Young Professionals Choose Greater Des Moines
For many young professionals starting their careers, finding the right place to call home can mean looking for a location with career opportunities, a vibrant social scene and a strong sense of community. But for Bryan Stewart, he didn’t need to go far — he found everything he was looking for in his hometown of Greater Des Moines (DSM).
After graduating from Iowa State University, Bryan accepted a job at Casey’s as a financial analyst and joined Casey’s Finance Development Program, a two-year rotational program in which participants rotate through three different areas within the business.
"The program has really opened my eyes,” Bryan said. “Casey’s has given me the opportunity to work with different departments, teams and workflows — ultimately helping me jumpstart my career through building adaptability and the ability to learn quickly.”
Beyond the Finance Development Program, Casey's offers additional opportunities for students and young professionals to gain hands-on experience, including a summer internship program.
"Our community has so many excellent opportunities for people early in their careers to get real-experience, real-fast and Casey’s is one of those stops," said Katie Petru, Director, Communications, PR and Community Giving at Casey's. "Our summer internship program gives students a real-life challenge to work on cross-functionally and present the business plans and ideas to senior leaders – I can’t think of a better way to learn and gain feedback that you can carry forward in your career.”
Bryan's professional growth extends beyond his role at Casey’s. As treasurer of the Young Professionals Connection (YPC), Bryan manages the organization’s budget, provides recommendations to the president on strategic financial decisions and also serves as secretary.
Bryan's involvement with YPC has also connected him to new ways to give back to the community. Through serving on the YPC board, he learned of an opportunity to volunteer with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Central Iowa Walk, an event that brings community members together to raise awareness and support suicide prevention efforts.
For Bryan, another benefit of calling DSM home is what he can do outside of work. He loves spending time out on the 800+ miles of connected trails across the region.
"Living in Ankeny gives me access to so many trails with the High Trestle Trail being my favorite,” Bryan explained. “These trails create a culture where you can grab your bike, go on a run, roller-skate or simply take a walk.”
Bryan doesn’t have to venture far for trail access — or for good food and drinks. His personal favorites include El Bait Shop, home to 251 beers on tap; Lua Brewing, voted USA TODAY’s #1 Brewpub in the United States in 2025; and Uptown Dairy, an ice cream shop located right along the trail in Ankeny’s Uptown District.
From living here his whole life and starting a career here to giving back to the community and hitting the trails, Bryan has found plenty of reasons to continue calling DSM home.
“Greater Des Moines really is a Goldilocks city,” Bryan said. “It’s not too big, but not too small — it’s just right.”