Grinnell made Andrea Suazo Rivas ’24 feel like an individual and not just a number. She was also attracted to Grinnell’s strong international community.

Katie Goodall ’23 made lots of friends her first year by being brave. Later on, she pursued theater opportunities at Grinnell, interned with the College Garden, and lived together with her friends in Colorado.

Claire Pollard ’22 applied Early Decision to Grinnell and has never looked back. She volunteers at a local animal shelter, worked for the former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development during election season, secured a remote internship while spending a summer in Grinnell, studied abroad in Denmark, and prepared for a career in law by job-shadowing a Grinnell alum and attorney.

Chaz Del Mar ’22 was recruited to play football at Grinnell, and he loved the family he found through football. However, that was only the start of his Grinnell journey — he also went on an environmental stewardship Alternative Break trip, did an affordable housing internship, and researched the history of afro-futurism. Through it all, he has savored the kindness and support of the people at Grinnell.

When Eva Román Aguilera ’22, visited Grinnell, she felt safe, comfortable, and empowered to shape her education. Four years later, she has participated in and mentored the Peer Connections Pre-Orientation Program, built a supportive community, explored Iowa, researched gender-based violence and femicide in Latin America, and more.

Merel Timmermans ’22 came to Iowa from California, then joined the cross country team, explored her new hometown, and worked at an NGO in Mexico, all within her first year. A political science major, Merel caucused in Iowa during the election season, then found ways to maintain Grinnell community during Covid.

Avery Barnett ’21 experienced Grinnell as a launching pad to explore her interests in physics, policy, and sustainable energy — on campus, at 13 national conferences, and across four continents!

Gil Perez ’21 found Grinnell through QuestBridge, played on the soccer team, had a double major and concentration, and pursued internships, experiential learning, and volunteer opportunities in Chicago and Minneapolis. Next up: a master’s degree in management.

Maya Gardner ’23 always wanted to engage in cutting-edge scientific research at Grinnell. But she never expected that she would also do it in South Africa and do remote research!

Boston, Boise, Costa Rica, Cuba, Copenhagen … these are just a few of the stops in Andrew Tucker’s (’21) Grinnell journey. He also met several U.S. presidential candidates and appeared on national television.