Hey everyone! My name is Adina Harri, and I am a member of the class of 2018 at Dartmouth originally hailing from Starkville, Mississippi.  As part of my contribution to this blog as a Senior Admissions Fellow, I hope to outline how Dartmouth has  shaped my college experience, as well as to give you guys a sneak peak into what life as one of 4,000 students here looks like.

Before I get into my Dartmouth story, here are three random facts about my secret grandma life here:

1.  I eat oatmeal for breakfast every day (adding pb and cinnamon is a must).
2. My little sister had to explain how to use the word yeet the other day.
3. I wear socks when I sleep. Otherwise I’d freeze!

You may be wondering how a girl from Mississippi found herself spending four jam-packed years at a college in the middle of New Hampshire. Truth is, my obsession with reading led me to discover a character in a fiction book that went to Dartmouth. For some reason, the school’s name stuck with me ever since, and visiting the community here with my Dad convinced me that I could thrive here.

Throughout my four years here, I’ve been challenged to explore things I never thought I would do, like joining the Women’s Water Polo Club Team, backpacking after studying abroad in France, and facing my fear of public speaking. Dartmouth has also allowed me to explore things the nerd in me has always loved, like literature, poetry, and global health issues. Most importantly, Dartmouth has pushed me to find communities on campus that made being far from home a little more doable. As a senior reflecting on my time here, I hope that what I share helps you think about how you might see yourself at the place I credit with deeply transforming me.