While most of us are barely managing to get all the readings done on time and make it from deadline to deadline, some students are stretching the academic experience way beyond the designated classroom boundaries.
Whether it's reliving Che Guevara's road trip across South America or nurturing a fascination with journalism in India and South Africa, the Watson Fellowship lets you follow your dreams. A highly prestigious award, the fellowship provides $25,000 to fellows to spend "a year of independent, purposeful exploration and travel outside of the United States in order to enhance their capacity for resourcefulness, imagination, openness, and leadership," according to the Watson Fellowship website. This year, two Grinnell students won„Linn Davis '08 and Graciela Paz Arias '08.
Davis, a History major with a concentration in Global Development Studies, will spend next year in India and South Africa researching investigative journalism--"Investigating the Investigators," as he terms it. Davis hopes to travel alongside professional journalists in both countries and get a peek, if nothing else, into the workings of the free press in developing democracies as diverse, in terms of language, culture and tradition, as South Africa and India.
Though not planning to ride a motorcycle, Paz Arias will trace the travels of Che Guevara across South America with her fellowship grant. The project will culminate in the creation of a 'photo journal' that documents her experiences. Paz Arias will begin her travels in Buenos Aires. "I identify myself with [Guevara's] idealism, romanticism, passion for life, search for hope," said Paz Arias. At the end of it all, if nothing else, "I imagine myself being more wise."
The Truman Scholarship is a merit-based scholarship awarded to college juniors with exceptional leadership potential, who plan to pursue careers in public services. Political Science major Alec Schierenbeck '09 was awarded the $30,000 scholarship for graduate school.
Schierenbeck, the president of the College and Young Democrats of Iowa, application included a short policy proposal. "In mine, I argued that Iowa should double the state earned-income tax credit," Schierenbeck said. As one of the conditions upon receiving the award is that Scholars are required to work in public service for three of the seven years following completion of a Foundation-funded graduate degree program.
Put Meredith Groves '08, Eric Nost '09, Victoria Mercer '10, Alex Reich '11 and Hart Ford-Hordges '10 together and food embodies a whole new dimension. Ever wondered how the food you choose to buy and eat can affect not only your health but the economic growth and peace within your community as a whole? Answering that question is the goal of this group of students who were awarded a Project for Peace grant to find out.
Their project "Local foods for Local People: Building an equitable food system for people in Iowa" focuses on making local, preferably organic, foods more accessible to Grinnell community members. With the $10,000 grant, Reich said they want to make a change at home. "Why go looking elsewhere when there is scope for so much to be done right where we are," said Reich. The project has a number of goals, including the construction of a greenhouse with local high school students, promoting organic food among low-income families and organizing cooking classes for the local community
"There is a certain bond that is formed when you know where you're getting your food from, and what better than to put your money into your community so as to ensure it circulates within a group of people you know and trust," said Groves.
Honoring the memory of Senator Barry Goldwater, the Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program awards $7,500 to science and math majors who hope to pursue carriers in these fields. Britta Nordberg '09 hopes "to merge [her] interests in research, ecology, and vet medicine into a single career goal." She intends to research big cats in the tropics as a conservation biologist.
--additional reporting by Ari Anisfeld
