Hey y'all! I'm Caroline York, and I'm a '25 from Georgia! My hope is to share my Dartmouth experience with potential '29s, '30s, '31s and beyond! On campus, I write sports for The Dartmouth, am a Center for Social Impact SIBS mentor, am in Christian life, a Tour Guide, a Dartmouth Emergency Medical Services (EMS) member, and do medical research! Otherwise, you'll find me at the Norwich Farmers' Market, studying in the Tower Room, and running along the Appalachian Trail. Welcome to my world!
I initially took this class because I wanted to know more about Dartmouth’s history with Native Americans. It ended up being my favorite class because Professor Duthu was so enthusiastic about Native American affairs. He related the lectures to his own experiences growing up on a reservation, which made the class come to life.
As a potential Classics major on the pre-health track, this class was perfect for me! We learned about different medical practices from Rome and Greece and how medicine had changed in the past 2,000 years. We had a class in the Geisel School of Medicine and got to hold human organs!
I took this class because I wanted to learn more about the economy. Econ 2 focuses on the current economic climate in the US, so we would follow the DOW Jones on a daily basis to establish trends. In an economy impacted by a pandemic, inflation, and a war, this class was so helpful in my understanding of the financial climate of the country.
Physics with Professor Blencowe was delightful. His enthusiasm for the subject matter created excitement for students. The labs were hands-on and interactive to learn about the mechanics of the world.
This class fulfilled the Interdisciplinary Approach to my Global Health minor, and I enjoyed every minute of it. With Professor McCabe, we discussed gender and how its structure impacts our daily lives. My final research project studied gender within "Grey's Anatomy," which was created by Shonda Rhimes '91.
I used my "off-term" to travel to Hanoi, Vietnam for a Dartmouth Dickey Center Global Health Internship. I worked for the Institute of Population, Health, and Development, and studied health disparities in Vietnam.
This class was taught by a visiting professor, and she did an excellent job of engaging the class and making the material exciting. We learned about the historical Jesus figure in a Jewish context, and we connected the class content to modern day movies about Jesus.
I did a transfer term at Trinity College, Dublin, which means I took three courses at Trinity. My favorite was "Roman Archaeology" because I had never taken an archaeology course yet for my Classical Studies major.
Math 3 with Professor Erp was such a delight! He made math so understandable and accessible. I can honestly say I enjoy doing integrals after this class!
This class was fantastic! Professor Kramer is very knowledgeable about this field. Although I don't have an engineering background, this class was a great introduction. I learned how everything from medical tools to the Colosseum were made and built.
SummerAtlanta, GA
This was my first off-term (meaning I wasn't taking any Dartmouth classes) since my sophomore spring! I did a wonderful internship that was completely funded by Dartmouth; I'll write blog posts to share more!
FallAtlanta, GA
This was another great off-term internship that was funded by Dartmouth!
WinterAtlanta, GA
For winter term, I decided to do an internship with an Atlanta-based ophthalmologist that was completely funded by the Center for Professional Development (CPD). I worked for Dr. Jordan Stanley, who specializes in glaucoma and cataract surgeries, and I had the opportunity to shadow him and gain hands-on clinical experience that is invaluable to a future career in medicine. Thank you, CPD and Dr. Stanley for this incredible term!
SpringAthens, Greece
Favorite Class: Ancient Literature and History
I finished my time at Dartmouth on the Classics Foreign Study Program (FSP) in Athens, Greece. For seven weeks, we took classes at a partner institution, College Year Athens, and for the remaining four weeks we travelled to Sicily, the Greek Peloponnese, the Cycladic Islands, and a week on an archaeological dig on Despotiko Island. This was an incredible experience and a great way to finish my Classical Studies major.
It's crazy to think that in a few short weeks, I'll be closing my final chapter of college! In four years, I feel like I have grown and changed so much, not only as a student but also as a person. For most of you reading this blog, you are about to begin the amazing journey I started four years ago. Here's some advice I would give my 18-year-old self.
1. Step outside your comfort zone.
This applies to both applying to colleges and taking on new adventures once in college. Coming from Georgia, I was reluctant to apply to colleges outside of the Southeast region as I didn't want to be away from my family and everything I've known my whole life. However, my dad, who is one of my biggest supporters, encouraged me to explore options all across the US, as I would have the rest of my life to live in Georgia if I wanted, so I wanted to live in a new place for a few short years during college. I ultimately landed on Dartmouth, as I wanted to immerse myself in a completely new environment.
Before coming to Dartmouth, I thought I wanted to be a Classical Studies major, and spoiler alert: I'm graduating as a Classical Studies major. Don't get me wrong, I have absolutely loved my major and wouldn't have it any other way, but I do wish I had explored more courses, such as Biology 70: Biologic Lessons of the Eye, which travels to India as part of its field component!
2. Dive into Dartmouth Traditions
Dartmouth has long been steeped in tradition, and you would be remiss to not take part in at least some of them! While I could talk about the Bonfire, Winter Carnival, orGreen Key, I think First-Year Tripsreally encapsulates the Dartmouth spirit. This four-day event welcomes first-year students to Dartmouth by splitting them into small groups that travel into the New Hampshire outdoors. I participated in Trips in 2021 and volunteered to lead a trip in 2022. On the trip, you get to explore rural New England, yet the trip goes deeper by passing on traditions and really getting to know your classmates. Looking back, I wish I had been more involved with Trips, as I love Dartmouth's traditions.
3. Try new activities
In high school, I particularly enjoyed participating in cross country, the newspaper, and volunteering, and as a creature of her habits, I still continued those activities at Dartmouth (though let's not kid ourselves, I was not on the Dartmouth DI cross country team; instead, I enjoy leisurely running these days!). However, when I saw a job posting for the Admissions Office's blog, I applied, and four years later, working for Admissions has been arguably one of my favorite Dartmouth experiences (shoutout Will, Kevin, Erin, and Rhi for being amazing bosses!). While Admissions initially seemed unknown to me, I quickly realized that it allowed me to pursue writing and public speaking through tours. Similarly, I completed a year-long internship at the Dartmouth Hood Museum of Art, and though I had no prior experience in the art world, I was able to fine-tune my research and event planning skills. College is one of the few times in your life that you can really explore whatever you want and pick up new skills. If I could go back, I would have attended niche club meetings such as Big Green Irish Dance or the Dartmouth Chess Club. Given Dartmouth's smaller size, most clubs, internships, and jobs are open to all students, meaning that you can really explore anything you want!
Long story short, college is all about exploring new and old interests as well as enjoying the college's traditions and activities, and I believe that Dartmouth allows students to do it all.
One of the most rewarding parts of my time at Dartmouth so far has been participating in research. Read on to learn more about how Dartmouth makes research accessible for all students!
