The Alumni Relations Committee of the Alumni Association Council is pleased to recognize Samantha Massingale Gerth '91 for her outstanding volunteer work on behalf of the College.

Samantha Massingale Gerth's devotion to Grinnell College comes from a conviction that her education at the College was transformative and gave her something she couldn't get anywhere else. This conviction motivates her to share her Grinnell experience with others. But Samantha's transition from high school to college was not easy. Samantha's transition to Grinnell was so overwhelming that she describes that first semester like being "hit by a train."

Samantha was a first-generation college student; and at her inner city Chicago school, one guidance counselor was assigned to 2,000 students. So the family turned to a community service agency for help. A Grinnell admission representative and volunteer at the agency saw Samantha's potential and encouraged her to apply to Grinnell. Fortunately, the family knew someone who had attended Grinnell - Grinnell's first black woman graduate, Edith Renfrow Smith '37. Samantha's mother worked as a school secretary at the same school where the highly regarded Smith taught...Read more

Many Grinnellians have experienced the small world of the College extending significantly beyond campus, beyond borders, and even across generations. For Ivy Chang '01 and Jeremiah Garza '98, everything began when they lived across the hall from one another in Younker Hall. But that was only the start.

Chang and Garza are invaluable Grinnell volunteers, working on behalf of the College for admission through the Grinnell Regional Admission Support Program (GRASP) in the greater Los Angeles area....read more

Grinnell College volunteers are part of a select company of alumni, parents, students, and other friends of the College who give of their time and talent to Grinnell.

Volunteer leadership ranges from the College trustees who share their expertise in a variety of areas, to members of the Alumni Council who structure ways to involve alumni in support of Grinnell. Other essential volunteer roles include, Class Agents who create ongoing communication within classes to keep classmates connected to each other; Class Fund Directors and in some cases Asa Turner Chairs who keep classmates aware of the College's needs and goals to encourage philanthropic support in any number of ways; volunteers for the admission office who help recruit top quality students; and many other key volunteers. These volunteers give their time and talent to continue to make Grinnell College a college of the first rank.

In short, a Grinnell College Volunteer is part of a strong tradition of loyal alumni, parents, students, and friends who care enough to demonstrate their belief in the college through service.

Find out more about the many opportunities in which YOU can volunteer for Grinnell College. Positions available include:

• Admissions Volunteer (GRASP)
• Alumni Council
• Asa Turner Chair
• Career Development Volunteer
• Class Agent
• Class Fund Director
• Class Committee Member

Submit a Volunteer Interest Application

NEW! FY 2009 Volunteer Handbook (Adobe Acrobat-formatted, added 9/23/2008)
GRASP Handbook
How alumni can help as a GRASP volunteer
How all alumni can help the Office of Admissions
Volunteer Weekend


Communication
Listservs
Volunteer Communication Plan Worksheet
Volunteer Contact Report form
Alumni Online Directory

Events
Current list of regional Alumni events
Standards for Volunteer-Driven Events
Regional Event Planning Tool Kit

Expenses
Travel Expenses Gift-in-Kind form
Approved Travel Reimbursements form

Reunion
Reunion 2009 Special Event Application: