5 Questions with Emily Fenner

Emily Fenner, neurodiversity support specialist in the office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, didn’t have to travel far to make a big move. She graduated from Grinnell High School in 2016, attended the University of Iowa, worked as an AmeriCorps fellow with the Justice Advocacy Project at Iowa Legal Aid, and as a family development specialist at Mid-Iowa Community Action (MICA) in Grinnell, before taking on her current role with the College in 2022. As Neurodiversity Support Specialist, Fenner works one-on-one with primarily first-year students to ease their transition into college and to ensure they have the resources to succeed and strives to offer a safe environment where all students feel welcomed and supported. She always encourages anyone to stop by her office for a chat, so we took her up on the offer to learn more about her.

Q: Where did you grow up? 

A: My childhood home is actually about three blocks away from campus. I had a lovely childhood in the North Grinnell historic district because it all felt so magical and grand as a little kid. I remember feeling like I was surrounded by doll houses. Now I’m back in the same neighborhood, right around the corner from my mom – we literally share a property line. I am one of five kids (I have three half-siblings who are significantly older than me, and one full-sibling who is younger), which is interesting because my parents are both one-of-five as well. I grew up surrounded by tons of family – immediate and extended. In 2023 I started my own little family with my partner, Alex. Our son, Teddy (adoringly known as Bubby), turned one in June. He is constantly on the go and I’m sure many students will see us walking (see running, chasing, tripping, falling) around campus this fall. Don’t hesitate to stop and say hello – he loves to make friends and waves at everyone who passes by!

Q: What do you like to do in your spare time?

A: Since I have such deep roots in Grinnell, it’s important to me to be involved in the community. When it feels like the world is imploding, being able to give my time and energy into meaningful local efforts gives me a sense of hope. Currently I am part of the Drake Community Library board and the Grinnell Family Support Initiative.

These days, when I’m not at work, I’m with my kiddo. We are almost always out and about. We are loving going for walks to see the foliage and seasonal decorations, making good use of the new accessible playground at Central Park, and window shopping at all the cute shops downtown. The good news is that it is surprisingly easy to entertain a toddler. The bad news is that I feel like I haven’t sat down in 16 months. I also love cooking, baking, and reading, although I don’t have much time to do the latter these days. Check back in 18 years!

Q: What was the path that brought you to the Grinnell?

A: Students are always shocked to learn that my path to Grinnell started in Grinnell. Believe me — this was not in my five-year plan! I graduated from the University of Iowa three months before the COVID shutdown and was thrown into remote work in a position I had basically just started. I was commuting back and forth from Iowa City to Grinnell pretty often to see my parents and little brother. Then, in August of that year, the Derecho happened. I felt pulled to support relief efforts in the communities I had seen firsthand that were gutted by this natural disaster. That started my journey at Mid-Iowa Community Action as a Disaster Case Manager. I quickly realized that social work was what I wanted to do, and continued working at MICA as a Family Development Specialist for several years.

When I saw the listing for Neurodiversity Support Specialist, what stood out to me was the alignment of so many social work tenets — support, not help; self-advocacy; strengths-based goal setting; trauma-informed care. Even though I had never worked in higher education before, I saw how my skillset would be an asset in this work. I was SO nervous to apply and interview, but now here I am, two years later!

Q: What does your role as Neurodiversity Support Specialist at Grinnell entail?

A: My position at Grinnell has evolved a lot in the past two years since I started. I stay busy, and I love it! My primary role is to provide one-on-one holistic support to neurodivergent students as they navigate their time at Grinnell. I also contribute to campus-wide trainings related to neurodivergence and disability. New this year, I have started supporting the accommodation process, and I’m thrilled to be able to meet with students in the Navigational and Final Planning stages. This has allowed us to streamline the process and cut down on wait times to better meet student need. A smaller, yet equally important, aspect of my job is to supervise the DCC Interns, who support student-facing events and programming for our office. I am SO proud of the amazing work they’re doing.

 Aside from my direct work with students, which is, of course, my favorite part of my job, I really love the moments when I’m able to collaborate with other partners on campus for programming and events. Our office is working hard to intentionally cultivate disability culture and community on campus, and I love any opportunity to bring students into our space in the Disability Cultural Center.

Q: What has your experience been like working with Grinnellians? 

A:(Insert all positive adjectives one can think of). But seriously, I am constantly encouraged by Grinnellians. I am constantly LEARNING from Grinnellians. How magical is that – to show up to work every day and learn something new from the students you get to see? That’s the kind of place I want to be! The world is so heavy right now. Everything feels so hard. Yet, at every turn, I see truly inspirational work happening on campus to show care for each other.

2024 has been filled with so many monumental moments! My forever-favorite will always be PCPOP – the Peer Connections Pre-Orientation Program. I got to support the program in full for the first time this summer and it was a life-affirming week for me. Now more than ever, community is critical, and being able to support students as they create their own community was so, so, so special.