Jonathan Meyer.

So much of my life has come down to pure chance–and I’m sure you can relate. Opportunities appear out of nowhere, often because of a connection or relationship formed years earlier. If life really is that random, then I’d argue the people we meet and the way we interact with them matter more than we realize. In that spirit, I want to explore a few of the connections that have quietly shaped my path.

Let’s start with a fun one: how I ended up working for the paper.

Many years ago, my mom worked as a lunch lady at the elementary school in Tama. Through that job, she met someone many of you know as “Ma” from MagicMike6XL. That’s right–my connection to Michael started with our moms. Over the next decade, Michael and I crossed paths plenty of times, long before we ever became partners at the paper. Some of those stories are probably better left out of print!

After graduating in 2022, I wasn’t quite ready for college, so I went straight into the workforce. That summer, Michael and I started working on a project together–a book built around funny photos we took around town. It was lighthearted, but it helped build the working relationship we’ve now nearly mastered. At the same time, I was experimenting with another passion project: making running videos for YouTube. Somewhere in that mix–my connection with Michael, my growing media experience, and a bit of right-place-right-time luck–I found my way into journalism.

That YouTube channel also connects directly to how I ended up at Wartburg College.

It all started with the simple idea of filming my friends and sharing our running experiences online. With some persistence and the power of social media, I built a small following within Iowa’s running community. Around that same time, about four years ago, I met a guy named Lance at an Iowa State track meet in Ames. He had just committed to run at Wartburg. Nothing immediate came from that introduction, but over time, more and more of my friends began committing there. It started to feel like the place to be.

Then, in February 2023, Lance reached out. He told me about an opportunity to live in an eight-person dorm with him and several of those same friends I had met through running videos. I didn’t overthink it–I said yes and trusted that the rest would fall into place.

It did. And it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Here’s a quick lightning round of how those connections kept building. Through that same YouTube channel, I met my friend Owen. We ended up living together in that eight-man dorm, and that experience brought us even closer. Owen knew I cared deeply about people and leadership, so he asked me to run as his vice-presidential candidate in a student body election. We lost, but I gained something more valuable: perspective. I realized I truly cared about that work.

That loss stuck with me. Over the next year, I kept coming back to the idea of running again, slowly building a plan. This year, I followed through–and now, I’m serving as student body president.

It’s all connected.

So I’ll leave you with this: think back on your own life. Consider the people you’ve met and the moments that seemed small at the time but ended up shaping everything. Those connections matter more than we give them credit for. As for me, I’ll keep trying to live with purpose and treat every interaction with respect, because you never know what might come from it.

Until the next connection, I’m Just Jonathan.