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)!
“You can throw it on The Green,
You can throw it at your dean!”
These sprightly rhymes were a welcome distraction from my studies. In a poem sent from Theodor.S.Geisel.25@dartmouth.edu to the entire campus, “Dr. Seuss” invited challenged us all to a snowball fight, asking in the subject line: “Would you, could you, in the snow?”
Last year's snowball fight
Dr. Seuss sent the same poem during the first snowfall last year, and I remember my freshman self eagerly darting to The Green with friends in the thick of midterms season.
Even as a sophomore, I felt the same wave of excitement, and it's easy to see why:
Me, a fallen warrior
At midnight, armed with warm gloves and snow pants, my friends and I charged to the crowded Green for yet another battle. Immediately, I was struck in the back by an unidentified peer. I quickly responded, shoveling snow into my fists and chucking it in all directions. As the night progressed, I tackled and was tackled into the snow (friendly fire), ducked behind a snow fort to hide from some formidable assailants, and began a war between my friends and some students I’d never met before. I watched balls of snow sail through the air from friends and strangers alike hitting me and those around me. I saw a girl run from her attacking friend only to trip and fall face-first, laughing, onto the snow below. It was first-grade recess all over again: it didn’t matter whether you were friends or strangers, you were all part of the game.
Our annual snowball fight fosters the spirit of inclusivity that shows me how Dartmouth actively cultivates a sense of family. As a sophomore, the snowball fight might not be a novel tradition to me anymore, but I still felt like the same old freshman running off to battle. There's something about throwing snow at your fellow classmates that's (for lack of a better word) magical. It's an amazing moment where I'm reminded why I love this place -- for all those times I've felt like my brain has been run a marathon here, I've had fun and silly moments to complement that "runner's high."
The midnight snowball fight is a small and often overlooked tradition, but it's one of those hidden gems that makes Dartmouth extra special.
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.
I recently gathered a group of '26s from the metro Atlanta area for a dinner to discuss all things Dartmouth! A couple '24s and '25s from Atlanta came to help answer questions. Here is a list of common questions that came up!
At midnight, armed with warm gloves and snow pants, my friends and I charged to the crowded Green for yet another battle. Immediately, I was struck in the back by an unidentified peer. I quickly responded, shoveling snow into my fists and chucking it in all directions. As the night progressed, I tackled and was tackled into the snow (friendly fire), ducked behind a snow fort to hide from some formidable assailants, and began a war between my friends and some students I’d never met before. I watched balls of snow sail through the air from friends and strangers alike hitting me and those around me. I saw a girl run from her attacking friend only to trip and fall face-first, laughing, onto the snow below. It was first-grade recess all over again: it didn’t matter whether you were friends or strangers, you were all part of the game.
