For Conrad Dahm `26, self-governance at Grinnell is not just a principle — it is a daily practice.
“I think self-gov is something we do,” Dahm said. “It’s not something that just exists in the abstract.”
A history and gender, women’s, and sexuality studies (GWSS) double major from Belleville, Illinois, Dahm arrived at Grinnell knowing he wanted a liberal arts education—but unsure what that would look like in practice. What drew him in was the College’s open curriculum and its distinct culture.
“It didn’t feel like anywhere else,” he said. “Grinnellians care about each other. It’s not a place where people are trying to push each other down to raise themselves up. We’re trying to raise everybody up.”
That ethos quickly became central to Dahm’s experience.
Within weeks of arriving on campus, he joined the Union of Grinnell Student Dining Workers (UGSDW), a decision that would shape the next four years of his life.
“I joined because I wanted to help people,” he said. “At first it was about raising wages. But very quickly, it became about something bigger.”
Dahm went on to serve in multiple leadership roles within the union, including secretary-treasurer and co-president. As a lead bargainer, he helped negotiate and sign the current union contract — a responsibility he said was both defining and demanding.
The most challenging period of his time at Grinnell came during the second semester of his first year, when the union escalated contract negotiations and eventually went on strike.
“It was the only time I ever really questioned if Grinnell was right for me,” he said.
Balancing organizing, academics and personal stress pushed him to his limits. Yet, in retrospect, Dahm wouldn’t change it.
“That experience taught me how to manage my time, how to study better and how to be a more well-rounded person,” he said.
The lessons he learned through the union extended beyond labor organizing.
For Dahm, self-governance also means looking out for others in everyday moments, whether that’s helping a peer get home safely or simply checking in.
“It is our business to care about each other,” he said.
Outside of the union, Dahm’s impact on campus is still visible. He has been deeply involved in organizing major student events, including Relays, Block Party and 10/10, often taking on leadership roles behind the scenes.
This year, he helped coordinate a record number of teams for Relays, with numbers of total participants ranging from 380 to 410.
“Seeing everyone on Mac Field having fun, and knowing I helped make that happen, that’s been really meaningful,” he said.
Dahm also contributed to both The Scarlet & Black and The B&S during his time at Grinnell.
As a S&B staff writer in his first year, he wrote weekly articles and made regular appearances as an on-camera reporter. At The B&S, he served as editor in chief.
Academically, Dahm’s path demonstrates the flexibility of Grinnell’s open curriculum. He entered intending to double major in history and economics, later considered German studies, and ultimately found his second major in GWSS. He also studied abroad in Berlin, Germany in spring 2025.
“That’s the point of the open curriculum,” he said. “It gives you the opportunity to explore what you want to do.”
Beyond academics and organizing, Dahm said he is an extrovert who enjoys spending time with others, whether that’s trying new restaurants with friends, exploring antique stores or simply gathering in the atrium, one of his favorite campus spaces.
After graduation, Dahm will attend Chicago-Kent College of Law, where he plans to pursue a career as either a labor attorney or a public defender.
In both paths, he sees a continuation of the work he began at Grinnell.
“I want to help people,” he said.
Reflecting on his four years, Dahm said his growth has been a balance between maintaining idealism and gaining pragmatism. “I think I came in very ideological,” he said. “Now I’m more grounded in how to actually make change.”
For Dahm, Grinnell wasn’t just a place to study — it was a place to practice building the kind of community he hopes to carry forward.
And if there’s one thing his time here has taught him, it’s this: “Self-gov is about taking care of each other.”
