# @trinityu on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DXKIFfxDs_G
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/63828315-trinityu-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/fc7598dcff.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-04-15T16:00:07.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Trinity University (@trinityu) — https://gondola.cc/trinityu

## Caption

Grace Etzel ’26 never expected math to change her path.

When she arrived at Trinity, Grace planned to study economics and political science with the goal of going to law school. Math was never part of that plan. In fact, she had been discouraged from it early on.

After taking a few math classes at Trinity, something shifted. What she once avoided became something she genuinely enjoyed, thanks to the support and encouragement she found in the classroom.

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

With guidance from economics professor Nels Christiansen, she began to see her own potential in a new way.

“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,” she says. “Without that influence, I probably would not be on this current path,”

Now, Grace is double majoring in economics and mathematics and heading to Washington, D.C. after graduation to work as a research assistant with the Federal Reserve Board.

Her story is a reminder that your path can change and that trying something new can open doors you never expected.

#HumansofTrinity #TrinityUniversity #TrinityU2026

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## Tags

humansoftrinity, trinityuniversity, trinityu2026

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