Halito! Wondering how a small-town Oklahoma, Native girl ended up at Dartmouth? Well, you've come to the right place! My name is Claire, I'm a proud Chahta ohoyo (Choctaw woman), and I'm a Senior Admissions Fellow. You can find me in the library studying for History/Native American Studies courses or reading about Indigenous religions! I'm a DREAM mentor, involved in Greek Life, and an Undergraduate Advisor. I love to travel and read for pleasure. If you see me around, say hello!
Academic Program
Religion and History double major with a modification in Native American Studies
This was the first course at Dartmouth that I truly fell in love with! The content of the course, the professor (Colin Calloway-who would later become my major advisor!), and the other Native students who quickly became some of my best friends have me reminiscing on this class with the fondest of memories.
‘The Crusades’ was my first real experience taking a European History course! It was an awesome introduction to the subject and taught me how to read and write historically from a nuanced perspective.
Somewhat surprisingly, my First-Year Seminar was my favorite class of Freshman Spring. Taught by the same professor as ‘The Crusades’, ‘Joan of Arc’ was the clear historical follow-up course. Learning about an inspiring and interesting historical woman was awesome!
SummerWright City, Oklahoma
I spent the Summer term after my thoroughly exhausting, and exhilarating, First-Year at home in Southeastern Oklahoma. It was a great opportunity for me to reconnect. While home, I worked for my tribal work program, enjoyed time with my family, and basked in the Oklahoma sun!
By far the most wonderful term of my Dartmouth career! While in Scotland, I studied religion and found my love for the subject. I am now a double major! This was the first time I had traveled outside of the U.S. I took advantage of this opportunity to become a global citizen and traveled to four other countries, but Scotland will always be my favorite.
In the world of academia, the importance and credibility of oral history as a valid source is all too often questioned. In Indigenous communities, our stories, traditions, cultures, and histories are all tied to orality. This was a refreshing course that allowed me to step away from colonial understandings of knowledge and relish in Indigenous ways of knowing. I loved that this class, taught at our Western institution, was unapologetic in the emphasis it placed upon oral traditions.
To be completely honest, this course was meant to simply fulfill my ART distributive requirement, while also conveniently checking off another course for my NAS modification. However, it turned out to be so much more. This course introduced me to Native American Art History. We spent some days walking around and viewing the Indigenous art that is placed throughout our beautiful campus. Other times, we went to the HOOD and learned about the numerous Native artworks and artifacts housed there.
After living for a term in bonnie Scotland, I was missing the wonderful nostalgic, historical, and almost mythic quality which my favorite country holds onto even today. This course, while not exclusively based in what is today Scotland, spent the majority of our class period discussing the old religions and cultures of this area.
My second term abroad! By now you’ve probably figured out how much I love studying in other countries. The great thing about the History FSP was that I wasn’t just taking classes in London, but I was also utilizing archival resources in the British Library to complete a Native American Studies Independent Research Project too!
I'll just say it, Winter is not my favorite term to be on campus, but Junior Winter feels like the first term that I truly hit my stride with course load choices. I loved ALL of my classes! Maybe these classes added up because two of them were literally focused on what I want to study for the rest of my life, and the third one was a totally amazing way to fulfill a SCI distributive requirement, but also... maybe I just had a lucky term.
SpringWright City, Oklahoma
My first term off after six terms on! I just let out a huge sigh of relief! I spent this term at home again in Oklahoma. I still worked remotely for the Admissions Office, but during this period I also spent a lot of time reading and writing for pleasure. Something I don’t always have time to do at Dartmouth.
SummerTecumseh, Oklahoma
This Summer term, I am living with family in Tecumseh, Oklahoma and have begun my full-time job for the Dartmouth Admissions Office as a Senior Fellow. I am also doing some Native American Art curatorial work for the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art at the University of Oklahoma. No Zoom classes for me, but I’m still on the work from home grind!
In this course, we investigated how Muslims from the medieval to modern eras made use of poetry, art, religious and scientific literature to understand bodies, especially in terms of disease and desire. This course was interesting because of how pertinent the subject matter was in relation to this particular period of time where we are living during a pandemic and navigating love and desire through it all! Super relevant content and compelling discussions in this virtual class!
