Approaching my college search, I honed in on small liberal arts colleges. Coming from a large urban public high school, I wanted to go somewhere where I could feel supported and gain insight from experts in their fields. I wanted an environment where I would grow and develop freely and be encouraged to push outside of my comfort zone.
The student body’s enthusiasm and passion struck me most when I visited. Not only was every student devoted to their work, but every student demonstrated genuine excitement for it. I immediately saw how peers’ ambitions and motivations could further inspire me to push my own limits.
So, I chose Grinnell!
Major and Classes
Pushing My Limits, First Year
I never expected how passionate I would get about writing until I got to Grinnell. It was shocking just how much my writing and reading skills improved in my first year.
The support and encouragement I received from my professors were unmatched. I never considered myself a writer before, but the personalized instruction and plethora of resources quickly changed that. In the best way possible, my professors pushed my limits and taught me so much. I would never have called myself a writer, but I soaked in as much as I could.
My Passion for Philosophy
In class, I was encouraged to engage in challenging but rewarding self-reflection and self-inquiry. My biases and predispositions were consistently challenged, and this process ultimately cleared my understanding of both the internal and external world. This stretching of my limits allowed me to gain a much more accurate worldview.
I quickly found a passion for writing, logical reasoning, and logical analysis. Lessons and philosophers learned in class often became sources of inspiration, and I became passionate about many writers. I took content from lectures, discussions, and readings and applied it to my life. I became a much more effective communicator, presenting complex ideas in any setting. By the time my 4th year ended, I had become the orator I strived to be.
Stretching My Two Passions Further — Research
I had the wonderful opportunity to engage in two massive independent research projects: one for philosophy and one for economics.
For my senior essay, I wrote a 50-page research paper titled “Relational Authenticity: ‘Neo-Existentialism and Spinoza Ontology.’” My wonderful major adviser, Professor Joe Neisser, challenged me to go beyond a superficial application of the topic and tasked me to create a framework that synthesized logic and reasoning in its purest form. During our one-on-one meetings, he asked me questions and exposed gaps in my reasoning. It was a wonderful experience that allowed me to translate the skills that I have developed over the course of my four years here into a single essay.
My second MAP was an economics research project on the subject of behavioral economics, studying the effects of ambiguity aversion on investment behavior.
I studied behavior economics and the effects of ambiguity aversion on investment behavior as part of my second senior project. This was under the Mentored Advanced Project (MAP) program at Grinnell, and my mentor, Professor Logan Lee, was incredible throughout this process.
My two research projects allowed me to increase my skills in research, analysis, and presentation. The process of independently coming up with an idea and working one-on-one with a faculty member to create a robust research paper was one of the most important takeaways of my Grinnell education.
Finding Community
Being at a Small College
Grinnell was a different environment than what I was used to, but it didn’t take long to find my home in it. I got a feel for the environment early on and adjusted to my new community with ease.
While I first thought that being in a small town was a con when evaluating Grinnell as one of my choices, it soon became an enthusiastic pro once I got on campus. The small community helped me get out of my shell more and allowed me to become more extroverted in a welcoming setting. I made many life-long friends this way.
Grinnell also had plenty to offer, both on campus and in the town, and that was pleasantly surprising to me.
I swam competitively for ten years, and most of my high school time was spent practicing or at swim meets. I swam for the Grinnell team during my first, second, and third years at Grinnell.
My Friends and Me
Here are just a few more photos of me with my friends.
Internship and Experiences
I came to Grinnell wanting to pursue a career in law, but I was also open-minded about career experiences outside of the legal field. This was mainly thanks to the flexibility of Grinnell’s curriculum; I was able to take many classes both inside and outside of my major without affecting my graduation and major requirements. Many of the classes that look unrelated at a surface glance gave me skills that transferred over to other areas.
From being an associate at a car dealership, an intern at Wells Fargo, and a barista at Grinnell’s local Saints Rest Coffee House, I’ve had many jobs while I was a student. All of these experiences have shaped me into the person I am today.
Professionally, I plan to work for a couple of years before law school. There are still some questions that exist in between, but I’m confident that my time at Grinnell has prepped me well to answer these questions at my own pace.
