Celebrating a Legacy of Care and Learning at Grinnell Preschool
With a combined legacy spanning more than 70 years, Karen Veerhusen-Langerud and Connie Molison leave behind a preschool defined by curiosity, compassion, and deep community connection.
For decades, the Grinnell College Preschool has been a place where curiosity is nurtured, community is built, and young learners take their first steps into a lifelong journey of discovery. This year, the College pauses to honor two individuals who have shaped that experience for generations of children and families — Karen Veerhusen-Langerud and Connie Molison — as they enter retirement.
Since opening in 1963, the Grinnell College Preschool has served as both a vibrant early childhood program for local families and a dynamic teaching and research lab for Grinnell College students and faculty. Rooted in a mission to support each child’s optimal learning in a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment, the preschool has long been a model of play-based education — where children build knowledge through exploration, develop problem-solving skills, and learn the value of community and respect for others. Today, the preschool enrolls approximately 45 children ages 3 to 5 each year, continuing its role as a meaningful bridge between campus and community.
At the heart of this work has been Karen Veerhusen-Langerud, who has served as the preschool’s lead teacher and director since 1997. With more than 47 years in early childhood education, Veerhusen-Langerud, has dedicated her career to creating environments where children feel seen, supported, and inspired to learn. A graduate of Iowa State University with a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and the University of Northern Iowa with a Master of Education in Special Education, Veerhusen-Langerud’s leadership has shaped not only the preschool’s curriculum but also the lives of countless children, families, and aspiring educators.
"We value that this will remain a play-based preschool, because that’s how children feel safe, valued, and truly ready to learn,” said Veerhusen-Langerud. “Through play, we’re able to create a space where every child can show up as themselves. That sense of trust and belonging is at the heart of everything we do."
Alongside her, Connie Molison has been a steady and caring presence since joining the preschool in 1995. A Grinnell native, Connie has served as a teacher assistant across all sessions, bringing warmth, consistency, and deep community connection to the classroom. Her earlier work with the Grinnell Community Day Care further reflects a lifelong commitment to supporting children and families in Grinnell. Together, Karen and Connie have created a space where children feel a sense of belonging and where learning is joyful, meaningful, and rooted in care.
“One of the greatest gifts of this work has been seeing the world through the children’s eyes — no two days are ever the same, and there’s always a sense of awe and wonder,” Molison said. “The relationships we build don’t end when they leave our classroom — we’re invited to graduations and get to see who they become. That’s what makes this so special.”
Ann Ellis, Professor of Psychology and the Faculty Director of the Preschool Lab, has been working alongside and with support from Karen and Connie throughout their careers. In her developmental psychology course, Ellis’s students routinely conduct independent and self-designed research studies. She noted that for many of these students, this opportunity has launched careers in research and clinical psychology, public health, social work, and other related fields. In addition to research, Ellis added that many students at the college work as teaching assistants for the preschool, where they get to connect directly with children and families within the community.
“The experiences students get are transformative, and Karen and Connie have been instrumental in supporting each and every one of those students,” shared Ellis.
Their impact extends far beyond the classroom. Through their work, they have helped strengthen the bond between the College and the broader Grinnell community, ensuring that the preschool remains a place of connection, collaboration, and shared purpose. Generations of families — and the many Grinnell students who have learned alongside them — carry forward the lessons, care, and community they helped cultivate.
Join us in celebrating Karen and Connie
The Grinnell College community warmly invites you to an open-house retirement celebration hosted by the Psychology Department:
Tuesday, May 12
4–6 p.m.
Grinnell College Preschool
1022 Park Street, Grinnell
Stop by to share your gratitude, reconnect, and help celebrate two remarkable careers that have made a lasting difference in the lives of so many.