This course explores how archaeological methods can help us better understand religious phenomena in past societies. Topics include the religion (or lack thereof) of our hominid ancestors (e.g. Neanderthals), the state religions of ancient civilizations, and the complementary perspective that archaeology provides on the World Religions. As a Religion major, this course is right up my alley! I'm very excited to explore the intersections of anthropology, history, and religion.
Three things I've learned about myself at Dartmouth
1. I thrive under pressure.
Although some of you may not relate to this sentiment, I actually do thrive under pressure! Whether it's planning big events, like our annual Native American Powwow every Spring, or crushing a final paper for a History class, I do some of my best work under a strict deadline. While I love that Dartmouth professors are typically flexible on allowing academic extensions on various assignments, for me, sticking to the originally assigned date works best. As I prepare to enter both the work world and post-graduate studies, knowing that I produce good work under pressure is a great thing to know about myself. After four years at Dartmouth, most graduates can tell you whether they thrive under pressure or work best with flexible deadlines. Lucky for me, after this term, I'll have a summer break to relax during before I get back to the grind!
Sanborn Library is one of the many places around campus you may find me in when I'm under a tight deadline! This is the perfect place to focus.
2. I have a love/hate relationship with group work!
After many hours spent in the library working on several different group projects, I can now confidently say that I have a love/hate relationship with group work. I absolutely love the opportunity to meet new people in new classes, learn new material in a group setting, and make new friends through group work, but, in my experience, group projects don't always turn out this way. To me, the cons would be; having to do all the work yourself, not understanding the material when everyone else does, and feeling like no one is interested in building deeper friendships. However, here at Dartmouth, our collaborative learning environment makes these negative experiences few and far between! At the end of my Dartmouth career, I'm prepared to successfully work on projects independently or in a group!
In my opinion, on a nice sunny day, the Green is the perfect setting for a good group project work session. The vibes are perfect for both getting to know each other in a friendly way and actually doing some good work.
3. Friends are some of the most important people in my life.
If my time at Dartmouth has taught me one thing, it is that friends are some of the most important people in my life. Family has always been my number one support system in life, and don't get me wrong, I had some really great friends in high school, but here at Dartmouth College, I've met and made lifelong friends. My friends on campus are constantly looking out for me, being my ultimate cheerleaders, and helping me through every challenge I face. These four years have brought some of the most amazing, phenomenal people into my life. While my friends may be from all over the world, somehow, the universe put us all right here at this little college in the woods at the exact same time. I could never express how grateful I am for that. These are friendships that will last a lifetime.
Here's a shot of the Dartmouth graduating class of 2019! I can't wait to share this moment with so many of my closest friends this June!
Whether it be understanding your ideal work environment, growing to be more independent or group-centric, or prioritizing friendships that will last the rest of our lives, at Dartmouth, we learn a lot about ourselves. I hope that, with this short list of things I've learned about myself over the past four years, you can see that, while academics is a large part of student life, our social life and communities are equally significant.
Finally, let me say that, there's no place I'd rather have gotten to know myself at, than Dartmouth College.
This Indigenous Peoples' Month, Native organizations at Dartmouth are spearheading events that honor and celebrate Indigeneity in all of its shapes and forms.
Dartmouth has an extremely large pool of extracurricular activities you can choose from. From football to anime watching — all interests are met, no matter how niched they are. Here's a bit about my favourite club on campus!
When adapting to a unique college environment, it is important to open yourself up to new perspectives and meet all kinds of wonderful people! Yet, it is even more important to remember your values and what makes you happy.
I reflect on Week 4 and the beauty of Dartmouth's many opportunities and resources. I discuss the amazing memories and bonds that I have created within the Dartmouth and Upper Valley communities!
Sanborn Library is one of the many places around campus you may find me in when I'm under a tight deadline! This is the perfect place to focus.
In my opinion, on a nice sunny day, the Green is the perfect setting for a good group project work session. The vibes are perfect for both getting to know each other in a friendly way and actually doing some good work.
Here's a shot of the Dartmouth graduating class of 2019! I can't wait to share this moment with so many of my closest friends this June!
