Well hello there! I'm Chelsea-Starr (it's my first name inspired by the soccer/football team and a celebrity) and I'm a Senior Fellow in the Office of Admissions. I'm from the suburbs of Charlotte and am a proud first-generation American with familial ties to Jamaica. I'm a government major and psychology minor and spend my free time dancing with dance team, hanging out in my sorority, and reading romance novels. Can't wait to share my Dartmouth experiences with you!
Does this mountain peak your interest? Snowboarding in Hanover
If you'd told me 4 years ago that one day I would find myself at the top of a mountain with my feet strapped to a wooden board, I would've laughed in your face. And yet, here I am in 20-degree weather, calculating the potential success rate of me getting down this mountain alive. Deciding to take snowboarding lessons during my last winter as a Dartmouth student made a lot of sense when I was signing up in the comfort of my room. But now? Not so much.
Growing up in warm North Carolina with a family from hot Jamaica, skiing and snowboarding were never really on my mind. Especially because, in my mind, only really rich people participated in those sports, visiting their vacation homes in Aspen or traveling to the Alps to participate. Those destinations weren't attainable for me so I'd written off snowsports altogether. For 2 winters (COVID took away a possible winter season), I watched my peers take the 15-minute shuttle ride to the Skiway and spend the day flying down mountain slopes. I wasn't jealous, per se, but I was sorrowful because I felt those experiences could never be "for me." That is until this year.
The attitude I've taken into my senior year is to do all the things at Dartmouth that I don't think I could do afterward, to live a life full of adventure. As such, I decided to sign up for snowboarding lessons. Skiing and snowboarding lessons are available to undergraduate students through Dartmouth's PE program. For students on financial aid, reimbursement is available which honestly made a world of a difference for me. Helmets and goggles are available for rent or purchase and they let you rent boards as well. Thank goodness for the student teachers who helped me get fitted; I would never have figured everything out on my own. But, I made it. All I needed was the courage to actually go through with the lessons.
First snowboarding lesson! Winter 2023
To put it plainly, I'm so happy to sign up for these lessons!! I was beyond giddy the entire 2.5 hours I was on the practice slope. The snowboarding instructors, which were also Dartmouth students, taught me from the ground up, how to strap the board onto my feet and to stand up (it's much harder than you'd expect).
At Dartmouth, there is an undergraduate requirement for language; after all, it is the liberal arts! Fulfilling this requirement looks different for various people and I will focus on my experience.
I have written about being a student worker plenty of times in the past, but I have yet to talk about one of my favorite jobs ever: ticket selling at the Hopkins Center for the Arts.
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!
