Hello there! I am an avid doodler and caffeine addict who can be spotted 24/7 at KAF (the coffee shop in Baker-Berry Library). I've grown up skiing in the Rockies, so I'm a hype man for low temp activities like throwing snow at friends and carving ice sculptures (yes, I actually did that!). Aside from blogging, I am an economics teaching assistant, design mobile, web, and VR apps for Dartmouth's DALI Lab, and travel around with the fencing and debate teams for competitions.
Freshman fall flew by! While I unwittingly took some of Dartmouth's more difficult classes, I met so many amazing people and got to explore campus with a fresh set of eyes (I'd never visited before). I also got inspired (after taking my prof to lunch) to pursue a major in economics!
Winter was my favorite term freshman year, largely because I felt more settled into the campus rhythm and took awesome classes. Prof. Kalish (my Writing 5 -- a required class for all freshmen -- professor) was not only fun and insightful, but also made an active effort to connect with every student. It's one of the best classes I've ever taken.
In my opinion, Hanover is most beautiful in the spring: you see everything from fluffy snowflakes to vibrant blossoms. The weather kept me cheerful, even if spring was my most rigorous term. My favorite class was Econ 22 with Prof. Comin, who led a case-based course that helped us understand the real-world applications of what we were learning. He's also a super cool guy to chat with, and he's done fascinating research.
Most freshmen don't stay "on" their first summer, but I scheduled my D-Plan around my winter internship. Summer didn't disappoint: I love the new friends I made and the classes I took (and I also got super fit from attending two PE classes). Taking Drawing I was also one of the highlights of my summer. It's a lot of work, but I'd rather spend 10 hours on a drawing than 10 hours on a problem set.
I finally met the '22s!! (Seriously, you all are so cool.) This term, I took a class on game theory, which is basically a subject where we literally learn about games. While it was by far my most challenging class this term, I thought that what we learned was super rewarding.
WinterSalt Lake City, UT
This was my first "off" term since I arrived on campus! I interned for Cross Creek, a venture capital firm in Salt Lake City, Utah (my hometown!).
I could RAVE about public economics and Prof. Skinner for hours. While public econ wasn't easy, it challenged me to think critically about my political philosophies and about the economic theories I'd previously considered fact. Prof. Skinner was one of the most engaged professors I've ever had; he even recommended a few running routes to me!
The famous "Sophomore Summer" and my second summer on campus! I took an unconventional four-course term complete with Econometrics, Gender & Philosophy, DALI Lab Independent Research, and Independent Studies in Engineering! I had so much fun studying on a dock by the Connecticut River and having lots of gelato under the sun. :)
I had the opportunity of a lifetime to be an economic policy intern at the White House! I loved my job, met incredible people, and had plenty of time to Facetime my friends on campus.
This was such a fun winter! I went skiing with friends, spent a few weekends eating Chinese food in Boston, and to top it all off, I took my very first government class. I really loved learning about political science from a comparative perspective; specifically, how institutions can affect the way a society can vote or even organize collective action. I wish I'd taken more government classes earlier.
While I was physically camped out at home in Salt Lake City, Utah, I still spent plenty of time with friends (albeit over Zoom), and I got to know professors in office hours! I also had the rare chance to spend quality time with my parents and my dog while also learning a lot in my classes on business strategy (offered by the Tuck School of Business) and authoritarianism in Central and Eastern Europe.
SummerNew York City, Virtually
I spent the summer as an investment research intern at J.P. Morgan. My internship was completely virtual, but I still got to befriend my coworkers, and I'll be going back full-time after I graduate!
After six long months away, I finally came back just in time for the beautiful New England fall. I began writing my economics thesis in a difficult yet rewarding advanced econometrics class with Professor Staiger, attempted acting in a play, and learned about the nuances behind Adam Smith's "invisible hand" (which has become a caricatured generalization of his work). I even made a few new friends out of '24s from six-feet away!
WinterUniversity of Oxford, Magdalen College
I spent my winter term at Oxford studying economics and politics at the beautiful Magdalen College.
SpringOn Campus
I can't believe it's senior spring already! This spring, I'm finishing my thesis and taking classes on creative writing for fiction, costume design, and the economics of gender and family. Be sure to say hello if you're on campus (or Zoom)!
It's now mid-December and you've finally received your ED acceptance letter. Congrats!! You've done it: you're going to your dream school.
This will have the number 23 on it next year!
You probably didn't realize this when you applied, and you might not even realize this until you graduate, but this dream you've chased is not a school. It's that intangible idea that a Dartmouth education is not simply an education. Allow me to clarify. I opened this post by welcoming you to our family; when I say "family," I mean it in the literal sense of the word. As trite as it might sound, Dartmouth operates almost exactly like a family: we are united by a sense of home and tradition, and we recognize our mutual merits; however, we most importantly know (and call out) each other's shortcomings and love each other in spite of them. A family forces you to grow; it forces you to be more accepting and sure of yourself. This dream you've chased is the Dartmouth family and the "Dartmouth experience" that comes, and lasts, with it.
And Dartmouth delivers on that dream: my experience here has connected me with engaged and world-renowned professors, with life-long friends, and most importantly with myself.
One of many moments I wish I could relive.
To be honest, I'm jealous of you. I wish I could go back to where you are right now and relive all of the amazing memories I've had here from riding (and then captaining) a sailboat during Trips to studying for my most recent final. I wish I could meet one of my best friends while running around a giant bonfire again. I wish I could admire the spring flowers while walking from the River again. In a sense, Dartmouth has felt like an incredibly vivid dream. But while this dream has been both fun and rewarding, not every moment has been as picturesque as the New England foliage. If I point out any of my favorite spots on campus, chances are that I've cried there. There have been times where I've felt like I had reached my limit. Sometimes I really had. But those not-so-great moments have been part of this dream. That night I cried in a Novack study room? I bonded with Steph, who later became my best friend.
I think Jul sums it up perfectly when she writes, "Dartmouth has not only forced my growth, it has fostered it; not only challenged my character, but changed it."
This dream of ours can be painful and uncertain, but it encompasses my life's most magical moments. It's hard to believe how much my life has changed since I was your age (and that wasn't long ago). I hadn't had a Foco cookie yet. I hadn't met some of the most important people in my life. I hadn't even stepped foot in the state I call my home now.
You have so much to look forward to.
But enough about dreams.
The best advice I can give to you right now is to enjoy the remainder of your high school days. I'm sure you're excited about your new life at Dartmouth. We are too. But you, dear '23, are uniquely poised to have a stress-free senior year. Truly cherish it. Live in the moment, not in the future.
And when fall comes, we'll be here to welcome you home.
Being in DC this summer and participating in the Rockefeller Center's First Year Fellows program, I've been able to really see just how special the Dartmouth alumni network is.
During a recent conversation with my HS friend who also goes to college in the US, we discussed what it's like experiencing culture shock especially as international students. I'd love to share the tips we developed to combat this feeling.
To be honest, I'm jealous of you. I wish I could go back to where you are right now and relive all of the amazing memories I've had here from riding (and then captaining) a sailboat during Trips to studying for my most recent final. I wish I could meet one of my best friends while running around a giant bonfire again. I wish I could admire the spring flowers while walking from the River again. In a sense, Dartmouth has felt like an incredibly vivid dream. But while this dream has been both fun and rewarding, not every moment has been as picturesque as the New England foliage. If I point out any of my favorite spots on campus, chances are that I've cried there. There have been times where I've felt like I had reached my limit. Sometimes I really had. But those not-so-great moments have been part of this dream. That night I cried in a Novack study room? I bonded with Steph, who later became my best friend.
