I am now a graduate student at the University of Michigan’s School of Social Work, where I hope to get a sports psychology certification with hands-on experience in athletic counseling.

Thanks to Grinnell's flexible curriculum, I truly found my strengths and interests. For example, as a student-athlete mentor (SAM) at Grinnell, I realized my passion for helping athletes through their mental struggles. I also learned a lot from my professors and peers through many one-on-one interactions. 

I am very grateful for all that Grinnell has provided me and am excited for the next chapter of my life.

I am so excited to now be pursuing a Ph.D. in chemistry at the University of Kansas!

I cannot thank my research advisor, Professor Stephen Sieck, my major adviser, Professor Mark Levandoski, and all my professors, coaches, friends, and family members enough for their endless support of my love for chemistry. I spoke extensively with Professor Sieck and briefly with Professor Swartz about post-grad opportunities, and they helped me narrow down my prospects. I never expected to develop such a strong passion for research, but I am incredibly grateful for all my undergraduate laboratory experiences that have enhanced my desire to explore research as a career path and further my education. I cannot wait to get started!

When I was first applying, I was aware of Grinnell’s high success rate in sending students into healthcare, which was important to me in terms of achieving my post-grad goals.

Right after graduating, I accepted a role as a Project Manager for Epic Systems in Madison, Wisconsin. I worked for the claims and remittance application side of the company. I now work as a legal analyst for the Wisconsin Department of Revenue in the Division of Alcohol Beverages. 

Starting in the fall of 2025, I will be attending the University of Virginia School of Law as part of their J.D. class of 2028. 

Grinnell will always have a special place in my heart. It taught me how to handle and thrive with change and pushed me into becoming an independent thinker. The independence and the responsibilities that are thrown at us, as well as the constant push against our comfort zones, have made me very comfortable with uncertainty.

After graduating, I worked as a teacher at Grinnell High School. I then worked full time at the Latino Academy of Workforce Development, Inc. as their ESL Coordinator and Grant Manager. I hope to study public policy in graduate school.

For my last year at Grinnell, I want to hang out with friends and make final memories before graduation. Although I'm staying until the end of the fall semester in 2023, a lot of my closest friends here are graduating in the spring.

Career-wise, I want to gain a lot more research experience in psychology and neuropsychology. After a gap year or two, my goal is to head to a neuroscience/psychology Ph.D. program. I believe that making the most of Grinnell’s resources by talking with professors, asking for recommendation letters, and visiting our Center for Careers, Life, and Service (CLS) as much as possible while I am here will help with that.

The people at the CLS have been incredibly kind in helping me ease my anxiety about taking a gap year before grad school. Currently, I’ve been talking and making plans about graduate school with Anne and Sarah in the CLS. Their team has been very supportive and open-minded, and I definitely feel heard when planning out the direction I want to take my life, even if I don’t have everything figured out! Whatever is in store for me, I know that I have supportive people by me who can help me weather and navigate any storm.

Like DJ from the Center for Religion, Spirituality, and Social Justice (CRSSJ) says, "Tuck and roll with the punches," and have a growth mindset about the future, rather than a fixed mindset about it!

After graduation, I conducted a CRTA post-baccalaureate fellowship at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland for two years.

Now, I am pursuing my Ph.D. in molecular and cellular biology at the University of Washington.

During my last year at Grinnell, I spent time with friends, both new and old. After all, when else will I get to live within a few-block radius of all my friends again? And when will I be able to take advantage of free talks and events like this again?

Career-wise, I'm now an admission counselor at Davidson College! I'm Davidson's representative for students from Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, and Washington!

I now work full-time at Atalan as their data analyst. On the day-to-day, I create data visualizations, monitor real-time data, and use exploratory data analysis techniques to identify trends and patterns.

As a student, I loved being involved in the community, helping make the world a better place and having agriculture, music, and dance as important things in my life.

In August of 2023, I accepted a position as an admissions counselor at University of Colorado, Colorado Springs! I'm the regional counselor for the Northern Colorado Springs-South Denver corridor. 

One of my most favorite things about the place I work is its commitment to its students. UCCS is a very student-focused institution, meaning students get excellent opportunities both inside and outside of the classroom.

I currently work as an IT technician at a small managed service provider in Grinnell. In my role, I clarify and resolve various technological issues. I ask questions and consult different sources to solve problems that I may not immediately see.

My experiences at Grinnell have prepared me to handle my job effectively each day. Even when facing a new problem, my education has provided me with the skills to troubleshoot and create thorough documentation.

In this picture here, I helped a customer install a security camera!