Hi, welcome to the blog! I'm a junior from a small suburb in South Carolina, just outside of Augusta, Georgia. On campus (and virtually), I'm involved in club water polo, the America Reads program, and the TAMID student consulting group. In the classroom, I'm super excited to pursue my interest in improving the world through public policy by studying the intersection of government and economics. I hope you enjoy following along as I explore all that Dartmouth has to offer!
Coming into Dartmouth, I knew I wanted to explore the creative writing department and this poetry workshop was a great way to do that! We studied well known political, love, and ekphrastic poems and wrote our own work every week. I really appreciated the small class size the classroom became a safe community for sharing my work, and I was able to get individualized critiques from Professor Francis.
Introductory writing classes are required for every Dartmouth student, but there are a wide range of topics, which makes finding an interesting course super interesting. My class focused on the American education system and gave me a ton of freedom to choose my paper topics.
Media and Politics was a writing intensive class which fulfilled my first year seminar requirement. While honing our writing skills, we studied the impact of news media, advertising, and messaging on campaigns and policy making. The class inspired me to continue exploring the government department, where I eventually declared my major.
Recently, I was asked about community service and volunteering at Dartmouth, so I thought I would write about my experiences on campus. For those that don't know, Hanover is a part of a broader community called the Upper Valley, which ranges across the Vermont-New Hampshire border. In my experience, the Dartmouth community is quite good at recognizing the privilege we have within the Upper Valley. So, there are a ton of ways to get outside of the college bubble.
Most of the community service I've done on campus has been organized through the Dartmouth Center for Social Impact. Through the Center, I've participated in America Reads, a SIP (more on that later), and recently applied for a summer internship grant. The Center for Social Impact is an awesome resource on campus because the staff works hard to strike a good balance between student leadership and professional help. A lot of times in college, it can be difficult for individual students to execute an idea from start to finish because our schedules are so busy.
The DCSI is helpful in that the staff can offer guidance and support in getting programs off the ground, but also empowers students to take ownership over their community service. For example, the program I am most involved in, America Reads, is supported by DCSI staff, but the director is a student. Through America Reads, I go into elementary schools in the Upper Valley and work with young readers. Volunteering with kids is a great way to put my classes into perspective because kids have a unique way of keeping me grounded.
The DCSI also supports Social Impact Practicums (SIPs), which are classes that focus on applying learning to help the Upper Valley community. For more about my experience with SIPs, check out this blog post!
Volunteerism takes many forms on campus that go beyond my experience with the DCSI. Many of my friends are involved with philanthropy through Greek life or other extracurriculars. Dartmouth is also a super politically active campus (especially during the NH primary), so student activists play a large role on campus.
Whether you're looking to work on sustainability efforts, tutor kindergarteners, or support the elderly, there are a ton of opportunities to give back at Dartmouth. And, more importantly, there are a ton of people willing to support you along the way!
On Monday, April 8, 2024, a phenomenal total solar eclipse occurred — and we happened to be within the path of totality. As a result, Dartmouth hosted a variety of eclipse-related events on- and off-campus. Find out how I spent the eclipse!
