Michael Lozada

Michael Lozada `24, the son of two anthropology professors, grew up “literally” up the hill from Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina. As a child, he attended Davidson events and often heard his parents discuss anthropology. When Lozada applied to colleges and universities, he knew two things –– he did not want to go to Davidson, and he did not want to study anthropology.

“I was raised on it,” Lozada said about anthropology. “So I got enough.”

Lozada will graduate from Grinnell College with a psychology and Chinese double major. In his four years, Lozada has performed for Grinnell Singers, Neverland Players, Infinite Confidence (IC) improv and in Sophia Schott’s `21 musical “I Dig You.”

Lozada also works in the Marcus Family Global Kitchen as a Global Kitchen Peer Mentor, a job he describes as “a really sweet gig.”

Lozada said he began each year by participating in as many student activities as possible, and then departing activities when they cease sparking joy.

Lozada joined IC, the College’s long-form improv group, on a whim in the beginning of his second year. This year, Lozada is the president of Infinite Confidence.

Lozada’s first IC show was one of his most memorable moments at the College. Lozada, who said he was very nervous, was one of the first performers on stage in his first show.

“He was a farmer polishing a shotgun on his porch. And I was a werewolf that was stalking him from afar,” he said.

Lozada said he was invited to the Grinnell Discord channel for furries after performing as the werewolf.

“This was a great compliment, I think,” Lozada said. “Something that really speaks to my improv chops.”

This fall, Lozada joined the Grinnell Singers. He said John Rommereim, director of the Singers and professor of music, was searching for tenors. Lozada, who had been told he had a “vague-ish tenor ranger,” auditioned and received a spot.

Lozada also performed with the Neverland Players, a student group that adapts stories written by children in Grinnell into live shows for the public. This March, Lozada played the Kraken in a tale about a kraken chasing a documentary crew composed of pirates.

In March, Singers traveled to Chicago, Ill., Grand Rapids, Mich., Ann Arbor, Mich., Pittsburgh, Penn. and Washington, D.C. as part of an annual tour.

Apart from one IC trip to Chicago, Lozado said the Singers tour was the only time he traveled outside Iowa through a Grinnell program. Lozada described the trip as an amazing, life-changing experience.

“I’m only sad that I didn’t do it earlier, and that I can’t do it again,” he said.

Lozada said if hadn’t chosen psychology, he would have majored in philosophy. Lozada said his third-year courses with Professor Julian Rios Acuña reignited his love of philosophy.

“When I took a class with Acuña, philosophy changed for me,” Lozada said. Before Lozada enrolled in Acuña’s courses, Lozada’s experience with philosophy involved logic and metaphysics. In Acuña’s classes, Lozada said he learned about colonialism and social structures in ways that he felt were practically useful.

“A lot of it spoke to really real experiences, and how society is actually structured,” he said. “I would give that man a tenure-track position in a heartbeat.”

Looking forward towards graduation, he said he tries to avoid the stress-ridden mentality he has seen other students fall into when thinking over future plans. Lozada described his personality as a laidback “Type B” personality.

“I’m always ready to stop and smell the flowers,” he said.

After graduation, Lozada, who is Quaker, will move to Boston, Mass., where he will work with the Massachusetts Bail Fund to advocate for individuals on bail through a fellowship he received with Quaker Voluntary Service.

“It’ll be an opportunity to build on my faith,” he said. “I’ll live with other people that are also doing similar passionate social work in a really meaningful, intentional environment.”