Anastasia Rompi `25 found her way to Grinnell College from Thessaloniki, Greece, with guidance from her college advisor who happened to be an alumni of the College, Georgia Proestopoulou `01. Drawn to the idea of a tight-knit community in a small town, Rompi chose Grinnell for its strong academics and biochemistry major.
“I was looking at small liberal arts colleges and my advisor was like, ‘Oh, I think Grinnell is going to be a really good place for you,’” Rompi said.
At Grinnell, Rompi has fully embraced the liberal arts experience. In addition to biochemistry, Rompi also declared a Spanish major.
“Spanish, I started because I wanted to start learning the language since I was in high school, but then I didn’t have time,” she said.
From dancing and studying sound to deep scientific inquiry and research, Rompi has sampled the wide range of courses Grinnell offers. In the summer of her second year she participated in a Mentored Advanced Project (MAP) with Ben DeRidder, associate professor of biology.
“I was very lucky that I had people that I knew who were also staying,” Rompi said. “It was a really good experience.”
Rompi’s academic journey has taken her beyond Iowa. She studied abroad in southern Spain during the spring semester of 2024. That same summer, she returned with a Shinder Research Fellowship, which is no longer offered, where she studied different forms of traditional dance in Spain.
“Back home, I was doing Greek traditional dances since I was six or seven, until I came to Grinnell,” she said. “It was a month-long program, and it was honestly really good, because you could space out your timing as you wanted to, so you could also do other things like explore the city.”
Outside the classroom, Rompi is a familiar face around campus. She’s worked at the Dining Hall, Spencer Grill, Admissions Office and served as a grader as well as a mentor for the International Pre-Orientation Program (IPOP) in 2023.
Her experience at Grinnell has extended beyond academics and campus jobs. As an international student, she participated in the International Student Organization’s annual Cultural Evening performances during her first and second years and found ways to engage with the local community.
In her first year, she volunteered at the local animal shelter, Poweshiek Animal League Shelter. Then starting in her second year, she participated in the LINK program, where participants mentor local K-8 students.
Rompi is also a participant in Friends of International Students, a program by the Office of International Student Affairs (OISA) which assigns students with host parents for their four years in College. Rompi’s host parents are married couple Mark Laver, associate professor in the music department, and Erin Bustin, founder and executive director of the Grinnell School of Music.
“I met them my first year during IPOP, and we’ve had a lot of dinners in their houses,” Rompi said. “I was actually in their house last week. I hadn’t seen them for so long, but they’ve been really helpful throughout these four years.”
Rompi’s time at Grinnell wasn’t without its challenges. During her first year she had trouble with academics, but she came out of it with a stronger sense of self.
“I dropped one of my classes my first semester after a week,” said Rompi. “Everything was taking me so much longer than it should — studying and socially.”
Reflecting on what she would have told herself during her IPOP experience back in 2021, she said, “Because Grinnell is a very rigorous place, sometimes I feel there are expectations of what I should do after Grinnell. Now I’ve started realizing that there’s not something that you should do, because everyone has their own path.”
“If I could be remembered for one thing, it would make me feel really nice if I knew that I was a nice person to people,” she added.
After graduating, Rompi will begin a PhD program in chemistry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
“I want to do more analytical chemistry,” she said. “I don’t know exactly what I’m gonna do, but I do eventually want to go back to Europe.”
Before that next chapter begins, her parents and sister will be coming to Grinnell to watch her graduate, a fitting celebration of a full and transformative four years.
