I attended a small private high school in Quito, Ecuador. I had a great high school experience with close relationships that I still maintain to this day, but unfortunately, my learning was mostly confined to the classroom and not easily applicable.

I chose Grinnell because the people I met when I came to visit were very welcoming. It was fun to sit with them at lunch, and I found it easy to be fully myself and belong with them. So, I committed Early Decision to Grinnell!

Pre-Orientation

I came to Grinnell wanting a diverse, tight-knit community that welcomed international students, and a discussion-based, open curriculum that allowed me to explore topics that I hadn't studied before.

I'm happy to report that this all happened, even in just my first year at Grinnell! I participated in the International Pre-Orientation Program (IPOP) and got to know some of the best people and make amazing memories:

I loved IPOP so much that I came back as a mentor the following years! Here's a picture of me and my fellow mentors:

Clubs and Extracurriculars

When I started classes, I was ready to make my mark on this campus! I overcommitted, though, and signed up for too many clubs. That was also a learning moment for me: college takes adjustment, and it's okay to take some time adjusting to your course load — so don’t crowd your schedule until you feel like you’re grounded.

But I'm still glad that I stuck it out with Latin American Ensemble. I love music and come from a musical family, so I joined the ensemble my first year and continued through my fourth year. Overall, it was a great way to make friends, decompress from school, and have fun.

In the picture above, I even got to perform at a cute little pub in Des Moines! I sang two or three songs in Spanish ("La Entrevista" and "Te Soñe"), and two friends and our professor were there supporting me.

I learned how important it is to laugh at yourself. It is still hard to perform in public, but I give myself room to enjoy and mess up; it’s not the end of the world if it goes wrong.

Happy Memories

Here are some highlights from my dorm life! My roommate Katie Goodall '23 and I got along really well, and we're still very close friends to this day.

The staff person who matched us together really knew what they were doing, that's for sure! The picture below in the middle and on the right is our dorm room during our first year!

Here are some pictures in the dining hall! In the one on the right, we're calling for the universe during Finals Week!

My Major

During IPOP, I met Professor Gemma Sala, who is a political science professor and a fun and engaging storyteller. She introduced herself and convinced me to take a political science course during my time here.

Remembering her, I decided to take her class! Even though I had intended to have an English major, Gemma's class was very enjoyable and interesting, so I started considering a degree and career in poli-sci and education.

From Externship to Summer Internships

I decided to do Grinnell’s externship program because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to pursue and wasn’t set with a major at the time. I found an alum who worked in political science and education, which were fields I enjoyed, and I job-shadowed her.

The alum's name was Sandra Stein '88, and I loved the things she was doing as the chief of programs and learning for Global Nomads Group (GNG). Shadowing her gave me a lot of professional insight into the world and preparation in the field.

Eventually, I decided to come back for a more hands-on, long-term internship with her, two years in a row!

Something cool that I did at this time? I virtually mentored a student from Aman, Jordan, and she showed up to an information session here in Grinnell! We had never met in person, and she didn’t know that I attended Grinnell, so it was awesome and fun to see her here and in-person for the first time.

Traveling the United States

In 2020, I applied for and got the Fischlowitz Travel Fellowship! This fellowship is given by Grinnell alumni Teresa and Merle Fischlowitz '53. It allows international students to travel independently across the United States.

I went to Alaska, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., diving into exploration of a specific theme while traveling: What does it mean to be American? Befriending strangers and listening to their stories in response to this question, I was amazed by the depth and breadth of the responses I heard!

My travels were a truly rewarding experience, and I saw a lot of growth in myself. I got the chance to meet so many people and realized that each one of us has an important story and that a lot of us are really eager and needing to tell that story. It was truly surprising how many people were willing to talk to me — a complete stranger — and tell me their stories.

Traveling alone can be a little bit scary, but I saw a lot of growth in myself. After my travels, I came back to Grinnell refreshed and inspired, as if I had taken in a big gulp of fresh air!

Off-Campus Studies!

I did a study abroad program in the Netherlands because I wanted to see what higher learning might look like in a non-U.S. context and further explore political science and education. After talking with Professor Moyer, a Grinnell poli-sci professor who had taught in the Netherlands, I ended up going to Amsterdam in the spring of my third year!