Meet Our Student Staff

Amelia Denek ’24 (she/her) interns with the CLS as the Volunteer Coordinator for the Health Professions Career Community. Amelia is a third year French major from Elmwood Park, NJ. On the pre-med track, Amelia nonetheless wishes she could fit in an anthropology major. Amelia loves mountain hikes, biking, traveling, cooking for/with her friends, and the cheese curds at Hometown Heroes. Her special skills include thrifting too many clothes and hammock naps.

Beck Lambert ’25 (they//them) is a second year history major with an American studies concentration. They plan to get their Ph.D. in American history. They are co-creator of the CLS’s Career Clothing Closet and front desk Student Navigator. They are also Dr. Moise’s studio assistant and enjoy screen printing. Most of their time is spent studying in the HSSC Atrium, but when not working they like to listen to music, knit, and read poetry. Some of their favorite songs are “Dream Sweet in Sea Major” by Miracle Musical and “Whitecaps” by George Watksy. Their favorite poem is “What You Missed That Day You Were Absent from Fourth Grade,” written by Brad Aaron Modlin.

Jada Caldwell ‘23 (she/hers) is a self-proclaimed Southern Black woman from North Carolina, who really misses sweet tea and soul food. You can find her in many academic and professional spaces, and she is always down to chat, so feel free to approach her! Jada is an English and Classics double major with a concentration in Studies in Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia (SAMESA). When she is not making social media graphics for CLS as Communications and Events Student Staff, she works as an Access Assistant at Disability Resources and a Freelance Virtual Assistant. She also serves as Co-Chair of Classics SEPC and Historian for the Black Student Union.

For fun, more than anything else, Jada loves snuggling in a blanket with a good romance novel. She has read over 100 books this year, and she would love more recommendations. If not reading a book, Jada indulges in embroidery, diamond painting, playing Stardew Valley, K-Dramas, and watch parties!

Jane Hoffman `25 (she/her) is originally from Palo Alto, CA, and currently enjoys studying political science at Grinnell. Jane is co-hosting Going Forth, the CLS podcast. Off-mic, you can find her registering voters, experimenting in the kitchen, and spending time exploring the outdoors on foot, bike, or skis.

Kayley Ronnkvist ’23 (she/her) serves as an employer engagement support assistant. She is a fourth-year French and gender, women’s and sexuality Studies major at Grinnell College, originally from St Peter, Minnesota. This is her first year with employer engagement, though she has worked with the CLS since her first year as a service-learning work study student and a Grinnell Prize research assistant.

When not working or studying, Kayley enjoys cooking and baking, dancing with friends, exploring new places, and attempting various crafts.

Meghan Rydel ’25 (she/her) is a second year from San Francisco, California, studying sociology and Latin American studies. She loves music, especially Reggaeton and K-pop, exploring new places, cooking (and of course eating what she cooks), and language. She is currently learning Spanish and Korean, but hopes to start more languages. Meghan is a bubbly extrovert and loves meeting new people, so she will never miss an opportunity to make a new connection. She hopes to have the opportunity to travel the world and visit a friend living in every continent. Meghan brings her love of people to her position in the CLS, where she is working on the Community Partner Service Database and planning ways to raise awareness for Grinnell College’s service-learning opportunities.

Nicholas Lampietti ‘25 (he/him) is originally from Washington, DC, and is thrilled to be working at the CLS as one of the hosts and producers of the podcast Going Forth! An intended sociology major, when not podcasting, Nicholas enjoys goofing around with Infinite Coincidence, Grinnell’s long form improv team, spending time with friends, or imagining his dream house on an island in the South Pacific. If you see him out and about, feel free to stop and talk to him about This American Life (the best podcast), Below Deck (the best tv show), or blackberry crumble (the best dessert).

Nicole ’23 (she/her) is a fourth-year Spanish major with a concentration in science, medicine, and society. She plans on completing the pre-med track by the time she graduates in the spring. She has worked in the CLS since her second year as a Service and Social Innovation Intern, assisting with Alt Break programming, pilot projects taken on by SSI, and Social Justice Tours. Currently, she works with Ryan Solomon and Julie Lascol as the Community Engagement Coordinator. Her tasks range from processing transportation requests to assisting with professional development for other SLWS workers and supporting curriculum development for Community-Engaged Learning (C-EL) courses. In her spare time, she likes cooking and baking, making scarves and blankets, and watching horror movies. Talk to Nicole about study abroad, pets that you may or may not have, and civic engagement!

Nicole hopes to work in the healthcare field after Grinnell, wanting to dive more into the world of medicine and explore its intersection with Civic Engagement. She doesn’t know where life will take her just yet, but she hopes that her future work will be community-focused in healthcare.

Sophia Elfrink ’25 (she/her) is a second year from Portland, Oregon. She is studying biological chemistry and neuroscience, so you will often find her tucked away in Noyce. After Grinnell, she plans to return to the West Coast and attend medical school or get a Ph.D. in genetics to pursue research. When not working, Sophia enjoys baking, painting, and reading. At home in the Pacific Northwest, she loves to hike and camp. In fact, she hopes to visit every National Park in the U.S. So far, she has been to five.

As a CLS Student Navigator, Sophia welcomes guests at the front desk, assists in the Career Clothing Closet, and shares information about CLS events and resources.

Sydney Jacobs ’25 (she/her) is a political science major from Yosemite National Park, California. She is currently studying abroad, but will return in Fall 2023 to her position as an Employer Engagement intern, where she approves jobs on Handshake. Sydney loves the CLS office and the people that work around her. When she isn’t interning or writing essays, Sydney loves watching K-dramas, reading a good book, traveling, and spending time at the beach.

Sarah Wilts ’25 (she/her) assists students as they access the wide variety of resources available through the Center for Careers, Life, and Service. Her work as a Student Navigator also includes managing the Career Clothing Closet and promoting the center’s events and resources. 

Sarah is a second-year mathematics major also studying Spanish and education, and she plans to work in classroom- or community-based education after Grinnell. Some of her favorite places around campus include the treehouses on the first floor of Burling Library and the hammocks. When she’s not in class, she enjoys spending time with friends, running, and reading. 

Sarah comes to Grinnell from a farm in central Minnesota, where her family has sheep, two barn cats, two house cats, and one herding dog in training.