A Day in the Life
Gifts to the College impact nearly every aspect of the Grinnell experience of Jarren Santos ’17. Some are readily apparent, such as gifts to an individual department or to the Center for Careers, Life, and Service. Others are less visible but equally important in supporting the infrastructure and mission of the College. These gifts — to the endowment, the Pioneer Fund, etc. — sustain and enhance the environment in which a student like Jarren can have opportunities for one-on-one meetings with his professors, a rich residential life, and no shortage of experiences for both educational and personal growth outside the classroom.
Here are some highlights from a day in Jarren’s life.
9 a.m.: Wake up after seven hours of sleep (I now compete with my friends to see how much — not how little — sleep we can get).
9:30 a.m.: Make myself an omelet and toast for breakfast.
10 a.m.: Respond to at least 30 emails (a) regarding my jobs with the Tipping Point Math YouTube channel and as education coordinator for the Technology Consultant Corps and (b) corresponding with the CLS about grad school funding.
10:50 a.m.: Head to Senior Class Gift meeting at the Old Glove Factory with Jennifer Dong ’17 and Teresa Villarreal ’17.
11 a.m.: Meet with them and Michelle Czarnecki, the assistant director of student programs, and discuss how to move forward with fundraising plans, help seniors at the College start their philanthropic journey, and figure out ways to get seniors to reflect on the impact Grinnell has had on them.
11:45 a.m.: The meeting draws to a close and I make a beeline for Noyce. Time for office hours with either my biology adviser, associate professor of biology Shannon Hinsa-Leasure, or my statistics adviser, professor of mathematics & statistics Shonda Kuiper.
12:30 p.m.: D-hall lunch; I’m always excited for the communal aspect and the food. Today it’s fried Brussels sprouts, turkey tetrazzini, and Sicilian pizza.
1 p.m.: My 300-level statistical modeling course; today’s focus was logistic regression.
2:20 p.m.: Will Rebelsky ’17 and I drop in on SamR (professor of computer science Samuel A. Rebelsky) and chat.
3:15 p.m.: Coffee break; an opportunity to reflect in the calm before the evening of homework.
4 p.m.: Meet with Myra Steele Professor of Natural Sciences and Mathematics Marc Chamberland, Han Trinh ’17, Zach Segall ’18, and Zach Susag ’19 to develop content for Tipping Point Math. The challenge is always how to create a video around math concepts that will interest people who aren’t into math.
5 p.m.: Do some homework and answer more emails.
6 p.m.: Cook fried rice, store some for leftovers, and eat the rest for dinner.
7 p.m.: Intro to Python programming language ExCo (Experimental College) class taught by Lauren Schweitzer ’20. I chose this one over a class learning to play the organ in Herrick and one comparing and contrasting politics in Southeast Asia and Latin America.
8 p.m.: Meeting with the rest of the Biology Department's Student Educational Policy Committee planning study breaks, addressing student issues, and conducting faculty reviews.
9 p.m.: Bob’s Underground Café open mic night (I love to watch but don’t participate).
10 p.m.: Head home and start homework, edit YouTube videos, and plan my KGY Cultural Hour radio show about Korean pop music.
11 p.m.: Instant ramen study break with my housemates.
11:30 p.m.: I do more homework and work on my application for the Rosenfield Industry Tour.
12:30 a.m.: Quietly do my cleaning for the week (I still don’t know why I do this at 12:30, but it works).
1 a.m.: Finish homework.
1:30 a.m.: Facetime with mom and sometimes aunts and cousins (they’re two hours behind and they’re night owls like me).
2 a.m.: Fall asleep.
If you want to help provide opportunities for students, like Jarren, to expand their minds, broaden their perspectives, and explore their passions, make a gift to Grinnell today.