faculty, and staff, celebrating their diverse experiences and inspiring paths.
Have a story idea? Contact Savannah Eadens, Public Relations & Communications Specialist, at sjeadens@dmacc.edu or 515-675-3275.