In high school, I knew I wanted to go to a small liberal arts college with an open curriculum, where I could have control over what I studied, and where I'd be surrounded by like-minded students. My English teacher recommended Grinnell, and I applied. Grinnell was one of the first schools to send me a reply. I visited campus soon after, and I immediately felt safe, comfortable, and empowered to shape my own education. The ability to see myself as a student at Grinnell convinced me to put down my deposit before I had even spent a night in a dorm room.

Peer Connections Pre-Orientation Program

The Peer Connections Pre-Orientation Program (PCPOP) gave me the opportunity to explore what my experience as a first-generation woman of color would be like at a predominantly white institution like Grinnell. It was the first time I explored my identities and the powers that come with them. PCPOP taught me what resources were available to me and others like me and made it much easier to adjust to Grinnell and be happy. The friends I made in PCPOP are still my closest friends to date. I came back as a PCPOP mentor for other first-year students the following year. It was extremely rewarding to pass on teachings and see a new class of PCPOP Grinnellians find their place on our campus.

Building Community

A key aspect of my Grinnell experience has been building an intentional community. I found a great core group of friends from both PCPOP and my first-year floor mates. We were all navigating the same new experiences, difficulties, hardships, and successes together, and those bonds have lasted all the way to our fourth years. Whether it has been grabbing dinner, studying late at night in a classroom, or going to events on the weekends, I have always been surrounded by people who are looking out for me, who support me, and who I can see myself reflected in. The College facilitates so many events that helped me and my friends feel comfortable and build community.

Exploring Iowa

When I first got to Grinnell, it took me no more than 30 seconds to realize that I was in rural Iowa, a major change from growing up in Chicago. I thought that I would be bored out of my mind, but I quickly realized how exciting and refreshing Iowa can be. Whether it’s discovering restaurants in downtown Des Moines or Iowa City, seeing the beauty of the prairie and the sunsets (#Skyowa), or just going on Walmart runs at 10 p.m. on a Tuesday, I learned that Iowa has a lot to offer! Being home during the pandemic especially made me realize how much I had left to explore in Iowa, and I’m still discovering new places as a fourth year!

Research

Throughout my four years, I have explored the same research topics from the perspectives of many classes and disciplines. At first, I was particularly interested in the economic and political implications of gender-based violence and femicide in Latin America, particularly the vulnerability of Indigenous and afro-descendent populations. I have further explored this topic through political and judicial lenses, studying the constitutionality of these issues and the internal and international implications for the region. The capstone for my Latin American studies concentration ended up being a 40-page paper on the subject, which I completed my third year.

Finishing Fourth Year

Coming back to campus after not being here for over a year was a bit daunting. However, my fourth year was filled with love, laughter, and many attempts to cook food but failing to put the right amount of salt in it. In my fourth and final year, I also spent my time as a Vivero fellow and mentor for the Digital Humanities Laboratory, through which traveled to Spain over spring break with a Spanish seminar class and aid with technology.