Hi! I'm excited to welcome you to my blog! I'm Andrea Agola, a '26 born in Kenya and raised just outside of D.C. As the eldest child of three, I'm the first to go off to college! Dartmouth enables me to explore my passions in both the sciences and humanities. Don't even get me started on the numerous extracurriculars that pique my interest, like the Dartmouth Dickey Center, research projects (WISP & DHMC), and dance groups (Soyeya). Follow along as I navigate my unique college experience!
Academic Program
Sociology major, International Studies Minor, Pre-Health
Favorite Thing Right Now
Studying abroad on the French LSA+ in Toulouse, France!
The Collis Center for Student Involvement is an entity and space dedicated to student life and involvement. Throughout the year, student organizations at Collis organize programming for several social events. These include events like Big Prize Bingo, Stuffed Animal Making Night, Bob Ross Paint Night, Artist Concerts, and even bigger traditional events like Winter Carnival and Green Key. One popular organization called Collis After Dark offers late-night social and entertainment events every Friday & Saturday. This Saturday night I actually volunteered at their Casino Night!
Yes, I who'd never played Black Jack, Poker, or Roulette before in my life, decided to help out and run games (the $75 gift card was definitely a plus!). After a little game training session before doors opened to the public, I mostly served as a croupier/dealer for one of the roulette tables. The Collis Common Ground space had been transformed to resemble a true casino environment with a flashing disco ball, hanging playing card decorations, and leather love seats. Among the offered refreshments, sparkling grape juice paired with the Jazz band that played throughout the night made for a classy experience. All were welcome to play for the chance of winning amazing prizes like an Airpods Max, mini projector, bluetooth speaker, hammock and more!
It's probably safe to say that many Dartmouth students wouldn't have been able to enjoy the uber cold New England winter weather without the Collis-organized Winter Carnival and BemaLights. You've probably read about this year's "Winter Carrrrrnival: Shiver Me Timbers" experience from some of my fellow bloggers but this weekend's big event was BemaLights. The magical installation of light and sound available for students to traipse through from 6-10pm is intended to help us see winter in a new light as we approach the end of our winter term. It features submissions by students, including musical contributions by Charles Peoples III (GR '24). My friends and I had a great time oohing and awing at the unique installations and warming ourselves by the bonfires.
The stuffed giraffe I made at Collis After Dark was too shy to make an appearance so here is a picture of me & friends at BemaLights instead!
Since matriculating at Dartmouth, I've been grateful for Collis. As someone coming from the metropolitan outskirts of DC to a small-town mountainous region, having such fun social opportunities is very important to me. Collis understands that in order to thrive academically, mentally and physically it is crucial to have co-curricular learning and fun interspersed through our lives. Their 6 Core Values are Discovery, Connections, Community, Innovation, Excellence and Balance. Through these values and their events, they maintain a commitment to personal and professional life for all Dartmouth students.
In one of my previous posts, I mentioned how I joined a sorority earlier this fall by going through the recruitment process. I've come a long way since then. In fact, I am living in my sorority house for my sophomore summer!
Dartmouth is not just a college. With world-renowned graduate schools, why would we choose to call ourselves a college instead of a university? The story behind that decision dates back to a significant Supreme Court ruling.
On a quiet spring Saturday in Hanover, I traded the usual campus buzz for Monet in the morning and archery in the afternoon—a reminder that Dartmouth weekends can be just as meaningful when they're slow, reflective, and a little unexpected.
During my sophomore spring quarter, I took on the challenge of four STEM courses, and while it has been intense, the unexpected connections across subjects and the joy of learning have made it one of my most rewarding academic experiences yet.
Read about the Sophomore Summer Soiree and how I got to witness the beginning of something that hopefully grows into a long-standing Dartmouth tradition!
