I was born and raised in Hastings, Minnesota, a small town southeast of the Twin Cities. I was initially drawn to Grinnell because of its academic rigor and opportunities to create meaningful connections with faculty.
Once I arrived on campus, I was struck by the diversity and passion within the student body: everywhere I go on campus, there's always someone new to connect with and learn from! Those candid conversations have had the most significant impact on me during my time at Grinnell.
Starting On the Right Track
Prior to my time at Grinnell, I was a gymnast for 15 years. Ending my time in the sport was intimidating; for the first time in my life, I was no longer part of a gymnastics team! Fortunately, I found a home on the Grinnell Women's Track and Field team during my first week on campus. My teammates became like a second family, and we enjoyed training together, sharing meals in the Dining Hall, studying in the Joe Rosenfield '25 Center after practice, and even took a trip to Florida together to train for outdoor season.
Even though I miss flipping around on the daily, I still get to honor that part of my identity while on the track team! Once a month, my teammates and I visit Prairie Fire Gymnastics in town to do some flips.
Class Ambassador
During my first year, I was hired as a 2022 Class Ambassador. In this position, my job is to build class affinity by planning and hosting events. Through my job, I have been able to connect with 2022 students with a unique set of talents and interests. Over the years, we have hosted events that highlighted the musical and artistic talents in our class, held baking competitions, and even brought a rolled ice cream food truck to campus!
When our class was separated by physical distance during the pandemic, my co-ambassador and I planned virtual initiatives to maintain a sense of community. Highlights from that year included a 2022 Spotify playlist, a 2022 digital cookbook, the “Great Grinnell Bake-Off,” and several short virtual courses led by members of the class.
The Sound of 2022
Class Instagram
Follow along on our public class account!
Changing Lanes
Coming into Grinnell, I knew that my primary academic interests were in public health and nutrition. My ultimate goal was to get accepted into the 4+1 Master of Public Health partnership program that Grinnell has with the University of Iowa College of Public Health, but I wasn’t entirely sure of the best undergraduate program of study to get me there.
For my first three semesters, I was on track to become a biology major, but didn’t feel like that path completely aligned with my interests. After struggling through Organic Chemistry and spending a semester feeling academically “stuck,” I debated transferring to a school where I could pursue a degree in dietetics.
It took a lot of courage for me to admit that I was unsure of my next steps, but having conversations with psychology/neuroscience professors who had similar interests and the staff at the Center for Careers, Life, and Service (CLS) inspired me to shift tracks. At the encouragement of CLS adviser Keira Wilson, I created this mind map outlining my core values and current extracurricular activities:
In my mind map, I tried to create links to opportunities within the Grinnell community related to public health, food, and nutrition, along with potential contacts and academic interests I wanted to explore. Creating this mind map laid a foundation for pursuing internships, volunteering, and research, and I still return to it nearly two years later. Once I had clarified my values and goals, it became much easier to find and pursue internships that aligned with my interests.
Snack Rats
In Summer 2021, I worked on a Mentored Advanced Project (MAP) with Dr. Andi Tracy in the psychology and neuroscience departments.
Summer in Iowa
While doing my summer research, I got to enjoy all the sights, sounds, and tastes of a Grinnell summer! Some highlights included visiting the Grinnell Farmers Market each week and using the produce to cook and share a picnic meal with friends, visiting Rock Creek State Park, participating in a 10K trail run with a track teammate, outdoor concerts in Central Park, and enjoying the infamous Iowa sunsets!
In July of 2020, I designed a Grinnell logo featuring some of my favorite elements of the town and campus. If you look closely, you can see Gates Tower, corn, the state of Iowa, a train, the Louis Sullivan jewel box design featured on the Chamber of Commerce building, the Drake Community Library sign, part of the Saints Rest logo, a sunflower to represent Los Girasoles restaurant, the Laurel Leaf emblem, and plenty of flowers and leaves to represent the Grinnell community gardens.
In 2021, my design was selected to be sold on a T-shirt in the Grinnell College Bookstore… which is available for purchase online!
From College to Public Health
Along my Grinnell journey, I have been lucky to meet so many people who have encouraged and inspired me to try new things and be the best version of myself. I couldn't ask for a more compassionate group of people to support me during a time of so much growth and change.
After Grinnell, I graduated with a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Iowa! During my time there, I worked as a research assistant at Iowa's Center for Agricultural Safety and Health.
