I am currently a research support associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Picower Institute. I am very grateful for all the experiences I've had at Grinnell and am excited about the future!

I'm still at Grinnell College... but now as an admission counselor!

I am so excited to continue my work in admission. I love meeting prospective students and families and take great pride in helping others navigate the college search process.

Grinnell prepared me thoroughly for this role. It provided me with the connections I needed, equipped me to take initiative and ownership of my projects, and empowered me to continue exploring my passions.

I am now a graduate student at the University of Michigan’s School of Social Work, where I hope to get a sports psychology certification with hands-on experience in athletic counseling.

Thanks to Grinnell's flexible curriculum, I truly found my strengths and interests. For example, as a student-athlete mentor (SAM) at Grinnell, I realized my passion for helping athletes through their mental struggles. I also learned a lot from my professors and peers through many one-on-one interactions. 

I am very grateful for all that Grinnell has provided me and am excited for the next chapter of my life.

I am so excited to now be pursuing a Ph.D. in chemistry at the University of Kansas!

I cannot thank my research advisor, Professor Stephen Sieck, my major adviser, Professor Mark Levandoski, and all my professors, coaches, friends, and family members enough for their endless support of my love for chemistry. I spoke extensively with Professor Sieck and briefly with Professor Swartz about post-grad opportunities, and they helped me narrow down my prospects. I never expected to develop such a strong passion for research, but I am incredibly grateful for all my undergraduate laboratory experiences that have enhanced my desire to explore research as a career path and further my education. I cannot wait to get started!

When I was first applying, I was aware of Grinnell’s high success rate in sending students into healthcare, which was important to me in terms of achieving my post-grad goals.

Where am I now? I have now moved to Madison, Wisconsin to start a new chapter in my life as a Project Manager for Epic Systems. I specifically work as a project manager for the claims and remittance application side of the company.

I want to thank everyone who has supported me in the process for this opportunity and I can't wait to see what the future holds. The independence and the responsibilities that are thrown at us, as well as the constant push against our comfort zones, have made me very comfortable with uncertainty.

After graduating, I'm continuing to work as a teacher in Grinnell High School. I hope to eventually transition to NGOs. My plans are to finish my education licensure and potentially study public policy in graduate school.

For my last year at Grinnell, I want to hang out with friends and make final memories before graduation. Although I'm staying until the end of the fall semester in 2023, a lot of my closest friends here are graduating in the spring.

Career-wise, I want to gain a lot more research experience in psychology and neuropsychology. After a gap year or two, my goal is to head to a neuroscience/psychology Ph.D. program. I believe that making the most of Grinnell’s resources by talking with professors, asking for recommendation letters, and visiting our Center for Careers, Life, and Service (CLS) as much as possible while I am here will help with that.

The people at the CLS have been incredibly kind in helping me ease my anxiety about taking a gap year before grad school. Currently, I’ve been talking and making plans about graduate school with Anne and Sarah in the CLS. Their team has been very supportive and open-minded, and I definitely feel heard when planning out the direction I want to take my life, even if I don’t have everything figured out! Whatever is in store for me, I know that I have supportive people by me who can help me weather and navigate any storm.

Like DJ from the Center for Religion, Spirituality, and Social Justice (CRSSJ) says, "Tuck and roll with the punches," and have a growth mindset about the future, rather than a fixed mindset about it!

For my last year at Grinnell, I want to have fun and take advantage of everything Grinnell has to offer. For example, I'm really treasuring living with my closest friends.

After graduating? I’d like to travel more. After studying abroad in Denmark, I realized I want to do more of that, especially with friends. When my swimming career ends, I'd like to get into competitive triathlons. And who knows, maybe I can combine these interests and do competitive triathlons all over the country or world!

Job-wise, I have a CRTA post-baccalaureate fellowship at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland for two years. After that: grad school!

During my last year at Grinnell, I spent time with friends, both new and old. After all, when else will I get to live within a few-block radius of all my friends again? And when will I be able to take advantage of free talks and events like this again?

Career-wise, I'm now an admission counselor at Davidson College! I'm Davidson's representative for students from Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, and Washington!

For my last year at Grinnell, I want to enjoy my time with friends. It’s very unique to be in a small and charming place like this, and taking full advantage of that before I graduate is the goal. I want to continue making friends, even though I only have one semester left. I think that's what makes us Grinnellians: Our community strives to keep meeting new people and consistently making new connections.

I’m currently in the process of applying for jobs. I want to do hands-on work in research and technology, and I want to use my biology and statistics knowledge for meaningful change, possibly in conservation. With all my experiences during my college years, from my classes to my internship and study abroad experience, I am confident that I will be able to do that!