Where exactly is Grinnell, Iowa? That's the same question I asked myself heading into my junior year of high school. This college in Iowa—virtually unknown to people in the Rio Grande Valley—had expressed interest in me because I had a certain GPA, SAT score, and played varsity sports. Yup, they sent a letter and brochure nearly 1,500 miles via USPS just to let me know they were interested.

Me, a potential student-athlete in college? The thought still brings a chuckle today, given the sheer magnitude of such a concept. In fact, I recall half-heartedly joshing with my friends about the notion of me playing collegiate football. Why was such an idea so entertaining? In all honesty, I never really saw myself as a tremendous athlete. I wasn't the biggest, strongest, or fastest player on the team during my senior year of high school. I was decent—I earned a couple of district honors and played in the Valley All-Star Football Game—but that still doesn't explain how someone like me could go to the middle of nowhere in Iowa and play college football with a bunch of corn-fed white boys.

We still haven't answered the basic question: Where is Grinnell, Iowa? If you know your U.S. geography, Iowa is located west of Illinois and north of Missouri (see map below). The town of Grinnell itself is located near the center of the state. See the map below for reference.

I was convinced that there was no way I could play collegiate football and that the idea was nothing more than a joke among friends. Maybe it was because my friends and I treated it like a joke. Maybe it was because there wasn't anyone telling me it was possible. I knew college wasn't out of reach; I knew I was going to graduate and earn a degree. So why did playing football seem so improbable?

Senior year rolled around, along with football season. I applied to a variety of schools, one of which was Grinnell College. I was confident that I could get into the school despite its classification as a "selective" institution. What many people don't realize—unless, of course, they're from the Midwest—is that Grinnell College is a highly rigorous institution that has earned a prestigious reputation during its 150-plus years of existence.

Sure enough, I was accepted. However, I was also accepted to several local and state universities (UTPA, Texas A&M, TCU, and others). I would probably be talking about one of those schools today had it not been for a grant that was offered to me to visit Grinnell College.

Yes, that's right—a grant!

It was an all-expenses-paid trip to visit the college and see things for myself. The idea was awesome because I could travel for free and miss a couple of days of school. Little did I know that this would become a trip that would change my life.

Spring was in full swing, and I had a free airline ticket to Iowa. After checking the map to find Grinnell once again, I was ready to go. Although I wasn't quite sure what to expect, I had read through plenty of Grinnell brochures by that point. Still, that wasn't very reassuring since college brochures always make things seem better than they actually are.

The phrase that appeared most often in the brochures was "small liberal arts college." I understood the "small" part, but what exactly was a liberal arts college? The answer would not keep me waiting much longer.

Nonetheless, I ventured off with that phrase in mind and a handful of brochures. As soon as I arrived, I felt immersed in a completely different world. That wasn't necessarily a problem because I already knew things would be different from my quiet Mexican barrio community in Elsa, Texas.

Although it was a different world, Grinnell proved to be a place filled with mystery and intrigue. Over the next few days, I lived in a dorm room with an actual Grinnell student as a prospective athlete—or "prospie." I sat in on classes, attended a spring ball, and met with Head Football Coach Greg Wallace.

All in all, I fell in love with Grinnell College and everything it had to offer in just a few days. The Grinnell experience had taken hold of me. Unbeknownst to me at the time, it would continue to hold me for the next four years.

I realize that I haven't exactly explained what factors persuaded me so strongly that Grinnell was the right choice. In all honesty, I'm not sure I can. What I do know is that before I left—and even more so once I returned home—I knew that I was going to attend Grinnell College.

Yes, I know. I still have several questions left unanswered.

What about the football part?

I talked with Coach Wallace and spent time with several of the players. Almost overnight, the stigma, the doubt, and the perceived impossibility of playing college football disappeared. I realized that I could compete at the collegiate level and be successful. It wasn't going to be easy, but I was willing to go to Grinnell and give it a shot.

Below are more details, pictures, and information about the Grinnell College experience. Hopefully, they will provide a better impression of what I have struggled to convey through words.