Why Grinnell?
I went to a small, private high school in Massachusetts with 85 students in my grade. The tight-knit community I experienced at my high school made me want to go to a small college like Grinnell.
Grinnell got on my radar because a congressional campaign staff member I had worked with knew some people from Grinnell. He told me how excellent the school is, mentioned the political science opportunities at Grinnell, and explained how being in the Midwest can be a valuable experience for someone from New England.
Once I visited campus, I immediately saw the value of being outside the New England bubble. I talked to many students, heard their experiences, and felt Grinnell’s warm and open community. I was impressed at how Grinnell’s individually advised curriculum required only two classes outside of my major's required classes, and there were so many opportunities to explore and do what I wanted to do.
First-Year Experiences
When I first arrived at Grinnell, it was so shocking to me just how friendly the people here were. When I walked around town, people would smile and say hi to me. I was baffled! “You don’t even know who I am! Why are you saying hi to me?” But it was cool seeing such friendly people from a variety of different backgrounds from around the globe.
I made it a point to put myself out there socially at Grinnell. I made a lot of friends, and I’m still pretty close with many of them now.
Clubs and Organizations
I played recreational soccer all four years at Grinnell. We have a close community. It’s tons of fun.
I also joined the Contra Dance Club in my first year. We went to a contra dance festival in Indianola, Iowa, and I had a good time. We were definitely the youngest people there by probably 50 years, but it was fun. The outing was funded by the College, and I’m glad I put myself out there for this opportunity.
I also joined Professor Mark Laver’s Jazz Ensemble, which was fun and transformative. We don’t use sheet music in our ensembles, and I think that’s truly unique. When I play piano in this ensemble, it’s all about playing by ear and listening.
Classes
First-Year Tutorial
My First-Year Tutorial was a mix of music and psychology. It examined how music creates culture, community, and emotions. I really liked the class.
My tutorial adviser cooked for us at his house a couple of times, too, and we had a big ping-pong tournament there. It was a lot of fun, even though he demolished every single one of us at ping-pong.
Finding my Passions
Along with tutorial, I also took Intro to Economics, Intro to Anthropology, and Intro to Political Science in my first semester.
I took Intro to Global Development Studies (GDS) in the spring semester of my first year, which got me really interested in political ecology and environmental development. I also took an environmental literature class, and it was fascinating to examine different perspectives on environmental activism.
My dad is an English professor, so although I came to Grinnell thinking there’s no way I would consider the major, I did take a few English classes and wish I had taken even more.
Internships and Research
Alumni Connections
With the help of my career adviser at Grinnell, I participated in a job-shadowing program hosted by our career office and shadowed Jed Melnick ’94, a New York legal mediator.
Jed is a great guy. I’m still in touch with him, and he’s currently helping me make connections in the law industry and find a job after graduation. Jed also connected me to an Intro to Mediation course with his law school advisor. That class was great career preparation for me, as I learned about all the different types of mediation cases.
Involvement in Grinnell, Iowa
For a semester, I was part of an initiative called Build a Better Grinnell with Professor Monty Roper. It was eye-opening to hear from people in the town of Grinnell and to understand their needs and perspectives.
I’ve also been a Grinnell Advocate for the past three years, volunteering for the sexual assault hotline. That’s been a powerful and meaningful experience. I work with a great group of people, and we support each other.
Jobs and Activities
Involvement and Employment
This year, I’m a senior interviewer for the Office of Admission. I listen to different high schoolers’ stories, share information about the Grinnell community, and am able to contribute to the Grinnell of the future.
I’m also on the Student Educational Policy Committee (SEPC) for the global development studies concentration. We work with the department to find new guest speakers, hire new faculty, and hear from alumni in development work. I think students get much more of a say at liberal arts colleges, and that's one of the many things that attracted me to Grinnell. Here, I feel like you can really make an impact.
Brazilian Jazz Mandolin Lessons at Grinnell
I am currently taking Brazilian jazz mandolin lessons, which is possibly the most niche thing of all time! I’m studying with Felipe Tinoco at the Grinnell School of Music. He’s from Brazil, went to Berklee College of Music, and has a Ph.D. in Brazilian jazz music. He’s one of the most influential guys in the Brazilian mandolin world, and I reached out to him and asked if he teaches mandolin.
“I absolutely do,” he said. “I’d love to teach you.” He reached out to the registrar’s office for me, and they created a special class called Brazilian Jazz Mandolin. I’m the only student taking it right now, and it’s so amazing to me that they created a class because I was interested in it.
It’s unbelievable that in rural Iowa I can take classes as niche as that. It’s just so cool to think about the connections and opportunities Grinnell has brought me.
Off-Campus Study
To Nepal and Ecuador!
My study abroad program, the School for International Training Climate Change program, took me to Morocco, Nepal, and Ecuador. I spent a month and a half in each country, and I loved it.
Our group of 19 students went to the Amazon rainforest. I did two projects on the Brazil side of the Amazon, studying the ways in which Brazil’s politics with Lula (President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva) and former President Bolsonaro have affected things. That was great. In Nepal, we went hiking in the Himalayas. It was fascinating to hear stories from the people we met about the impact of colonialism there.
I did a capstone research project looking at coffee production in Ecuador and Nepal. I examined the role that the United States has as one of the biggest importers of coffee, and the ways in which that influences coffee farmers. It was interesting to see how colonialism works and how much autonomy farmers have in terms of price setting and production, when the United States is often setting the agenda.
And, of course, the project allowed me to study coffee, while also drinking plenty of it!
Course-Embedded Travel
I also took a course-embedded travel class called Jewish Life in Early 20th-Century Europe. We took a 10-day trip to Vienna, Budapest, and Krakow. The trip included a visit to Auschwitz, which was particularly hard for me because I had family members who were there during the Holocaust.
We also went to several synagogues and Jewish museums. It was eye-opening to see the areas that we had studied and talked about.
Hopes and Plans for the Future
Right now, I’m applying to some global development-related international fellowships. I think now, fresh out of college, is one of the best times that I can get away with going abroad. Why not take advantage of it?
I’m currently meeting with Gracie Brandsgard, the government, law, and policy adviser in Grinnell’s career center. I’ve had a few meetings with her and Chad Berman to talk about next steps. Those conversations have been helpful as I plot out a road map of what’s ahead.
