The Alumni Council is pleased to recognize Gabe Rodriguez '00 for his outstanding volunteer work on behalf of the College.

- Judy Mahle Lutter '61

Gabe Rodriguez says going to Grinnell marked a turning point in his life. Gabe grew up in the southwest corner of New Mexico, which he describes as fairly isolated. He was the second person in his family to attend college; the first, his aunt, was his role model. Gabe knew early on that he wanted to leave the area to go to college. He spent a lot of time at the library researching possibilities. One night his godmother called him while he was working at his grocery job to tell him to try to leave early so he could attend a meeting to learn about liberal arts colleges. "It opened new horizons for me," remembers Gabe. "I couldn't believe that so many liberal arts colleges also could help with financial aid." Gabe eventually applied to 12 colleges that few of his classmates or teachers had known about or considered.

He decided on Oberlin, and his mother was relieved that the long search was over. But then Grinnell offered to pay for a college visit. "Grinnell felt like a fit. It was welcoming and warm," Gabe says. "It felt like home, even though it was totally different in so many ways from where I grew up. I knew it was where I had to go."

His roommate, Joe Ambroson '00, was from Des Moines. It was another good fit; Joe's family became Gabe's family away from home, and they roomed together three of their four years at Grinnell. In the first weeks of college, Gabe seriously injured his left eye, almost losing his sight. "I had to put eye drops in my eye every 15 minutes for 48 hours straight," he remembers. "Someone in the dorm organized people on my floor and throughout the dorm so that a different person was available to give me the necessary drops during the night. I couldn't believe that these people I was just starting to know could be so caring and wonderful."

"I was also astounded when George Drake ['56], my tutorial professor, called my mom to assure her that I would be okay," he adds. The tutorial with Professor of History George Drake (also president emeritus of the College) was a great introduction to Grinnell and was also a factor in influencing Gabe to become a history major.

Gabe was active on campus in the Student Organization of Latinos and Department of History SEPC, interned with the Offices of Admission and Public Relations, and co-hosted a radio show with Tyler St. Peter '00 for three semesters. When he was a second-year student, he co-founded Queer People of Color (QPOC) with Liz Lee '99. One of the factors that influenced Gabe in choosing Grinnell was the supportive and open environment he encountered on his initial college visit. But as a first-year student, he began to feel as if some things were not being fully addressed. "We created QPOC because we felt we needed our own space to discuss our issues, as well as highlight what we believed to be important things for the larger LGBT community to think about and understand," he says.

Gabe's connection to Grinnell has remained constant. His first job was in Chicago, where he had many Grinnell friends in close geographic proximity. He took advantage of the Grinnell social events in the city and made numerous visits to Grinnell. He agreed to be class agent at graduation because, he says, "I was very, very social and thought I could be of service to the College and my classmates by keeping people together." He recently decided to switch to become the class fund director because he feels so strongly that Grinnellians can do a better job of giving.

Gabe will be good at this new Grinnell job. He's worked in nonprofit fundraising since leaving the College. He started out as a grant writer for a small social service agency in Chicago, realized he enjoyed donor relations, and ended up working in corporate and foundation giving and major gifts for a children's hospital, later a medical school, and now for an international NGO in New York. Gabe says, "I've enjoyed this work tremendously, but I don't think I would have found this calling if it hadn't been for Grinnell."

"Grinnell taught me how to function in a pressure cooker environment, which is common in my current work situation," Gabe says. "It taught me to do research and to be a good writer. As a history major, I learned to condense a lot of information and to argue my case well." Yet Gabe thinks the major gift from Grinnell was the dynamic, supportive, and outgoing people he met who helped broaden his horizons. He developed strong relationships and has appreciated how important that is when you are raising funds, especially in this economic climate.

Gabe visits Grinnell about once a year, often with his partner - a University of Chicago alumnus who has come to appreciate and admire Grinnell over the years.

After just one delightful discussion with Gabe, he is someone I would love to meet in person. I am sure he could even talk me into a bigger gift to the College. There is a great deal of pleasure in giving back to a place you love.

July 2009 Honoree: Michael Schaffer '70
May 2009 Honoree: Ron Lavender '50
March 2009 Honorees: Carl Adkins '59 and Catherine Foster Alter '60
January 2009 Honoree: Ruth Koehler Bergerson '66
November 2008 Honoree: David V. Evans '64
September 2008 Honoree: Samantha Massingale Gerth '91
July 2008 Honoree: Audrey "Bunny" Howard Swanson '43
May 2008 Honoree: Emily Westergaard '02
March 2008 Honoree: David Rosenbaum '78
January 2008 Honoree: Beverly Burd Stubbee '48