Grinnell’s Gilman Scholars

Two Grinnell College students are pursuing long-standing passions while studying abroad, thanks to scholarships from the Gilman Foundation.

Rachel Van Court ’15

… has been active in sustainability issues, volunteering for Oxfam, coordinating the College’s Food House and the local food co-op, and managing the Food House garden. She’ll spend the 2013–14 academic year studying Human Evolution and the Ecology of the Serengeti in Tanzania. “And I get to do anthropological or biological research!” she says.

After graduation, Van Court is “thinking of medical school and permaculture farming, but I’m also very committed to helping the world food and agricultural system. So we will see where that goes!”

Jordan Meyers ’15

… is studying Mandarin at Beijing Foreign Studies University this summer and fall. A pre-med student, English major, and East Asian Studies concentrator, Meyers volunteers with Grinnell Regional Medical Center and will intern at Beijing United Family Hospital.

After graduation, Meyers, who founded a tutoring program at Grinnell High School, hopes to teach English through the Peace Corps and then attend medical school.