From moderating a Facebook group to supporting student-athletes, swim parents maintain strong Grinnell connections
November 4, 2026 — The Grinnell College Parents and Family Facebook group can get quite active at certain points of the year. Early in the semester, for example, parents ask how to get from the airport to campus, what do dorm rooms look like, and how to send mail to students.
For Hope Gawlick, the mom of Megan Gawlick ’28 and a moderator of the Facebook group, the site is more than a place to answer questions. It’s a way to celebrate the College, reassure parents, and maintain her own connection with Grinnell.
Megan Gawlick ’28, middle, with her
parents, Matthew and Hope.
“We try to make sure it’s a supportive environment,” says Gawlick, who lives in Sacramento and co-moderates with fellow parent LoriAnn Wilson. “When a parent asked recently about a first-year traveling home and having proper ID at the airport, other parents chimed in.”
“We felt like Division III was a better fit for Megan, given what she wanted to pursue academically, and Grinnell popped up on a list as being a good match,” Hope says. Megan was recruited by now-retired coach Erin Hurley, and she instantly felt welcomed.
A dual chemistry and classics major, Megan loves her swim team experience and has flourished, placing 4th in the 1,650 freestyle at the Midwest Conference Championships in February.
“Swimming’s a huge part of her life, but Grinnell has so much else to offer, like small class size and community,” Matthew says. “And she’s been challenged academically, which makes me happy. The College is the perfect fit for our daughter. We’re very grateful that she’s there.”
Since arriving on campus, Megan has taken Latin each semester – a surprise to her parents – and she studied in an Athens, Greece, summer program (where Associate Professor Dustin Dixon taught one course) thanks to the Lalonde Fellowship Fund in Classics.
This past summer, she completed a Mentored Advanced Project (MAP) with Associate Professor of Chemistry Stephen R. Sieck and hopes to present that research at a future conference.
Hope and Matthew get to Iowa as much as possible for parent weekends and swim meets. In September they attended the Erin Hurley Lobby Dedication to honor the longtime swimming and diving coach. Along with 160 Grinnell alums, parents, and friends, the Gawlicks contributed to the naming effort.
“We really love Coach Erin,” says Hope. “If it wasn’t for her, Megan wouldn’t be at Grinnell.”
Competing for the Pioneers, Megan Gawlick has been a top placer in several freestyle races. She is a Midwest Conference Championships three-time finalist.
They are also active supporters of the swimming and diving program. “It provides Megan with so much, and I feel that giving back to what Coach Matt [Hedman] is doing is important,” Hope says. “Athletics is so vital to students’ social and emotional wellness. We support academics too, but both pieces make the whole student.”
The family has another connection to Grinnell, something they didn’t learn about until Megan enrolled in a class with Classics Professor Angelo Mercado.
Matthew Gawlick went to high school in San Jose, California with Mercado and his brother, so when Hope and Matthew were in Grinnell for Family Weekend, the couple attended Mercado’s class with Megan. “It was pretty awesome to see him, and we got a quick chance to say hi. It was such a random connection,” Matthew says.
Hope and Matthew both say they’re thankful to be Grinnell parents. “I really appreciate their focus on the whole student,” says Hope. “I love the commitment to teaching students to be independent thinkers and to question things and to be good humans – that really matters to me.”
—by Anne Stein ’84
For your information:
Additional information about the Grinnell College Parents and Families Facebook group can be found on the group’s About section. Interested in becoming a moderator? Message either Hope Gawlick or LoriAnn Wilson through the group for more information.
To read more alumni news, check out our news archive and like the Alumni & Friends Facebook page.