IOWA CITY — Being there for patients on their best and worst days is what drives Kenzie Theisen to show up each and every day. As a soon-to-be graduate of the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, that has been Theisen’s North Star on her nontraditional path to a Bachelor of Science in radiation sciences.
Theisen’s passion for helping others started young. Growing up, she was close with a cousin who had Down syndrome, which got Theisen interested in working with people with disabilities. This carried over to high school, where she led an adaptive physical education program for students with physical and intellectual disabilities. Combining these experiences with her love for science, Theisen embarked on her first health care career as a speech-language pathologist (SLP).
As she pursued her education, the Le Mars native also served for six years as an airman in the Iowa Air National Guard 185th Air Refueling Wing in Sioux City, Iowa. She credits the experience — during which she achieved the rank of staff sergeant — with teaching her leadership and conflict-resolution skills.
An inspired career change
After working as an SLP for two years, Theisen realized she was ready for a change. As a natural problem-solver, she found herself drawn to the diagnostic side of health care…