Why Grinnell?
I went to an academically rigorous high school with around 1,700 students, similar in size to Grinnell. My high school was right in the city, and it provided lots of flexibility and opportunities for exploration.
Although I had a tight-knit community in high school, I often felt like an outsider. For college, I looked for a community where I would truly belong.
During my visit to Grinnell, I had a strong gut feeling that this place was right for me. I was impressed by Grinnell’s travel opportunities, the support provided to students on campus, and the vibrant community full of interested and engaged people.
First-Year Connections
I started my first year at college with lots of things that I wanted to do: I wanted challenge myself academically, expand my skills, grow my social circle, and try new things.
Dorm and Student Life
I was placed in Kershaw Hall with two swim teammates. Because my roommates were also teammates, we bonded quickly, and this instant connection motivated me to reach out to more people.
I was quite lucky in my first year: I felt supported by the coaches and the swimmers, and everyone looked out for me.
Above is a picture of me and my first-year roommates building a snowman together!
And although I built my first community within the swim team, I also enjoyed being able to build an identity outside of sports. Because Grinnell is a Division 3 school and has a smaller student body, it was easier for me to foster a sense of community throughout the campus.
Swimming
Throughout all four years of my college experience, I have been on both the varsity swim team and the club water polo team. Last year and this year, I've served as captain of water polo team. This year, I'll be captain of my swim team.
Our water polo team recently switched to a new conference and competed against Division 1 schools. To prepare for the competition of this new conference, I coached the team a little bit, and we had a great time.
As captain of the swim team this year, I hope my team can branch out of our immediate circle and find communities outside of the College. Everyone has so many experiences in so many walks of life, and it’s great to learn a little bit about each other.
I also hope to build up the Queer Athletes and Allies organization on campus and foster a deeper sense of community among fellow athletes.
Off-Campus: Global Learning Program
Even before I started my first semester at Grinnell, I knew I wanted to do a class through the Global Learning Program (GLP).
During my first year, I took a GLP class called "New and Emerging Infectious Diseases." We went to South Africa and Hawaii during break and studied how wildlife and humans interact at the intersection of parklands and cities. We also learned about how diseases impact social systems.
Major Findings
Although I came into Grinnell as an intended anthropology major, I realized as a first-year student that anthropology didn't fully scratch my intellectual itch. Thankfully, I felt that Grinnell's open-style curriculum gave me more than enough opportunity to explore.
In my second year, I read through some course offerings and loved the topics I saw in the gender, women’s, and sexuality studies (GWSS) major. Because of GWSS's interdisciplinary nature, I could study history, anthropology, and more — all in the same subject!
I asked my GWSS friends for their recommendations on the best adviser. After hearing their thoughts, I emailed Professor Beauboeuf from the GWSS department for a time to meet and discuss about the possibility of her becoming my adviser.
Now, thanks to my major, I have tools to create a more loving community in my life. Not only do I know how to elevate voices in non-harmful ways, but I also know how narratives can either support or neglect groups of people.
Off-Campus: Nashville!
I'm thankful to have had many off-campus study opportunities at Grinnell. After my GLP class, I took a course-embedded travel course involving country music. We traveled to Nashville as a class over spring break.
Funded Internship
The summer after my second year, I did a summer internship in Olympia, Washington, that focused on conflict resolution and mediation. My internship was fully funded by our career advising office.
At the Dispute Resolution Center, I developed valuable skills that I still use every day. I learned about restorative justice, a process to heal harm without causing further harm to communities around you. I also gained experience in resolving conflicts for others and myself.
In my free time, I hiked at Mount Rainier National Park and saw mountain goats and bears!
Off-Campus: Denmark!
After going to Nashville, I decided to commit to a full semester of off-campus study, and I chose Denmark.
During my time in Europe, I hunted giant forest trolls in the woods, watched the World Aquatics Championships in Berlin, and had a great time!
Initially, I saw this as an opportunity to be away from the political burnout and mental health challenges I dealt with in the United States. But ironically, I came to appreciate American systems during my time in Denmark. Even though I had been so frustrated in the U.S., I at least knew how to resist the systems in place. I initially felt lost in Denmark, because its political system was a completely unfamiliar beast to me with its own history and complications. Eventually, I came to understand and appreciate the Danish approach to life and community.
New Hobbies
After I got back from Denmark, I was super excited to throw myself back into the Grinnell community. In the process, I found of lot of new hobbies, including ceramics and spoon carving. The cup below is one of my favorite creations from Grinnell's Stew Makerspace.
This year, I want to continue doing both and explore more art.
