A lifelong connection
September 14, 2026 — It’s hard to find a part of the lives of Dinah Zebot ’03 and Joe Ambroson ’00 that hasn’t been touched by Grinnell.
There’s their relationship. While they didn’t date as students, Joe was a friend of Dinah’s brother Julian Zebot ’00, and a fellow Grinnellian re-introduced them as young alums living in Chicago.
There’s Dinah’s work. She’s been director of major gifts for the Office of Development and Alumni Relations since 2016, primarily working with supporters in Wisconsin, Michigan, Northern California, and Minnesota, where she works remotely.
Dinah Zebot ’03 and Joe Ambroson ’00 are pictured at the Minnesota State Fair.
Even their cats, Charlotte and George, are connected to the College. When the couple’s long-time felines passed away, they were introduced to two rescue kitties found on campus through the alumni-run Grinnell Pet Army Facebook Group.
In recognition of how important Grinnell has been and continues to be to them, Dinah and Joe designated a percentage of their estate as a planned gift. They always knew their long-term planning would include charitable components. Dinah often sees through her work the impact planned gifts have on the Grinnell community.
“My admission colleagues continue to bring in really interesting, smart, socially conscious students,” Dinah says. “Grinnell prioritizes socioeconomic diversity, so people of all backgrounds can experience the power of a Grinnell education and make a difference in the world. I am proud of Grinnell’s exceptional commitment to access and hope alumni will join us in investing in the future.”
Joe and Dinah have chosen to make their future gift undesignated. They know the importance of unrestricted gifts to meet whatever future challenges Grinnell will face and trust the College to use the money well. The couple are grateful that Grinnell gave them strong foundations for their future careers.
While Joe was unsure what he wanted to do upon graduation, he credits Grinnell with giving him the tools for self-reflection that eventually led him to law school. Even after a decade-long break, he felt well-prepared for the academic rigors of Mitchell Hamline School of Law. He went on to work in legal aid, and in his current work in the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility, he handles complaints of unprofessional conduct against Minnesota lawyers.
Dinah and Joe traveled to the 2026 Winter Olympics in February. They attended the women’s hockey championship game in Milan, watching the U.S. defeat Canada for the gold medal.
“Grinnell really changed my trajectory,” he says. “My high school teacher [a Grinnell alum] encouraged me to look a little higher, but Grinnell got me to look a lot higher. It made me think about things in a different way, to think about what I could contribute to the world.”
Dinah worked in Grinnell’s alumni office while she was a student. That first experience helped shape her passion for fostering alumni’s lifelong connections to their alma maters. Right out of school, a friend from college recommended her for a job at the Chicago Foundation for Women. Inspired by her student job, she then transitioned to higher education. Before returning to Grinnell, she worked at Roosevelt University and the University of Minnesota Law School.
“In my job, my favorite moments have involved welcoming alumni I’ve met around the country back to campus for the first time after many years away, which can be quite emotional,” she says. “It’s a privilege to witness their reconnection to the past, and to help facilitate their relationship with the Grinnell of today and the future.”
Joe has maintained strong lifelong friendships with many of his college friends, renewing relationships by attending every class Reunion. In 2025, he served on the 25th Reunion Planning Committee. Dinah also attends her reunions and served as her class agent for a decade. A softball and volleyball player at Grinnell, Dinah has a deep love for Grinnell athletics and was inducted into the College’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016.
“It’s not that hard to include Grinnell College in your estate plans,” Dinah said. “Grinnell continues to enrich our lives in little and big ways, and planned giving is a way to make a more significant gift that matches how we feel about the school.”
—by Kim Kobersmith