Hillary Kletscher
  • MBA, Biological Systems Engineering
  • Class of 2016
  • Vesta, MN

Hillary Kletscher, selected as student marshal at Iowa State University for spring 2016

2016 May 3

Hillary Kletscher, a biological systems engineer from Vesta, Minnesota, is serving as this semester's College of Engineering Student Marshal during the Spring 2016 commencement ceremony. She will be accompanied by Amy Kaleita, associate professor of biological systems engineering, as she leads the engineering class into the ceremony held May 7.

When Kletscher came to Iowa State, she came out of the gates running, immediately getting highly engaged in her classes, clubs and organizations.

Kletscher invested a great deal of her time in the Student Government, hoping to impact and improve the world around her. Eventually, this desire led her to the role as president of GSB, where she would represent students on the VEISHEA Task Force. During her tenure as student body president and vice president, she represented more than 34,000 students, negotiated contracts totaling $640,000 for student services, led an executive team of 18 students, appointed more than 100 students to university committees, spearheaded the university bike share program, partnered in opening the Student Loan Education Office and started numerous other initiatives.

Her leadership extended beyond student government. Kletscher also served as the Minnesota State FFA president while she was a freshman, where she represented 9,200 members, organized and facilitated two conferences for more than 300 students, spoke at numerous FFA banquets, and led a convention with more than 3,000 attendees. At Iowa State, Kletscher served as Alpha Gamma Delta Women's Fraternity vice president of operations and alumni relations coordinator.

She has been honored with multiple awards during her undergraduate career, including Wallace E. Barron All-University Senior, Iowa State University Outstanding Student Leader, Division of Student Affairs Above and Beyond Award, Cargill Global Scholar, National Corn Growers' Association Scholar, American Coalition for Ethanol Scholar, College of Engineering Dean's List every semester, Minnesota Grain and Feed Association Scholar and Fuel Ethanol Workshop Kathy Bryan Memorial Scholarship.

Kletscher also interned for multiple companies. She interned with Cargill in their corn milling business unit in Fort Dodge, Iowa and Dayton, Ohio. She worked as a sales intern for U.S. Water Services, working with customers throughout southern Minnesota. Her first internship was with DuPont Pioneer as a marketing intern for the company's Northern Business Unit. Kletscher is currently employed by CyBiz Lab as a MBA consultant where she seeks to find business solutions for customers.

Kletscher will travel around the world after graduation before beginning her career with Cargill as a senior business analyst on the company's strategy and business development team in Wayzata, Minnesota.

"I am thrilled to be selected to represent the College of Engineering at commencement. I had the pleasure to meet and work with many incredible fellow engineers who I know will change the world. I am deeply honored to represent my peers as we complete our education and apply it to the biggest problems the world faces today."