5 Questions with Jillian Steelberg
Jillian Steelberg came to Grinnell College in March 2022 as a program coordinator in Academic Advising, and currently serves as an academic coach and coordinator of the second-year program, Level Up. She currently resides in Grinnell with her wife, Tierney Steelberg, digital liberal arts specialist in the Digital Liberal Arts Collaborative (DLAC) at the College, and their two cats. She took a few moments out of her day to talk to us about her work at Grinnell and her interests in rock climbing, birding and more.
Q: Where did you grow up?
A: I grew up in rural New York, about an hour and half north of the city. I lived on a dead-end road next to an apple orchard, where I spent as much time as possible on my bike or up in the trees.
Q: What was the path that brought you to Grinnell?
A: I moved to Iowa in summer 2021 because my wife, Tierney Steelberg, got a job here in the DLAC. I started working at the college in 2022 as the program coordinator for Academic Advising. Previously, I taught preschool and elementary school for about seven years. I'm so grateful to have found a position at Grinnell that allows me to work in education from a different perspective.
Q: What does your current role at Grinnell entail?
A: I am currently an academic coach in the Academic Advising office. This means I meet with students to help them set goals and learn skills for their academic success (however they define that). I also coordinate the Level Up program, working with several other offices on campus to support second years. I really enjoy talking with students about their academics and anything else that interests them.
Q: What is your life like outside of work?
A: My wife and I have two cats. Tara is an 8-year-old brown and white tabby with short legs who is too sweet for her own good. Giles is 4-year-old tabby-Siamese mix with big blue eyes who is too smart for his own good. The rest of our family are in Chicago and on the East Coast, and we visit them whenever we can.
My interests include geography and nature — I love being outside and finding cool animals and plants. My current hobbies are knitting, fiction podcasts (mostly sci-fi), and indoor rock climbing at the Bear or Climb Iowa. My wife and I are members of the local Audubon chapter and volunteer with a local licensed bird bander. We catch them, collect data, put a small metal band with a unique number on their leg, then release them!
Q: What is your favorite Grinnell moment to date.
A: My favorite moment at Grinnell comes each spring, when the turkey vultures return to campus from their winter migration. It's such a rare privilege to see a vulture roost up close. I also love watching them soar above town.