Differences Foster Friendship
Christine Ajinjeru ’14 traveled nearly 8,000 miles to get to Grinnell College. Sarah Burnell ’14 went less than 8 blocks. Despite their differences—cultural, geographic, and otherwise—or perhaps because of them, the two Academic All-American track stars have become best friends.
Post-Grinnell
After graduation, there’s always a fear of losing touch with your college friends. But with a friendship forged in competition, it’s going to take a lot more than distance to separate these two.
Burnell is staying in Grinnell for now. She works for the College as the coordinator of commencement and conferences.
Ajinjeru is entering a joint Ph.D. program in energy science and engineering at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. She plans to take her knowledge and experience back to Uganda, where she will focus on sustainable energy and potentially setting up extracurricular programs that encourage creativity and innovation among students.
Christine Ajinjeru ’14 is a chemistry major from Kampala, Uganda.
Sarah Burnell ’14 is an anthropology major from Grinnell, Iowa.