Grinnell Parents Wholeheartedly Support Son’s Choices Throughout College

Henry Horn ’26 is embarking on his last year at Grinnell. His parents, John Horn and Linda Burrow, have proudly supported him, even while living thousands of miles away in Pasadena, California. 

“It was a big adjustment for him at first, being so far from home,” Linda recalls. “He was part of the group of pandemic kids, so he went from being in the house for two years to moving to the middle of Iowa. There’s a resilience he developed from this experience.” 

Over the last three years, John and Linda have built up significant knowledge about Grinnell. John joined the Parents and Families Leadership Council through which he reaches out to families of incoming students to help them navigate this transition. He and Linda also provide advice for other parents who are new to the Grinnell experience.

Raising their two sons in California, John and Linda were not familiar with Grinnell until their youngest started looking at colleges. 

“Henry was a competitive golfer, so his path to the College was through the golf team,” Linda says, noting that he also was drawn to the open curriculum and self-governance philosophy.

“When Henry and I toured the campus, he was smitten,” John recalls. They met with the then head coach, Brian Jaworski, in his office where he showed them two walls of awards: one displaying athletic accomplishments and the other showing the team’s academic achievements. 

“Brian said that while the golf trophies were nice, he cared more about the academic ones,” explains John. “Henry didn’t want to go to a place where it was about winning at all costs, and so his face lit up.” 

Early in his second year, Henry approached Jaworski to tell him he had made the difficult decision to stop playing competitive golf. “Brian not only listened and understood but also continued his support by checking in afterward both with him and us,” John says. 

Based on this experience, John’s advice for parents of student-athletes is to consider how they are able to balance academics and sports. “Your kid may decide not to play their sport. Let them do this. It ended up being the best decision our son made.” 

In his second year, Henry discovered what would become his main passion at Grinnell when he started writing for the Scarlet & Black. His pieces cover a range of topics, although he’s written most prolifically about athletics. 

“I like the fact that he’s written stories that have been newsworthy and controversial, and he’s been promoted to be the sports editor this year,” John says, emphasizing his appreciation for the academic freedom provided to the newspaper staff.

Henry is a fourth-generation journalist. His great grandfather wrote for The Tennessean and his grandfather was a Sports Illustrated writer. John’s journalistic career has revolved around the entertainment business, mostly covering movies. He’s written for the LA Times and Newsweek, among others, and is currently contributing as an entertainment correspondent for the National Public Radio program IA. 

“I never suggested that he pursue journalism,” John says. “He won’t even show me his stories before he publishes them. He’s a lucid writer, and I’ve told him he’s a better writer at 19 than I was at 30. Grinnell professors are a part of his developing these skills.”

Linda and John believe wholeheartedly in supporting Henry’s choices, no matter what he decides. They encourage other parents to do the same.

“Grinnell is providing our son with the scaffolding necessary for life,” says Linda, who is an attorney. “He’s learned to have courage in his convictions and to argue in a classroom for what he believes in.” 

Linda and John find that many questions they field revolve around the physical location of Grinnell. “We’re usually talking with Californians,” Linda explains. “So they want to know how cold it gets.” They joke about how many pairs of insulated Carhartt pants they’ve bought for their son, and John even has a matching pair. 

They also are eager to tell parents about the unique local businesses. “Linda would live at Saints Rest coffee house if she could,” John says. 

John enjoys the delicious donuts at Grin City Bakery and especially recommends the fritter. “I also tell every parent I meet that you must go experience cooking your own steak at Rube’s in Montour,” he says. 

To learn more about the Parents and Families Leadership Council or about other ways Grinnellian families connect with one another, email Tina Popson.