Sarah Reynolds '01
What degree did you graduate Calvin with?
Economics & Spanish, 2001
IDS Minor
What's your official position where you are working now?
- PhD Candidate, Dept. of Economics, Cornell Economics
- Social Science Research Council International Dissertation Research Fellow in Salvador, Brazil
Please describe briefly the path you've followed since graduation that led you to this position?
After I graduated I had a Fulbright to study economics in Colombia for a year. This was a great combination of my two majors. I liked Bogota so much that I stayed on another year as an English teacher. Then I backpacked one more year around the rest of South America (except Venezuela). I entered the economics PhD program at Cornell in 2004.
How does your faith influence the work that you do?
It reminds me that the process is more important than the results, and that people are more important than numbers. As with others, I must be very generous and patient with myself. As I look back on my life, it is turning out exactly how I wanted, but I could have never planned such a path. The realization of what seemed to be mutually exclusive desires gives me faith that my research will likewise unfold with blessing. That is not to say that I don't get discouraged, but I try to remind myself that it is a passing phase, and that the winding path has always been more fruitful for me than a direct result.
What is your best advice for current IDS students?
De-emphasize problem solving and look toward relationship building.
What is your biggest regret looking back at your time at Calvin? What do you wish you had done differently?
I appreciate Calvin's connections on a deeper level—personally and academically. If I were back at Calvin now, I would do more silly dorm activities.
Do you have any other words of hope or wisdom to offer soon-to-be IDS graduates?
Things unfold for you. It is not your role to force them. Let them come in their own time and meanwhile fortify your own vessel.
