From Pursuit of Passion to Professional Success

Ellen Hengesbach ’24 knew for years that she wanted a career that would allow her to have a real impact on the world. Leaving her home in Chicago to pursue a degree in political science with a concentration in American studies at Grinnell proved to be a crucial step in making her dream a reality.

“I’ve been interested in working in politics, policy making, or public interest since I was in high school,” says Hengesbach. “I came to college knowing that I wanted to study political science, and my time at Grinnell definitely confirmed that this is the right area for me.”

Immediately after graduating in 2024, Hengesbach joined the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) as an associate where she works on data privacy issues and advocates for strong consumer data privacy legislation for the organization’s Don’t Sell My Data campaign.

“With this campaign, we’re working to pass strong consumer data privacy legislation in states around the country,” she explains. “I think data privacy is such an important issue, and I love getting to advocate for laws that will meaningfully protect consumers.”

Pathway to Success

Hengesbach entered college with an idea of what she wanted to do, and with the support of faculty and staff, and the many academic and professional opportunities available at Grinnell she further explored her passion, honed her skills, and found a pathway to success.

“The political science department as a whole was incredibly supportive,” says Hengesbach. “My professors really helped me improve my critical thinking, research, and writing skills. Also, doing a Mentored Advanced Project (MAP) in my fourth year was especially impactful. I learned a lot from designing a research project from scratch and staying motivated to work on it for a whole year.”

In addition to her academic endeavors, Hengesbach worked in on-campus jobs that eased her transition to the professional world, and she took advantage opportunities offered by Grinnell’s Center for Careers, Life, and Service (CLS).

“I really appreciate the CLS — I used it a lot in my first few years for interview prep and resume writing,” Hengesbach says. “That early preparation really set me up for success.”

A pivotal moment for Hengesbach came in the summer before her senior year when she was offered an internship with PIRG. The position was unpaid, but with funding from the College, she was able to accept the position, gain valuable experience in advocacy and research, and ultimately make the transition from student to career professional.

“Internship funding from Grinnell allowed me to take the position with PIRG and I had a great experience with them,” she says. “I stayed in contact with them during the school year and they offered me a full-time position for after graduation.”

With PIRG, Hengesbach found a career that fulfills her desire to make a difference in the world and allows her to continue to grow and develop, both personally and professionally. Her plans for the future include law school and continued pursuit of her passions.

“I’m not sure exactly where that will take me,” she says. “But my goal is to continue to do public interest work on issues that I care about.”