Why Grinnell?
I went to a small, suburban charter school where I enjoyed small classes and attentive teachers. I wanted a similar close-knit community for college where students, professors, and staff dedicate themselves to each other and to bettering themselves.
When I visited Grinnell, the campus community checked all the boxes for me. I loved Grinnell’s robust support systems and the many opportunities to explore my academic interests. And because my school was very homogenous, I was excited to engage with different views and perspectives from around the world.
Putting Myself Out There
In high school, I swam, played guitar, watched movies, cooked, and played games.
In college, I put myself out there and did things that made me uncomfortable. I introduced myself at community events held by the College and by the students. Although it was scary at first, I quickly realized how kind Grinnellians are. They understood the things I was going through and gave me understanding, perspective, and advice.
I grew tremendously, thanks to these experiences. I found many interests that I would not have otherwise if I had stayed in my comfort zone.
As a Community Adviser
In my first year, my community adviser (CA) did a fantastic job of connecting everyone on my floor. Community advisers are students in their second, third, and senior years who create community on their assigned floors and residence halls. It was intimidating at first to meet new people, but my community advisers got us started and connected.
When I became a third-year student, I wanted to give back that same connection to the first-year students on my floor. Building community was a rewarding and enjoyable job for me, and I am glad that I decided to become a community adviser.
Major Declarations
I always knew that I liked and wanted to major in the sciences. Because I loved studying the brain, I ultimately decided to study biological chemistry and neuroscience.
Choosing My Advisers
Choosing advisers who I felt a connection with — inside and outside the classroom — was very important to me. I felt deep connections with my two now-academic advisers, in particular, and that was a big factor in why I chose them as my advisers.
Biological chemistry
My biochemistry adviser has been proactive with me from the very beginning. He regularly checks up on me, and he’s been a great role model for my path forward.
We reviewed my grad school resume in our most recent advising meetings. I always get a lot of clarity from him on how I should use what I’ve been doing to set myself up for further opportunities.
Neuroscience
I’m close with my neuroscience adviser. He’s had me in his classes, and I conducted research with him on a graduate-level project called a Mentored Advanced Project (MAP). We talk about graduate schools, and he gives me great insights. He’s helped me realize that research can be very broad. I don’t have to pigeonhole myself into an area of expertise, especially this early on.
Swimming and Diving
First Year
I have been on the team for all four years at Grinnell. It’s a sport that I’ve dedicated much of my time to and love.
As soon as I stepped on campus, I had a built-in support group in the swim and dive team. Swimming in college anchored me and helped me maintain normalcy in my life through my transition to college. My connection to other swimmers especially made it easier for me to adjust to college life.
Favorite Memories
My favorite memories around swimming center around community-building activities. I love our dinners together after a hard practice and our many attempts together to procrastinate on our work.
I am also fortunate that I have many generations of Grinnellians before me who I can talk to. During a training trip to Naples, Florida, with my team, we met and chatted with many alumni. Some graduated as far back as the 1950s, while some graduated as recently as the late 2010s. Connecting with them about swimming, hearing their experiences as working professionals, and bonding over Grinnell moments together have been impactful and inspiring.
This Year, as Captain
As captain this year, I am being intentional with community building. Even the smallest acts of kindness can be important to those who need it, and I try to support others in both big and small ways. When I hold my community to high standards, I find it important to talk with and teach peers.
Advanced Research
In the sciences, research-aspiring students typically apply to conduct research with up to five faculty members. I requested my neuroscience adviser as one of the top professors I wanted to work with on a Mentored Advanced Project (MAP), and I got the research position. The already-established connection and familiarity with me as his advisee and student may have helped me get the position.
In our research, we studied nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, which have correlations to body movement and certain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. I spent the first couple of weeks familiarizing myself with the topic and soon began working independently. I experimented with new ways to test these receptors and their functions.
Overall, I really enjoyed the experience. It made me a better scientist, and it improved my research skills. By the end, I conducted better literature reviews, designed research questions, and created better protocols to answer those questions.
Applying to Graduate School
I worked closely with my career adviser, Sarah Barks, and a cohort of seniors to apply to graduate school. We met every other Tuesday.
Having the guidance of an expert and a cohort of fellow applicants helped significantly. We got Sarah’s expertise and feedback on the application process, and I also got peer reviews from my classmates. It’s a uniquely Grinnellian thing to bolster each other.
Student-Athlete Mentor (SAM)
As a Student-Athlete Mentor (SAM), I provided support for my teammates beyond the support I can provide as a teammate. We meet and plan events to connect student-athletes together on campus, and I appreciate getting to know other student-athletes on campus.
Happy Memories!
