| Honored by: | The Satre Family |
| Brick location: | O:11 map |
Few individuals have ever espoused the Iowa State land-grant motto, “Science with Practice,” more than Ramona Jolliffe Satre.
Raised in Dayton, Iowa, Ramona first completed an agronomy degree at ISU in 1978. After working in the crop science field, she made the transition to teaching in 1982, subsequently embarking on a 37-year career in education. Ramona spent the last 20 of those years nurturing a passion for science in hundreds of students at Ogden Middle School, before retiring in 2019.
Along the way, Ramona made countless trips back to Ames to complete a master’s degree and tirelessly mentored the numerous Iowa State student teachers who came through her own classroom.
Outside the school day, Ramona spearheaded Ogden’s FIRST LEGO League program, eventually coaching over a dozen teams to success at the state competition in Ames, including two trips to the world championship in Atlanta, Georgia.
Her work with youth extended beyond the four walls of a school building as well. In 2003, Ramona took the reins of Boone County Extension’s 4-H Aerospace Club, eventually devoting 14 years to the promotion of STEM projects in 4-H. At the same time, she served several years as adult co-leader of the Westside Hustlers 4-H Club in Ogden.
All the while, Ramona and her husband, Steve (also an ISU alum), were able to raise four kids, two of whom completed degrees at Iowa State. Her daughter, Hallie, even made history as one half of the only all-female co-chair team to lead VEISHEA.
Now in retirement, Ramona continues to stay active, traveling around Iowa as a 4-H judge, teaching Sunday school, maintaining her extensive gardens and flower beds, and caring for her grandkids.
On fall Saturdays, Ramona can be found supporting the Cyclones in Jack Trice Stadium, where she and the Satre family have been season ticket holders since 2006.