Matt McDonnell ran the London Marathon in the spring of 2023 followed by the Berlin Marathon in the fall, marking the second and third on his journey to complete the six world majors of marathon running.  

The biomedical engineering and cinema dual major caught the long-distance running bug when he joined a friend for the October 2022 Chicago Marathon. Advertisements for the “Six Star Medal”—the prize for running the marathons in Chicago, New York City, Boston, Berlin, Tokyo, and London—appeared during the last few miles of the race and captured his imagination. 

“I like to travel, and realized I could be one of the youngest—if not the youngest—ever to complete all six majors,” he said, noting he intends to wrap up the circuit with the Tokyo Marathon in spring of 2025.  

Impressive as it sounds, the marathons—three in less than twelve months—were only the third biggest accomplishment of the year for the aspiring doctor. 

The internship at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, was at the top of his list. There he worked in an exercise physiology lab, helping astronauts stay fit in space. Number two was serving as the executive director of the University of Iowa Homecoming Council, which organizes the week of festivities capped by the Homecoming Parade.  

McDonnell has kept a packed schedule. When not in class, studying, running, completing internships, or coordinating one of campus’s largest annual events, the pre-med student has been working at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics as an operating room nursing assistant, is on the broadcast production team for University of Iowa Athletics, and has served as a resident assistant for University Housing and Dining.  

Given his varied interests, it is no surprise that McDonnell wants to blend as many of those as possible into his professional journey. His career ambition is to become a space flight crew surgeon for NASA.  

McDonnell’s approach to college life has been to get involved, be spontaneous and flexible, and say “yes.” These opportunities do not come along every day, he said, and it has worked for him so far. 

“I have my plan, and I don’t want to demolish that, but the plan isn’t everything,” McDonnell said. “If I’m not saying ‘yes,’ then I’m not doing everything I can to get the most out of college. College is a unique experience that you only have once. You have to squeeze every last ounce out of it that you can.”