To make a difference in this world, we must do more than write a check: we must commit our time, energy, and enthusiasm to the causes we care about most deeply. For this alumna, education and the environment have been two of her greatest passions, and she has devoted thousands of hours to make a positive impact in her community.

After graduating from Grinnell, this alumna spent three years as a middle school science teacher in Cedar Rapids. She left in 1961, but continued to teach as a volunteer. Settling in Marion, Iowa, that same year, she soon became a Camp Fire Leader, a position she held for 20 years. She began her involvement at Linn-Marr School District in the late 1960s, and has volunteered at Wilkins School for nearly four decades.

Over the years, this alumni has taught English to immigrants, advocated for the elderly, chaired the Marion Area UNICEF, and arranged pen-pal programs between elementary school students and nursing home residents. She is a member of the Marion Tree Board and the Linn County Soil and Water Commission Education Committee.

Her work has been noticed by many: She has earned an Iowa Governor's Award for Volunteerism, an Outstanding Woman Award from the Marion Woman's Club, and a Volunteer of the Year Award from Wilkins School. She was an honorary Olympic Torchbearer in 1996 and was honorary chair of United Nations Day in 1994.

In a profile written for America's Small Town Heroes, this alumna says her philosophy is to take action: "If something needs doing, you do it," she says. "If what you try works, fine; if it doesn't work try another way." For her persistence, her dedication, and her constant pursuit to find a better way, Grinnell recognizes Marilyn Clarke Sippy '57.