I’m a Dubuquer: Recent Episodes
Inclusive Dubuque
Hi, my name is Farris Muhammed. I have a PhD in Education Administration and Policy and have been in Dubuque for two years. Here in Dubuque, I appreciate people’s willingness to engage. A lot of people sacrifice a lot and are involved in a lot of ways, even outside of their professional realm. I’m very […]
Hi, my name is Alejandra Ysquierdo. I moved here two years ago in the summer. Before we were living in Maquoketa. There are things to do here, it’s not just one place. I like to go to the park, museums and the fair. I’m fun and outgoing and I like to play the cello because […]
Hi, my name is Amy Gilligan. I was born in Dubuque, I’m one of those quintessential fourth or fifth generation Dubuquers. Working here at the Telegraph Herald and telling the stories of our community has been a rare opportunity that a lot of journalists don’t get. I didn’t quite realize that is something I wanted […]
Hi, my name is Curtis Turpin. I was actually born in Kansas and I lived in Kansas, Nevada, California and all over Eastern Iowa. A good majority of my childhood was in Guttenberg. My mom met my step-dad around when I was eight years old and eventually they got married and he was living in […]
Hi, my name is Dhalia Rodriguez. I moved to Dubuque and go to Dubuque Senior. This is my seventh school that I’ve been to but I really like it here. If I don’t know you, I’m going to be kind of quiet. But once you get to know me, I’m very creative and very protective of my family. They […]
My name is Karissa Rodriguez. I was born in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and I grew up in Texas. In 2009, my mom found out about this place and I was like Iowa, “Oh, where’s Iowa? What is that place? Is that a different country? What language do they speak there?” In high school, when I […]
Hi, my name is Jeff Lenhart. What keeps me here in Dubuque is the people. I’ve had in the last four years more ideas in Dubuque than I’ve ever had in my entire adult life as far as accomplishing my goals in Dubuque. Maybe it’s because it’s a river town. I know when Mark Twain […]
Hi, my name is Bill Grant. I was born in Dubuque and stay here because it’s a good size community. There is a lot to do here, it’s close enough to other communities that might have more to do but you don’t want to live there. The size is big enough that you don’t always […]
My name is Anthony Allen. I found my way into Dubuque. I was actually in love. A young lady who was my fiance at the time decided to move to Dubuque to attend college so I applied to the same school, the University of Dubuque. I’m from the Chicago inner city. I’ve always equated Dubuque as […]
My name is Vicki Sullivan. I have been in Dubuque my whole life. I would say the main things that keep me here are the roots that I’ve established. My family is here. My friends. The important work that I do here. I think the opportunities that this community provides for personal and professional growth […]
Hi, my name is Tut Fuller. I was born and raised in Dubuque and went through Dubuque Public Schools. What keeps me in Dubuque is my job, and our family, and the great opportunities that we’re seeing for our daughter. I’m currently the fourth generation person to be overseeing Dubuque Bank & Trust and trying […]
Hi, my name is Tara Verdia. I came here for a job transfer, and I was looking for a place that was going to be great to raise my four kids. Some place smaller because I came from Miami, Florida which was really huge. I was looking for a city that had that friendliness and […]
Hi, my name is Taj Suleyman. I learned about Dubuque through friends and eventually, i applied for a job with the city in the Human Rights Department as the equity outreach coordinator. The community is self-sufficient, but they also support each other. My father is originally from Sudan and I was born and raised in […]
Hi, my name is Sister Helen Huewe. I’m a Dubuque Franciscan. My mother was born in Dubuque on Central Avenue, then it was called Culver Avenue. She grew up in Holy Cross and later lived in Western Iowa and then returned here to her hometown after her dad died. Most of my life, I’ve lived […]
Hi, my name is Scott Theisen. I was born and raised in Dubuque. What keeps me here is I feel we’re really blessed to be in this community. It has so much natural beauty, architectural beauty, people with really good hearts and souls, and I think it’s a really beautiful wholesome place I would describe […]
Hi, my name is Roy Buol. I grew up in Dubuque on the north end. I actually lived in my grandparents home and I never left the community. My family lives here, many friends from my school days still live here in town. It’s a community that is very caring and welcoming and I really […]
Hi, my name is Paul Jelinek. I grew up in Sherrill, Iowa. I lived in California for 10 years and wanted to come back to my hometown and raise my kids here. I’ve lived in Dubuque since 1987 after returning from California. I’m a pretty easy-going guy, I like to get along with everyone. I like […]
Hi, my name is Ose Akinlotan. I actually moved to Dubuque from Glenarden, Maryland right outside of Washington, D.C. I grew up in a low-income community that was federally funded and moved to Dubuque after graduate school for a better opportunity. I am passionate, determined and service-oriented. I am passionate about service to all people. There is a […]
Hi, my name is Nona Jones. I had heard about Dubuque from some relatives that this was a nice and quiet place. I had decided to move in 2016 because I needed something new and something different. Everybody is really friendly here, they stop and say hello. I’m kind of a nerd, I don’t go […]
Hi, my name is Nicole Salazar. I went to Loras College for four years, studying criminal justice and Spanish. After I graduated, I went back home to Chicago where I was born and raised. I stayed there for a few months and then I was hired by the Dubuque Police Department. I was always told […]
Hi, my name is Miquel Jackson. I found myself coming to Dubuque in 2006 after I graduated high school. I’m from Cambridge, Maryland. I got here by luck of the draw, I had a scholarship to go to UTI for diesel mechanics but I still wanted to play football. I wanted to see what else […]
