Regional Recognition for Grinnell College Civic Engagement
Four Grinnell community members received recognition for their civic engagement work through the regional Seed Coalition.
Four members of the Grinnell College community were recognized with prestigious civic engagement awards from Seed Coalition. Seed Coalition builds reciprocal partnerships and supports civic learning experiences to empower campus communities and strengthen the capacity of colleges and universities to fulfill the public purposes of higher education.
The 2026 President’s Awards recognize outstanding contributions in civic and community engagement across member campus communities. Our Grinnell College award winners are:
Diya Shrestha ’26 — Recipient of the President’s Student Civic Leadership Award
Art history lecturer, Danya Crites — Recipient of the President’s Civic Educator Award
B & B Farms: Barney & Suzanne Costello — Recipient of the President’s Community Partner Award
Grinnell United Methodist Church — Recipient of the President’s Community Collaboration Award
The awards were presented at a ceremony hosted at St. Olaf College on Thursday, April 9, celebrating students, faculty, staff, and programs that have made meaningful contributions to their communities.
About the Awardees
Student Civic Leadership Award – Diya Shrestha ’26
A political science major, Shrestha embodies civic leadership grounded in dialogue, trust, and steady presence. As one of the initial student facilitators of the Grinnell Listening Project, she has helped convene nearly 40 community dialogues engaging more than 500 students and local residents in thoughtful conversation about issues facing the town. A compassionate and deeply curious listener, Diya builds trust across difference and helps create spaces where people feel genuinely heard. She extends this commitment through volunteering at the Community Meal and mentoring international students, modeling civic engagement rooted in deep, genuine relationship.
Civic Educator Award – Danya Crites
Professor Danya Crites, a longtime Grinnell resident and devoted art history instructor, demonstrates exceptional innovation in community-engaged teaching. In Making Space in Community, students engage with local residents to examine how the built environment shapes belonging and memory in Grinnell. Dialogue is woven throughout the course, grounding inquiry in lived experience and reciprocal exchange. Students leave with a deeper sense of civic responsibility and a richer appreciation for the artistic, cultural, and historical narratives embedded in the built environment they inhabit. Her sustained commitment strengthens both the Grinnell College campus and community.
Community Partner Award – B & B Farms: Barney & Suzanne Costello
Barney and Suzanne exemplify extraordinary partnership. For decades, they have welcomed students to their farm, collaborating with a variety of courses. Through generous hospitality and thoughtful teaching, they translate the agricultural landscape for students, many of whom have little rural experience, helping them see farming as both ecological and civic practice. Their modeling of regenerative, ecosystem-sensitive farming has enriched our understanding of labor as skilled, relational work deeply tied to land, community, and care.
Community Collaboration Award – Grinnell United Methodist Church
When the pandemic paused Grinnell’s long-standing Community Meal and its previous host closed, Grinnell United Methodist Church stepped forward in a meaningful way. Building on its own tradition of hosting a “Blessed Meal,” the congregation chose to fold that effort into a broader community collaboration. In partnership with Grinnell College’s Center for Careers, Life, and Service and dozens of local and campus groups, GUMC provides space, kitchen access, and steady coordination. In 2025 alone, nearly 500 meals were shared, expanding food access while creating a welcoming space where neighbors and students from many backgrounds build relationships and strengthen shared responsibility across the community.
“These honorees show that meaningful civic engagement is not transactional. It is about sowing seeds together — building relationships, sharing knowledge, and creating the conditions for communities and campuses to learn from one another and flourish.” says Susan Sanning, Associate Dean & Executive Director of Civic Education and Innovation.