Hannah’s Journey

Why Grinnell?

When I was looking at colleges, I knew I wanted a small, tight-knit community. I wanted to be able to know my professors, to know my classmates.

Honestly, when I drove into Grinnell for my first campus visit, I was a little worried. It’s so small. But with time, I began to realize how much the town has to offer. Once I got to campus, I loved it. I visited on Junior Visit Day. I sat in on a class, and I saw students’ eagerness to engage thoughtfully. 

You don’t just stumble into Grinnell. It’s an intentional choice. I think that is reflected in the student community, faculty, staff, and everyone who’s a part of this college community. There’s a real eagerness to participate in class, a real eagerness to spearhead student initiatives to make the social community exciting and vibrant. 

This community and what it means to be a Grinnellian are what sold me for sure. 

Great Expectations

When I got to Grinnell as a first-year, it honestly exceeded my expectations.

Post-pandemic, I was excited to be moving into college and to be having in-person classes because there were moments where I didn’t know if that was going to happen. I was genuinely grateful to be here and be able to interact with people in person.

I was looking for somewhere that I could feel comfortable, and it was shocking how quickly Grinnell felt like home. I found friends who have become my second family.

Academics

The academics at Grinnell have been incredibly fulfilling. Grinnell has wonderful professors who aren’t just here to do research, but also to teach and form rich relationships with students. The relationships I have built with some professors have gone above and beyond my expectations. 

My major adviser in the Sociology Department, Profeessor Sharon Quinsaat, is awesome. I was able to work with her on research this summer. She hosted us at her house every couple of weeks, and we got to meet her dog. 

There are a couple of professors — these are people who aren’t even my official adviser — still, it feels like they truly care a lot, not only about my experience here, but also about my future success.

I especially want to mention Professor Karla Erickson in the Sociology Department. The level of care she has for every single one of her students, and her true curiosity about them and in their life experiences and their goals, is unmatched. Every person I talk to that’s taken a class of hers or has interacted with her walks away with that feeling. She is so sincere.

Swimming

I am a lifelong swimmer. I was recruited by Erin Hurley, the former swimming and diving coach. Her warm, welcoming demeanor, is what initially motivated me to visit campus. 

When I visited Grinnell as a prospective student, I had lunch with the swim team, and that was a fun experience. Just the day before, they had won the conference championship. The prospect of joining a successful program was exciting. 

The thought of this massive transition was daunting, but the idea that I could have this community of friends to help guide me and look out for me was comforting. 

Externships

Two summers ago, I had the opportunity to work with an alum, Allison Bell, on the rollout of her debut book, Herocrats, A Guide to Government Workers Leading Change. I did a lot of the media strategy for her book. I wrote a lot of pitches to podcasts and review journals, and then I also did some publicity, like social media, for her. 

That was a meaningful experience — it piqued my interest in potentially going into public policy. She’s also been a wonderful mentor since then.

I think that experience speaks to the powerful alumni network we have here at Grinnell. I got that job simply by posting on the Grinnell’s Minneapolis-St. Paul Facebook group — “Hey, this is who I am. I’m looking for some work this summer. Does anyone have any leads?” And Allison responded right away. 

It’s such a valuable network that you’re gaining from going to a school like this. It’s a novel experience, and it’s a special place to be for four years. I think you benefit from that network even after you graduate.

I’ve heard it described as a circle of trust. Alumni recognize that the Grinnell experience made such an impact on who they are, and they want to give back.

Jobs

In my second year, I became involved with the student labor union on campus.

I went to a union meeting, and at that time they were starting the bargaining process for the first wall-to-wall contract. And one of the leaders told me, Hannah, I think you’d be good at this. If it weren’t for them for seeing that in me, I don’t think I would’ve ever self-elected to become that involved. I’m actually currently the president.

But it’s been a cool experience, and I think it has shaped my future plans. I wouldn’t be surprised if in the future I was doing something within the labor movement.

It has been empowering experience to see our student body fight to improve our material conditions through collective action. I think it speaks to how unique the Grinnell student body is because we don’t just talk about things that we want to change, we take action. 

It speaks to a larger theme of Grinnell producing not just scholars, but scholar-activists. Grinnellians are changemakers. 

I’m also a senior interviewer for the Office of Admission. I’ve enjoyed the experience. I’ve always loved talking to people. I think it is a good way to give back to a community that I’ve gotten so much from. Being able to interview and help shape the incoming class is exciting.

