Why Grinnell?
My high school was a small, rural public school. Although I enjoyed a tight-knit environment where I knew my teachers well, it didn’t provide me with exposure to many new ideas and people.
As a senior, I craved to get outside of my comfort zone. I still wanted the same depth of relationships I had with my teachers, but I wanted to be exposed to many different types of ideas and people.
I was drawn to Grinnell’s collaborative academic environment and the challenges it offered. When I visited in person, the community left a positive impression on me. I talked with some of the current students and realized that Grinnell’s culture of social responsibility would fit me well. I decided to commit to Grinnell through the Early Decision application round.
Forging My Path
I initially intended to major in biology. To gain hands-on, practical experience, I interned at Grinnell’s Conard Environmental Research Area (CERA) over the summer. During that time, I also volunteered at the Grinnell College Garden, where I met Professor Andelson. He would become one of my independent major advisers.
Externship
I shadowed a Grinnell alumnus in Singapore through our career center’s externship program. My host, Eric, graduated from Grinnell in 1988 and works as a human rights lawyer and created training processes for human rights lawyers in Eastern Europe. He taught me a lot about leadership and the importance of fighting for the values you believe in.
My experience with Eric confirmed that my interests didn’t necessarily fit neatly into a single category. His work was certainly interesting, and I still wanted to work in human development, but I couldn't see myself in his role.
I am, however, extremely grateful for this experience. Eric was a wonderful person to learn from, and shadowing him brought me closer to my area of interest.
Not only did Grinnell’s career center fully fund my trip to Singapore, they also funded a trip to Vietnam for me. For jet lag purposes, my career adviser had suggested that I take a stop in Vietnam first, and I am glad I took that advice. It was a wonderful time.
Creating Focus
I was interested in a lot of different areas that were difficult to combine, even with the flexibility of Grinnell's open curriculum. Until my second year, I stressed about what my major would be, because I couldn’t narrow my interests down to one clear topic. When I talked about my worries with Professor Elfenbein, my academic adviser and tutorial professor, he suggested that I try out an independent major.
One thing led to another, and I asked both Professor Andelson from the College Garden and Professor Campbell from the Biology and Environmental Studies departments to become my independent major advisers. Professor Elfenbein recommended Professor Campbell to me.
Creating an Independent Major
I definitely benefitted from my two advisers’ wells of wisdom and experience. They knew what a meaningful independent major would require and advised me on how to make the most of my major. We created a four-year plan with all of the courses that outlined the core learning objectives of my independent major.
My advisers have always been supportive of the internships and research experiences I have had. They’ve shaped me tremendously — personally and professionally. They are generous with their connections and introduce me to various people within their networks. I cannot be more grateful for their influence.
My independent major looks at how land ethics, social responsibility, and economic policy affect how communities interact with their environments. It covers a wide range of disciplines, from biology to economics to anthropology. Although we occasionally needed to be flexible based on what courses were offered at Grinnell, the core of my major has never changed.
Internship
In the summer after my second year, I did a George Washington Carver Internship at the World Food Prize. I coordinated events for the organization and researched data and concept notes for main speeches. One of the events was a week-long symposium where African presidents discussed agriculture together.
This was a position that my academic adviser had suggested to me; he knew that I had an interest in land use and agriculture, and the World Food Prize knew many Grinnellians.
I was excited to connect with experts in the field and further develop my professional skills. I had a great time there, and the experience confirmed my interests in land use and agriculture in development.
Research in London
I wanted to study urban agriculture for my semester abroad. I decided to study abroad with the Grinnell-in-London program.
As part of the program, I conducted research in the community of Hackney, London. Hackney suffers from longstanding inequities due to lack of investment and resources. Through my research, I uncovered how these inequities affect their community in relation to development and agriculture.
Summer in India
After my Grinnell-in-London program came to an end, I headed to India for an internship with the Sehgal Foundation. The Sehgal Foundation is a rural-development-related nonprofit organization.
As a research assistant, I analyzed the effectiveness of previous community-wide investments. The Sehgal Foundation has influenced various development projects such as building schools, creating check dams, being proactive about sanitation, and building toilet blocks.
I got to witness a lot of good on-the-ground development, and this internship led me to my senior research topic.
Advanced Research in Grinnell
I am currently conducting research under Grinnell's Mentored Advanced Project (MAP) program. My research is titled “Common Ground: The Intersection of Economics, Environment, and Empowerment in the Indian Mandi System.”
This graduate-level research will allow me to apply the concepts I’ve learned over the past four years. I am excited to further explore my topic with my advisers. As I develop my research further, I will definitely be spending more time with them.
Athletics
Although I was on the fence about college athletics, the cross country team's encouraging environment convinced me. I liked that I didn’t have to sacrifice either of my identities as a student or athlete in order to participate. I can be a successful college student and athlete!
