Why Grinnell?
I went to a small, urban, all-girls Catholic high school. For college, I was looking for a liberal arts school with a very welcoming and inclusive environment and supportive community, where I could feel heard and supported by faculty and advisors.
During my visit to Grinnell, I felt that this was the place that fit the bill for me. I felt seen and not like a number in class visits, and Grinnell frequently reaching out to me during the application process convinced me. With fun letters and personalized emails, I felt that the constant communication helped me feel connected to the campus.
First Year, A Supportive Community
Transitioning to college wasn’t easy, but I really enjoyed it. I don’t think I had any expectations coming in; I just wanted to be included and seen.
I was able to have my first-year tutorial class in person before the pandemic hit fully and we were forced to go home. While I was adjusting to college, my adviser would reach out to me to check in on my mental health. Everyone else wanted to get to know me as a person, so I always felt supported.
And then on the track team, everyone was super nice and impressive. My coaches knew I was struggling with the transition to college, and they were great at checking in with me. During practices, they would pull me aside and ask how I was doing. I always felt confident that I had someone if I needed help.
A huge thing I learned during my time in college is the importance of asking for help. Thanks to the supportive community at Grinnell, I’m not afraid to do that anymore. I’m stronger because I can gain the wisdom and knowledge of other people without taking it personally.
Remote learning was hard and didn’t work well for me when I did it my first year, so I decided to take a year off.
Something I never expected was that even during the spring semester during my leave my advisers would still ping me and ask, “Hey, how are you doing? Let’s set up a time to meet.”
I still felt wanted and special during my leave.
A Community of Supportive Women
I came in thinking I wanted to take the pre-med path. But after getting into the Spanish major and taking a gender, women’s, and sexuality studies (GWSS) course, I now want to use my chemistry studies to become a chemistry professor and be a mentor for other minority women in the field.
I started to have this realization when my first-year adviser suggested that I take a GWSS course. I really loved the class, which introduced me to women’s rights and feminism. That was the start of my journey.
The following semester, I decided to combine my interest in GWSS with a Spanish class on women in gender and literature. We studied some of the first educated women in the world, who were nuns in the Catholic Church.
The experiences I read from the nuns inspired me; I connected it to chemistry and the great female mentorship I have from my advisers in the higher ed sphere.
I found the Delaware State Parks environmental steward internship through my career adviser. I was looking for something environmental, but this experience showed me that I don’t actually like plants!
I pursued chemistry research here at Grinnell through my Mentored Advanced Project (MAP) with Professor MacInnes. Under her guidance, I used electrochemistry to explore extraction materials for heavy metal pollution. I got to use environmental applications in chemistry laboratory research, which I loved.
At the beginning, I wanted a lot of guidance from my adviser. She put me to work within the project and helped me learn the research techniques. After two weeks, I was pretty independent and could make decisions while also gaining a lot of technical research skills (which grad schools will love!).
The picture above is unrelated to the MAP, but the MAP gave me a lot of confidence working independently in a lab, and it convinced me that I want to do research for a career. My MAP adviser is writing recommendation letters for my Ph.D. applications now!
This past spring break, I went to the ACS (American Chemical Society) Conference to present my research. It was an awesome experience that was fully funded by Grinnell. I presented my research and listened to a bunch of other people’s research. I learned how to network and discovered what it’s like to attend a conference.
If you’re looking for grad school as a next step after college, Grinnell is a strong option for getting you there. You’ll work very closely with your professors here, which will really strengthen your experiences and your grad school applications.
A Mentoring Community (in the SEPC)
I’m on the SEPC (Student Educational Policy Committee) for chemistry, and that has been really cool. We put on fun events, such as a chem draw, which is a computer program for organic chemistry.
The pictures below are from my organic chemistry class.
I think my most impactful activity is my job as a science community leader at the Science Learning Center. I’ve been doing that for two years now. My role allows me to connect with students and help guide them. I work in the classroom and in the lab, and I enjoy getting to help foster a positive learning environment. I love being able to connect with other students outside of the classroom (such as at the dining hall, social events, etc.).
A Love of Kids, Off Campus
At some point in college, I knew that I wanted to gain a new perspective and live abroad. I chose Ecuador because I wanted to improve Spanish fluency and take Spanish classes and explore that culture.
Going into my off-campus study, I volunteered and tutored math and history to kids in Spanish. From that experience, I discovered how much I love kids and that one's learning environment is really important for a person's success. It convinced me that I want to work in education.
Reflections on Path to Ph.D.
Looking back at my four years at Grinnell, I feel that I have definitely grown from all my classes and experiences in ways I didn’t expect.
I think I have changed in good ways: I have a very open perspective about things and am confident in myself. Looking back, I will remember the Grinnell community and its interdisciplinary academic approach.
And most importantly, I will always remember the growth that my advisers encouraged in me. I want to someday teach at a liberal arts institution, maybe even in a small town like Grinnell, and hopefully encourage the same growth in others. I hadn't experienced this kind of close community before.
I feel excited for how Grinnell has prepared me for my future!