Study Abroad 

In the fall of my junior year, I studied abroad in Belgrade Serbia. I have a peace and conflict studies concentration, and while I was there, I studied post-conflict peace and reconciliation processes in the Western Balkans. I worked with a non-governmental organization called the Youth Initiative for Human Rights. 

The organization does a lot of rule-of-law and human rights advocacy work. It was interesting to see how civil society operates in a different context outside of the United States. I also stayed with a wonderful host family while I was there. They had a dog named Hana, which is eerily similar to my name, but the dog was so sweet, and I’m still in contact with my host parents.

The academics were fantastic. I was in a cohort of about eight students, so we got to know each other and our professors quite well. We also had the opportunity  to travel with our professors and put our learning into action throughout the program. We traveled to Budapest and Vienna. 

Study abroad was definitely one of, if not the highlight of my college experience. 

Research

I did a MAP (Mentored Advanced Project) this summer with my adviser, Professor Sharon Quinsaat. We conducted a discourse analysis of reporting on four different affirmative action Supreme Court cases. In particular, we were looking at how Asian Americans were being framed within the reporting. The MAP offered an opportunity to get some experience in high-level research that I think I wouldn’t necessarily get at other schools. 

It was an opportunity to build some foundational research skills. I think we’re going to go try to present at a conference, which will be a great opportunity.

I also got to build a stronger working relationship with my adviser. I had taken courses with her already, so we knew each other well. She knew me as a student, and I knew her as a professor and academic, but the more time you spend together, the stronger relationships you build. She’s already written a number of letters of recommendation for me. That’s also a relationship that I think I’ll continue to tap into when I eventually apply for graduate school.

Friends and Fun

I found my community with the swim team.  Our Florida training trip is a social highlight for me. Over winter break, we spend two weeks in Naples, Florida, where we live in apartment-style hotel rooms with kitchens. You live with four of your teammates and you cook together. 

And since it’s winter break, you don’t have any schoolwork You practice, you train, and then you socialize and rest and recover with your teammates in between practices.

The hotel is within walking distance of the beach. So, we’d walk to the beach some days and swim. We’d play games. We just sit in the warm Florida weather because we’re there in January. 

I feel like that’s the time when the team meshes. As a first year, that’s when I felt like I started to belong with the team.

Even when I was abroad, I met up with some of my teammates in Copenhagen for a weekend, and that was fun. I think Grinnellians will find each other everywhere, no matter what. Even when I was in Budapest and Vienna, I somehow ran into a Grinnellian. 

Throughout my four years, I’ve tried to take part in as many campus traditions as possible, whether that be the Grinnell Relays (a fun spoof of more serious track meets) or Titular Head (our student film festival) or the Drag Show. This year, I want to go to all of those again, but it’s just mostly spending time with my people. I probably won’t live this close to my closest friends ever again, so I’m taking advantage of that.

I want to explore some more of Iowa and go to more state parks. I’ve gone on a couple GORP (GORP is short for Grinnell’s Outdoor Recreation Program) trips, and so my goal is to go on another one again this year because that usually is a good way to see Iowa and nature.

Hopes and Plans for the Future

I don’t know what my life’s going to look like after I graduate. I don’t have a set plan right now. I’m just casting a wide net — things that sound exciting and that spark my curiosity. I’m hoping that the year or two or three that I take before graduate school will help crystallize what I want out of that continued education. 

My advisers at Grinnell have been great — I’ve been talking to them about next steps, and they’ve connected me to a lot of alumni who are interested in similar things or had a similar educational backgrounds. I can ask them — what was your journey? How did you end up where you are? 

The Center for Careers, Life, and Service has been fantastic. I’ve been working with Ann Landstrom in the Global Fellowships and Awards advising office, and she has helped me through the fellowship application process. I think without her, I wouldn’t nearly have as competitive an application. 

I’m part of the Government, Law, and Public Policy Career Community as well and I’ve been getting some tips through there. I’ve applied to a couple postgraduate fellowships where I teach English abroad or do some research abroad. We’ll see if any of those pan out, but otherwise I would probably work for a union for a year or two.

I am definitely not going to go straight to grad school. The popular wisdom is to take some time. Unless you have a clear idea of what want to do, don’t go straight into graduate school. You’re going to get so much more out of it when you have a set intention.