Hi, my name is Mick Miyamoto. My story of coming to Dubuque is a little unique and unexpected. I was working at a comprehensive university in the state Wisconsin for 20 years. I wasn’t really looking to move, I was at my alma mater, in my hometown, i was fully vested in the retirement system […]
Hi, my name is Meryem Ouahbi. I ended up in Dubuque in search of knowledge. I came here with a scholarship to Loras College, and the reason I found Loras is because my brother was here in Dubuque prior to me joining him three years later. The reason my brother ended up in Dubuque is […]
Hi, my name is Mary Gatua. I moved to Dubuque because of a job, I am a professor at Clarke University. When I came for the interview I loved the city and the university. Dubuque is not a big city, so it’s a very good city to raise kids. Because the university is very small, it […]
Hi, my name is Marge Herrig. I graduated from Iowa State in household equipment and knew I wanted to work with General Electric appliance. I had signed a contract with Bridgeport, but then Crescent Electric sent a letter to Iowa State asking for two home economists to come and demonstrate their appliances, which happened to be […]
Hi, my name is Luis Morteo. I am the president of Co-Dubuque and publisher at Co-ZINE Magazine. I was born and partially raised in Dubuque. I grew up in Chicago suburbs and then moved to Guttenberg and then back to Dubuque. I recently moved back to Dubuque two years ago after living in Chicago for […]
Hi, my name is Lillian Daniel. I moved here for my “calling” as Senior Pastor at First Congregational Church. I’d been in a suburb of Chicago, an artificial bubble where you didn’t see a wide range of people. I was tired of sitting in my car in traffic. I wanted to be in a church in […]
Hi, my name is Kristina Marie Castañeda. We landed in Dubuque when I was about four and my brother was one. We came from Madison and prior to that from Guatemala. My dad is from Guatemala and he wasn’t yet a citizen when we came here. My mom was a Holy Cross, Iowa girl and […]
Hello, my name is Kate Kitchens. I found myself in Dubuque because I got a job here at the University of Dubuque as a librarian. Before that, I was living in Shreveport, Louisiana with my wife at the time and had kind of series of traumatic experiences down there and separated from my wife and […]
Hi, my name is Julia Theisen. I am originally from Oxford, England, and I met my husband who is originally from Dubuque at a five-day training retreat in Monterey Bay in California. I am very proud to say that Dubuque is my home. I’m an entrepreneur in this community and an active community member, and I […]
Hi, my name is Joe Berger. I went to Loras College with the hopes of getting into medical school and it worked well for me. I trained down in the southeast and never desired to shovel snow again. During that time, I had family members have some health challenges in Rockford and Sioux City and […]
Hi, my name is Jim Collins. I’m from the northern suburbs of Chicago and I came to Dubuque to attend Loras as a student. I had four fabulous years as an undergraduate student and loved my time and had the opportunity to work here after graduating. My family loves Dubuque and it’s been great to […]
Hi, my name is Jasmine Sronkoski. I found myself in Dubuque about four years ago. I was in the process of going through different college visits. My mom found Loras through one of our neighbors and sprung the visit up behind my back. I had no idea we were coming to Dubuque, Iowa, and i’m […]
I did not grow up in Dubuque, I grew up in a suburb of Chicago, Des Plains, Illinois. My parents moved to Elizabeth, Illinois when I was in grade school and then we moved to Dubuque 2000 and I attended Wahlert High School. After I went to the University of Iowa, I moved back to […]
Hi, my name is Indigo Channing. I moved to Dubuque in 1992, so I was only about seven years old. My mom was working in town and we moved here from Delhi and I remember being terrified because the city seemed like the size of Chicago to me. The city is a nice blend of rural […]
A lot of people know me as “Harpo”. I moved back to Dubuque in ’71, and I’ve lived here ever since. I came back because all my friends are here and the music scene was good here. I tell everyone I majored in fluorescents and rock and roll and minored in ping pong the year […]
Hi, my name is Alan Garfield. I’m not from Dubuque but I moved here simply for a job. I am a teacher and I was at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a lovely school, and city. I took a look at Dubuque. Specifically the University of Dubuque, but the colleges and the city itself and I […]
Hi, my name is Beth Gilbreath. We moved to Dubuque when I was in sixth grade, we moved from Fargo, North Dakota and got a job at Central as a school teacher. I moved away from Dubuque for 10 years, all three of my children were born in California. When they were little we moved […]
Hi, my name is Candice Bowler. I actually found myself in Dubuque because of a job opportunity. I was in San Francisco before that and my mother kind of conned me into coming to Iowa. At the time I was thinking about going to grad school, but the job opportunity with McGraw-Hill came along and […]
Hi, my name is David Neises. I’ve lived here all my life. Family is a big thing with us. We have a lot of family and extended family here and it’s important to us to be close to family. I started out working at a gas station. I moved on from there to A.Y. McDonald […]
Hola, my name is Dora Serna. I found myself in Dubuque for work purposes. Not for me but for my husband. It was a great opportunity and they offered him the position and he just needed to think a couple of seconds and said yes. We moved from Bogota, Colombia and the at the beginning […]
Hi, my name is Cynthia Sanders. I met my husband years ago while he was visiting Chicago. He was living and working in Dubuque after graduating from the University of Dubuque. As of this July, it will be 35 years that I’ve been in Dubuque. We’ve met some really good people here, our children received […]
Hi, my name is Father William Joensen. I’m the Dean of Campus Spiritual Life at Loras College. I have a lot of affection for Dubuque, and it’s become my home in the 19 years I’ve lived here. I just think it’s a nexus of different cultures and interests. There’s a strong Catholic ethos here, but […]