It All Adds Up

If you told her, as she walked up Cardiac Hill to attend her first classes at Trinity University, that she would be a double major in economics and mathematics and work for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Grace Etzel '26 would not believe you.

Still, four years later, Grace is now preparing to move to Washington, D.C. There, she will work as a research assistant in the Research and Statistics Division of the Federal Reserve Board's Macroeconomic and Quantitative Studies section following her graduation in the spring.

Etzel knew that when she graduated, she wanted to help people. Economics was the way she could address the complex social issues in the world today. Economics was always her primary interest, and she initially planned to double major in political science to go to law school. However, that changed when she began taking her math classes.

Math was never part of the plan for Etzel. She had been discouraged from math from a young age, yet after taking a few math classes at Trinity, her perspective began to shift. Etzel, who used to hate math, began to enjoy it. She credits the math department faculty for helping slowly break down the barriers Etzel faced, leading her to choose a math major.

"I loved the way math made me think. It requires hours of logical thinking and is very applicable to most social science questions. After taking enough mathematics classes, I decided, though I struggled with it, to major in it because I really loved the challenge," Etzel says.

Throughout Etzel's college career, Trinity faculty helped Etzel see past her self-doubts into the opportunities that studying mathematics and economics could offer her. She credits Economics Professor Nels Christiansen , Ph.D. , the dean of the School of Social Sciences and Civic Engagement, with guiding her as she discovered her second major.

"At that time, I was really unsure and not very confident in my abilities to both take advanced math classes and pursue research, so the potential he saw in me is something I did not see in myself at that time. Without that influence, I probably would not be on this current path," she says.

Christiansen continued to help on her journey past her major declaration. After receiving multiple job offers, he sat with Etzel to strategize which opportunity would be the best fit for her, leading her to pick the position at the Federal Reserve Board.

Etzel says her experiences at Trinity, specifically her math and economics classes, papers, and research projects, were instrumental in helping her stand out when she interviewed for this position. Opportunities she found thanks to the support of Trinity faculty. "At Trinity, professors have always been open to helping me with various research endeavors that elsewhere would be difficult to find," Etzel says.

One of these endeavors was the American Economic Association scholar program, which Economics Professor Benjamin Harrell , Ph.D. , recommended. Through this program, Etzel facilitated connections beyond Trinity and studied economics at the graduate level, ultimately shaping her postgraduate path.

As her senior year comes to a close, Etzel looks forward to moving to Washington, D.C., after graduating, and not just to start her exciting new job. "There are a lot of charity organizations in D.C. that focus on helping migrants and those who struggle with housing and food," she says. "I am super excited to get more involved in those activities, since helping those who are marginalized is what got me into economic research in the first place."

Having the opportunity to start a new professional career after graduation while also making a difference in a new community draws on the many lessons and experiences that Etzel learned at Trinity. She will contribute meaningfully to her newfound community in D.C with the knowledge and guidance she has gained throughout her college career.