Opinion: What about a “DMACC” Hall of Fame?

What are you planning on doing after your time at Des Moines Area Community College? These DMACC alumni have already made a name for themselves and deserve to be in a “DMACC Hall of Fame” with their names forever written in history.

DMACC has its own “Notable Alumni” page and Alumni Association website, where you can find recipients of the Outstanding Alumni Award, Early Achievement Award, and Impact Award, which recognize the excellence of these alumni. 

As the website states, “Founded in 1981, the DMACC Alumni Association represents and serves alumni and friends from all of DMACC’s campuses and centers. The DMACC Alumni Association is an integral part of the DMACC Foundation and is a valuable tool in connecting alumni, students, and friends to DMACC for the purpose of increasing the overall advancement efforts of the DMACC Foundation.” 

However, I believe alumni should be recognized and honored further than just being noted on a website. Many alumni’s stories and legacies will be forgotten, and no one will have the privilege of hearing what they did while at DMACC and the great things they are doing after graduation.

I think DMACC should have a collective Hall of Fame on every campus for these notable alumni who have been through programs, graduated, and made a name for not only themselves, but the school that they came from, and the community that still supports them and recognizes them today. They should feel honored to have graduated from DMACC and still have something to leave behind as a legacy, as to say, “I went here and made my own story.” 

If including a Hall of Fame-type hallway or area on each campus is too much work or effort, as I know there are many campuses, there should at least be one Hall of Fame to spotlight these graduates and their accomplishments in life so far after graduation from DMACC.

I would say there should be one on the “main campus” as many sources identify Ankeny as. The campus houses the president, it is home to the largest and longest-standing facilities, it is in a central location, it is the largest campus in programs and enrollment, and on top of everything else, it was the first DMACC campus to be physically built and opened back in 1968. However, this is an argument for another day as to why sports and athletics should be hosted on the Ankeny campus.

Some alumni I would like to spotlight and who would be great additions to the start of the DMACC Hall of Fame include Paralympic athlete Justin Phongsavanh, author Don Tate, CEO Taufeek Shah, entrepreneur Dennis Albaugh, County sheriff Kevin Schneider, former Iowa Attorney General Bonnie Campbell, former MLB third baseman Corey Koskie, and former MLB outfielder Scott Schebler. 

These graduates and alumni had amazing careers and life experiences after graduating from DMACC, and some of them are still in their careers, writing their stories and legacy. 

Many of these are already on DMACC’s Notable Alumni website, but most people would never see it unless they were searching for notable alumni. With Hall of Fame areas on campus, these alumni’s legacies can forever live on and be remembered every single time they are passed by students and faculty walking around campus.

Justin Phongsavanh (2019 graduate AA Business/Financial Administration) is a U.S. Paralympian and competed in the javelin throw at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games and 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, finishing third and fourth, respectively. He is part of the USA National Team as well as the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committees. Phongsavanh is also an advocate for adaptive sports and disability inclusion, using his voice and stage to make opportunities for other children who struggle with disability just as he does.

Don Tate (1984 Ankeny graduate, AA in Commercial Arts and Advertising) is an author and illustrator as well as a public speaker. While Tate was enrolled and taking classes at DMACC, he had sole custody of his baby daughter, born just days after he graduated from high school. On top of this, Tate is also an award-winning author, the illustrator of numerous critically acclaimed books for children, one of the founding hosts of the blog “The Brown Bookshelf,” and a member and supporter of the We Need Diverse Books initiative.

Taufeek Shah (2008 graduate, Ankeny AA Liberal Arts) is the founder and CEO of Lola’s Fine Hot Sauce. He has created seven different hot sauces, five flavors of salsa, and a bloody mary mix under the Lola’s brand, on top of helping to launch the first Filipino fusion restaurant in Iowa, which was recently recognized as one of the Top 25 Filipino restaurants in the United States.

Dennis Albaugh (1970 graduate, Ankeny Agribusiness Operations) is a billionaire entrepreneur and executive chairman of Albaugh LLC and one of, if not the most, successful DMACC alumni ever. He founded the company in 1979, which became the largest privately held agricultural chemical company in North America. Albaugh also has other operations in countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Slovenia, and Ukraine. He has been featured in Forbes as “one of the richest individuals in Iowa.” Albaugh even has horses that have been featured running in the Kentucky Derby. Through his success, Albaugh still finds ways to give back and has donated millions of dollars to education, DMACC scholarships, youth sports, and the Ankeny community. 

Kevin Schneider (1990 graduate, AA Criminal Justice) is a sheriff for the Polk County Sheriff’s Office in Iowa. He serves on the Advisory Board for the DMACC Criminal Justice program, where he helps to mentor students aspiring to pursue careers in public safety and helps to address the need for law enforcement professionals. Schneider has received recognition for his dedication, such as the Top Gun Award in his Academy Class in 1983, being appointed as Sheriff by the Polk County Board of Supervisors in 2018, winning the election as Sheriff of Polk County in 2020, and being appointed to the Board of Directors for the National Sheriffs Association and the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy Council by Governor Reynolds. 

Bonnie Campbell (Drake University B.A. and J.D. 1982, 1984 Law School) built a legal and political career in Iowa after graduating, serving as chairwoman of the Iowa Democratic Party and later becoming the first female Attorney General in Iowa, serving from 1991-95. Campbell joined the U.S. Department of Justice in 1995, becoming the first head of the Office on Violence Against Women until 2001. Then, President Bill Clinton even nominated Campbell to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

Corey Koskie (Boone 1993) was drafted in the 26th round out of DMACC by the Minnesota Twins in 1994 and went on to play nine seasons in the MLB from 1998-2006 with the Twins, Blue Jays, and ending his career with the Brewers. While in the big leagues, Koskie had a .275 batting average, 124 HR, 506 RBI, and even attained some 2001 AL MVP votes in his run. Koskie retired after a serious concussion ended his career and later became an entrepreneur and mental health/sports safety advocate. Koskie was elected into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015 and is one of the greatest Canadian baseball players to ever play the sport. 

Scott Schebler (attended Boone 2010) was drafted out of DMACC by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2010 MLB Amateur Draft, being selected in the 26th round. Schebler was recognized as a Second-Team NJCAA All-American and Iowa Community College Athletic Conference Player of the Year as he led DMACC in hitting (.446), runs (81), HR (20), and more in his one 2010 season. He made his MLB debut in 2015 with the Dodgers and went on to play for the Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, and Los Angeles Angels. Over his 7 seasons in the MLB, Schebler hit 61 HR with a .237 batting average and 167 RBI.

Jason Momoa (Marine Biology) even attended DMACC and went on to be a Hollywood actor, starring in films such as “Aquaman,” “Dune,” and “A Minecraft Movie” most recently. 

There are so many more alumni and graduates to recognize and tell stories for. With a Hall of Fame, we can work to recognize one DMACC alumnus at a time and inspire students to one day write their own story and legacy and end up in the Hall of Fame themselves, just as I hope to do one day. 

For now, you can check out the DMACC Alumni page at DMACC Alumni | Des Moines Area Community College and find the Alumni Association, which you are automatically a part of after attending the college and being a former student! Make sure to pursue your dreams and goals, never back down or give up, and one day you can be recognized as a Notable Alumnus or Alumna and maybe even one day, be put in the one and only DMACC Hall of Fame.