Hannah Diversity at Grinnell

It's important for intellectual and emotional growth to cultivate diverse groups of friends, in terms of life experience, perspective, and interests. One of the best parts of Grinnell College's size is the way that people who would perhaps not encounter each other outside of Grinnell, let alone form friendships, are tighter than they would be anywhere else, brought together by the close knit bonds of the school. Grinnell's size is a unique contributor to the diverse friend groups that form on campus, as everyone knows everyone, at least a little. This means that people you would never talk to on a bigger campus become people you can say hi to: you don't know them, but you might have seen them around, or know their friend from econ class, intramural basketball, or the environmental club. People whose religion, political affiliation, nationality, interests, or opinions on Harry Potter might be different from yours, and whose difference might be a barrier at a larger school, end up being close friends because of all of the things you share at Grinnell. I can have a conversation with anyone at the school about the food in the dining hall, the weather, or how much fun Harris was last week. This feeling community spans the campus, and it continues long after you graduate. I have many friends who live all around the country and who have very different perspectives on politics, pop culture, and sports than I do, but we are still able to have lively conversations because of all the things we have in common from Grinnell. I'm so glad that I got the opportunity to make so many friends different from me, and I'm happy to know that, because of Grinnell, we will continue to be friends long into the future.