STaff WriTer

stories to be shared with others.

I am grateful for my time at the S&B, and the many opportunities which it has afforded me, though I cannot credit it with this growth. I have worked at the paper for only a fraction of my time at Grinnell, writing freelance my first year before returning as a staff writer last fall. In the two intervening years many things have changed drastically, and the world became virtually unrecognizable. One of the most profound changes during this period of my life was an awakening interest in reading and studying literature. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I wanted to major in English, but I struggled to maintain any sort of rigor in my reading — both personally and academically. Then, in the summer of 2020 when most of the world closed, everything changed. I poured myself into as many books as I could get my hands on, progressing at a voracious pace and starting with an unadventurous assortment of “classics” before moving on to a diverse array of authors, genres and literary styles from different time periods around the world.This passion had the most profound influence on my writing, teaching me what style I gravitate towards, how I want my own words to sound, and what makes a story significant.

Now reflecting on my time at the S&B, faced with the difference between myself now and first year, I see a happier, much more confident, engaged and capable person. I attribute this to finding something which I am passionate about and then pursuing that to the fullest. I hope everyone graduating now and in the years to come can have a similar experience, finding what matters most to them and using that to grow — at Grinnell and beyond.