Life after Grinnell

Even though you're just starting out, you should know that college won't last forever. A Grinnell education, however, will. Grinnell gives you the essential skills that employers and institutions seek—the ability to think critically, analyze effectively, and write persuasively.

Grinnell graduates are ready for the next challenge, whether it is medical school, starting a software company, or joining the Peace Corps.

A recent class saw more than half employed within three months of graduation, 30 percent immediately attending a graduate school, and the remainder committed to community service or travel.

Grinnellians most frequently listed occupations in business, human services, education, mathematics/computing, communication, and health care. Of those in graduate school, 86% were attending their first- or second-choice university.  Ten years after graduation, over 50% of a class typically holds at least one advanced degree

The range of roles that Grinnell graduates play in the world reflects the commitment of the College and its students to intellectual engagement, and the desire to translate their ideals into action.

A Lifelong Community

When you graduate, your life as a Grinnellian has just barely begun. The four years you spend living and learning in Grinnell are a counterweight to about sixty more you'll spend in the alumni community. The Office of Alumni Relations fosters community across a broad diaspora of 20,000 alums—including you.

Reunion

Attended by an average 1,000 people every year, the Grinnell Reunion brings together various class years to revisit a formative part of their pasts. Participants attend lectures, tour new aspects of campus, receive Alumni Awards and, of course, catch up with one another.

How will the Grinnell community benefit you?

Being a Grinnell alumna or alumnus entitles you to more than just going to Reunion every so often. It allows you access to a vast network of alumni. Moving to a new city? Just ask, and Alumni Relations will give you names of other Grinnell alums in the area--many major cities even have Grinnell happy hours and other events. Looking to hire? Make use of the Alumni Career Network. Need career advice? Grinnell's Career Development Office offers career counseling to ALL Grinnellians, past and present.

Stay in Touch

Grinnell College publishes several alumni-focused periodicals. To stay up to date on Grinnell news and alumni achievements, be sure to read the critically acclaimed Grinnell Magazine, or subscribe to one of the alumni listservs. You may also receive g mail or the seasonal Sportsletter by mail. The most recent addition to this arsenal of information is Ins & Outs, a newsletter written, edited, and illustrated by current students.

Notable Alumni

Emily Bergl '97

Actor featured in Desperate Housewives, CSI Miami, Gilmore Girls and Men in Trees

Nordahl Brue '67

Co-founder of Bruegger's Bagels, one of the largest bagel restaurant chains in the United States

Thomas Cech '70

Co-recipient of the 1989 Nobel Prize in chemistry, president of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Henry Cornell '76

Managing director, Goldman Sachs and Company

John Garang '69

Former vice-president of Sudan and past commander-in-chief of the Sudan People's Liberation Army/Movement

Herbie Hancock '60

Grammy award-winning jazz musician and composer

Amy Johnson '85

Internationally acclaimed opera singer

Ned Levy '04

Teacher at Mott Hall III in the South Bronx, N.Y.

Robert Noyce '49 (pictured at right)

Co-inventor of the integrated microcircuit and co-founder of Intel, the leading semi-conductor manufacturer in the world

Clair "Pat" Patterson '43

One of the most Influental geologists of the 20th century, accurately dated the age of the earth and was instrumental in banning the use of lead in gasoline and food containers

Christine Thorburn '92

2004 Olympic cyclist and research scientist at Stanford University