Three years ago, not really knowing what I was getting into, and unsure of what I wanted to do with my life, I made the fateful decision to step on to a plane, catch four connecting flights, and attend college in the cornfields of Iowa.

I couldn't have made a better choice.

Majoring in Economics with an interdisciplinary concentration in Global Development Studies, I have enjoyed my classes, pursued two summer internships in Berkeley and New York, studied off-campus in Washington D.C., participated in community service trips to Atlanta and Milwaukee on my spring breaks, been elected as the Treasurer of the International Student Organization, and taken party in many other campus activities.

But that's not what I'm going to talk to you about.

Although Grinnell offers opportunities in almost any academic discipline and countless extracurricular activities, what truly makes this college special are the people who go here. I'm still surprised when I think back to the transition from my cliquish high school to my first day at Grinnell. Sitting in the dining hall, I was amazed at the friendliness, open mindedness, and genuine warmth of everyone I encountered. As an international student, I don't get a chance to go home over the shorter breaks. Yet numerous friends have taken me home, and literally made me feel like a part of their family. On community service trips, I have observed Grinnell alumni exhibit the same welcoming spirit as they take us into their home for the duration of our trip. Three years later, I'm still amazed as I encounter the same vibrant community on a daily basis. Admittedly, it isn't always easy at Grinnell. Professor's demand and expect high quality work, getting used to the cold winter takes time, being away from family is nev er easy, and my deficiencies in the kitchen mean that Pakistani food isn't always easy to obtain. Yet the tightly knit community and the support of my friends have made surviving the legendary Iowa winter an easy enough task.

With a year left before I graduate, I'm still not completely sure what I want to do with my life. I could go to graduate school, enter the workforce, or take time off to travel. In one sense, with the future still open ended, I'm still the same eighteen old I was before leaving for college. But, one thing is for sure. With the friends I've made at Grinnell, the opportunities I've been lucky enough to receive, and above all, the life lessons I've learned while studying here, I'm pretty confident Grinnell has put me on the right path.

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