On her way to pick up her diploma, Emily took a detour to Rome and China

It's pretty hard to find a more focused student than Emily Zimmerman. When she makes a plan, she sticks to it. In the case of getting a degree at Iowa State University, she had even completed her plan ahead of schedule. She'd amassed enough credits to graduate with a biology degree in three short years. But that was the problem. The time seemed way too short.

Emily wanted one last adventure in her undergraduate years. So she searched through Iowa State's seemingly endless academic opportunities, ultimately finding something that intrigued her -- a second major in global resource systems. It combined the three things she loved most: science, languages, and travel.

Through a vast array of research opportunities and a study abroad program that extends to every continent on the planet, Iowa State offers its students the ability to go as far as their interests and ambitions can take them.

As for Emily, she joined a study abroad group that went to Rome to study biodiversity. What she learned there became the basis for a research project called "A Review of the Current Status of Agrobiodiversity Monitoring Systems." The project was so well received, Emily was invited to make a presentation at the Yunnan Agricultural University in China.

So in the end, that one little detour from her plan led to a second major, travels to two foreign countries (that now don't seem so foreign), and a whole new world of possibilities for Emily. Amazing. Now after graduation, she's decided to enroll in a graduate program to study environmental science and public relations.