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.

Ananya Manchanda’26 (she/hers) is a second year Computer Science and Economics major with a concentration in Statistics. She is working as the Business and Finance Career Community student worker, where she helps in updating the website and organizing business- and finance-related events. Ananya is also a part of the women’s tennis team on campus and has been playing tennis for more than eight years. She loves making new friends and building connections. She also enjoys traveling and listening to music.

Beck Lambert ’24 (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.

Hope Zionts ’26 (she/her) is the Student Ambassador and Office Assistant for Global Fellowships and Awards. Hope is a second year intended Russian major from Los Angeles, California, but if you know LA, then she’s from East Hollywood. She is interested in concentrating in education along with Russian, Central European, and Eurasian Studies. Hope enjoys biking around Grinnell, drinking oat-milk matcha lattes, and watching movies.

Ileah Bonzi (she/her) is one of the CLS communications and events student staff workers, creating and managing social media content for CLS. Ileah is from Florida and is a third-year sociology major with a concentration in policy studies. Ileah enjoys performance and fine arts, including dance, painting, oil, pastels, and ink drawing. 

Lilli Morrish `25 (any pronouns) is originally from southern Oregon and is pursuing an independent major in critical linguistics. Outside of recording the Going Forth podcast, Lilli can be found co-captaining the Grinnell Mock Trial team, printmaking, cooking, and frolicking in central Iowa’s numerous nature preserves.

Makaila Hootman (she/her) is one of the CLS communications and events student staff workers, helping create content and manage CLS social media accounts. Makaila is a third year from Monmouth, Illinois, double majoring in Political Science and Classics. In her free time, Makaila enjoys traveling and trying new foods and has never been known to turn down a trip to the coffee shop.

Maya Sciarretta ’25 (she/her) is a religious studies major from San Diego, California. When she’s not trying to figure out what religion is and why she’s studying it, she can usually be found making tea, listening to (or working on!) a podcast, or crying over Padres baseball. Maya is a member of the CLS podcast production team for Going Forth.

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.

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.