Parents appreciate how Grinnell education is preparing son for fast-changing times
November 06, 2025 — Grinnell parents Chris and Michele Delaney consider themselves lifelong fans of liberal arts education.
Graduates of liberal arts colleges themselves, the couple has a daughter studying at Vassar College and their son, Cole Delaney ’27, attends Grinnell. “It was not a hard sell,” Michelle recalls. “We’d talked about this experience all of our lives, and both kids wanted a smaller school environment.”
Michele and Chris Delaney pose with their son Cole Delaney ’27, middle, at the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen where Cole is studying abroad this semester.
Michele grew up in southern Minnesota and still has family there, so although Cole was raised in Portland, Oregon, he was familiar with the Midwest. “He appreciated the farm country he experienced in Minnesota,” Chris says. “But coming from a city of one million to a town of 10,000 was more of an adjustment than he initially thought. He’s since embraced it, so it’s been a positive experience.”
A psychology major, Cole has thrown the javelin for Grinnell’s track and field team. “Because he had met some team members before coming to campus, he had built-in connections,” Michele recalls. “Knowing he’s connected with a team and a coach was comforting when we drove away and left our child.”
When Michele and Chris decided to donate to Grinnell through their family fund, they approached Coach Jeff Pedersen ’02 about supporting the track team. “He gave us ideas, and soon after, we learned about the Parents and Families Leadership Council, which we joined,” Chris says.
“It’s a wonderful resource for new families,” Michele explains. “I remember listening to other parents early on, and it was so reassuring. Now, we are glad to be able to give advice of our own.”
Currently the Council’s vice chairs, much of the Delaneys efforts revolve around phone and email campaigns. “My new insight I share with parents is to make sure their student gets involved with the Center for Careers, Life and Service (CLS) sooner rather than later,” Chris says. He garnered this advice from a recent CLS presentation to the Council, which included data indicating the importance of connecting to these resources by sophomore year.
Their own career paths have taken unique twists. With a law degree, Michele started as a big-firm litigator, before leaving that job to raise children. She returned to the field as in-house counsel. “You cannot predict how your career will change,” she notes. “Recently, it’s changed again with technological advances.”
Michele and Chris Delaney
Michele is fascinated by how AI is affecting her work and beyond. “I read an article extolling the liberal arts in the age of AI,” she says. “Liberal arts focuses on a range of education and critical thinking skills, making one more adaptable for a variety of careers. The biggest challenge for Grinnell and others is teaching students about AI and how to use it as a benefit. How do you encourage students to know it’s there for you but isn’t a replacement for coming up with your own ideas?”
Chris’ path has revolved around the health care sector for over two decades, including being in the founding group of a company that created the health savings account. Using his MBA degree combined with his liberal arts background, he’s finding ways to help individuals take a more active role in their health. He’s currently the CDO at NatureQuant, which uses technology to quantify and qualify time spent outdoors.
“Science shows that we are healthier when we are around trees, yet we are becoming an indoor species,” he explains. The company focuses on strategies to get people outside including providing a NaureScore® for specific geography or location that also shows the location of green areas. Through an app, NatureDose®, one can track their time in nature and set goals and receive reminders to get outdoors. “Nature also mediates the effects of socioeconomic disadvantages,” he says. “It can be as simple as walking in your neighborhood or visiting a local park.”
Chris and Michele recently visited Cole in Copenhagen, where he is studying abroad this semester through DIS. They were struck by the vibrancy of the city. “Their ethos is so different,” Michele says. “Everyone is taking public transportation, no one is on their phones, and there are parks everywhere. We even plunged into the canal one morning to jolt our system, which was much more effective than coffee!”
The couple were thrilled to see Cole navigating the city and apartment life with his friends. “We often tell other parents to be confident that your Grinnell student is gaining the skills to be a renaissance person, which in these fast-changing times is now more important than ever,” Chris says. “It’s part of the Grinnell promise that the College delivers on so well.”
—by Melanie Drake ’92