Hi! Welcome to the blog! I'm from a small suburb in South Carolina, just outside of Augusta, Georgia, so I'm excited to document my first New England winter! On campus, I'm involved in club water polo, the America Reads program, and research in a computational neuroscience lab. In the classroom, I'm super excited to find a balance between STEM and humanities by focusing on both English and pre-med classes. I hope you enjoy following along as I explore all that Dartmouth has to offer!
Academic Program
English with focus on creative writing (also on the pre-med track)
In high school, I played tennis and basketball, swam, and ran two half marathons, so I came to Dartmouth knowing I wanted to stay active and that I loved being a part of a team. During the first few weeks of my freshman fall term, I went to a few club tennis and club basketball meetings, but I eventually decided that I wanted to try something new. Ultimately, I ended up sticking with club water polo, a choice that has made my freshman fall super fun!
A few of my teammates and I after practice!
Most club sports here at Dartmouth are open to people with little or no experience, and water polo is the same way – I came in not even knowing the rules! Many of the other girls on the team are played in high school and are really talented, but I've felt welcome and supported the entire time. There's also a wide variety in the amount of time commitment required for club sports here. Personally, I use sports as a stress relief, so I like that water polo is a high-commitment club sport. However, I also have friends that love the sports they chose because they only practice a few times a week. The fall is the off-season women's water polo, so I'm really looking forward to travelling for tournaments in the Winter and Spring terms. Also, between Winter and Spring, we will have a week-long training trip, which I've heard is fun, exhausting, and great for team bonding!
We have practice and team dinner every Sunday night!
Walking on to a high commitment, completely new sports team might sound intimidating, but the people I've met through water polo have made the steep learning curve worth it. The upperclassmen organize team bonding activities constantly and I've bonded with the fellow newbies as we've learned together. At team dinners, our conversations often drift from that day's practice to study abroad experiences to advice on which classes to take, so I've loved having the chance to bond with upperclassmen I wouldn't otherwise know. I love water polo (and club sports in general) because they have become a way for me to stay active and make friends at the same time! Even if you weren't into sports in high school, Dartmouth is a great place to try something new and meet great people along the way!
I have officially settled into my new dorm! Come take a peek at what residential life is like, and some opportunities that might come after the quarantine!
After a six week break, I'm back. My winterim was a fun mix of staying at home, binge-watching Survivor, celebrating the holidays, and enjoying the Southern Californian landscape, so I'm feeling refreshed to dive back into blogging!
One of my favorite things to do as a Dartmouth student is going to all the various talks, lecture series, and events that the school holds throughout the year. Here's why!
A school had to meet three criteria for me to consider it a "good fit": academics, location, and community. After researching about Dartmouth and visiting the campus, I realized that this school was not a good fit for me-- it was a perfect fit.
This winter, I will resume classes on campus again -- a little older, a little wiser, and yet no less excited to fall countless times while attempting to ice skate. Upper Valley winter, here I come!
From the pandemic to the election, to online learning, every month seemed to be a new level of Jumanji. However, we have made it. And though 2020 has given me great lessons and experiences, I am looking forward to this new year and for what it holds.
In the spirit of being another term closer to finally going back to Dartmouth, I thought I would talk about a few things this term that have still felt distinctively Dartmouth, even though I'm thousands of miles away.
A few of my teammates and I after practice!
We have practice and team dinner every Sunday night!
