

Colleen O'Connor

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Colleen's D-Plan
What's a D-Plan?-
FallHanover, NH
Favorite Class: INTS 80.01: The Wealth and Violence of NationsAs a freshman, I chose to take an upper-level seminar class that ended up becoming one of my favorite classes at Dartmouth -- and Prof. Clark has become my mentor and research advisor!
WinterHanover, NH
Favorite Class: Spanish 9: Culture and ConversationCompared to my high school foreign language classes that focused on grammar, I LOVED that this course focused on discussing movies, reading novels, and engaging in stimulating debates--all in Spanish!
SpringHanover, NH
Favorite Class: SOCY 49: Religion and the Political EconomyA seven-person seminar class with my favorite professor (Prof. Clark) discussing the impact of religion on politics and economics... I don't think I could have possibly asked for more.
SummerBeijing, China - Chinese FSP
Studying abroad in Beijing, China my freshman summer was the best decision I could have made at the time. After a year of intensive language studies at Dartmouth, I was immersed in Chinese language and culture at Beijing Normal University.
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FallCusco, Peru - Spanish LSA+
I LOVED living with a host family in Cusco, Peru and taking classes with Peruvian profs during my Spanish LSA+. My friends and I took experiential learning to the next level by traveling to Machu Picchu, the Amazon, Lima, Lake Titicaca, and more!
WinterHanover, NH
Favorite Class: ENGS 12: Design ThinkingThis was the class that made me realize my passion for Human-Centered Design. The project-based course challenged me to think differently and it changed the way I approached problem- solving on a daily basis!
SpringMexico City, Mexico - Internship Abroad
Thanks to full funding from the DEN, I spent the spring of 2017 completing a 10-week fellowship with LocalAventura, a travel, tech start-up in Mexico City. This meaningful, hands-on experience re-ignited my passion for entrepreneurship!
SummerHanover, NH and Lima, Peru - Paganucci Fellowship
I was able to petition to take Sophomore Summer "off" to work full-time as a Paganucci Fellow with the Tuck School of Business. I spent the summer working with a small team on a social entrepreneurship consulting project with a non-profit in Peru.
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FallHanover, NH
Favorite Class: SPEE 20: Public SpeakingThis class has a waitlist of over 40 people, and it's clear to see why. Prof. Compton teaches public speaking with an experiential learning approach, allowing me and my peers to improve through practice.
WinterHanover, NH
Favorite Class: Econ 77: Social EntrepreneurshipThis course combined the study of social entrepreneurship and its manifestations with hands-on practice of creating our own social venture business plans and ventures pitches! My project group and I created a business that aims to support impoverished, indigenous women in Cusco, Peru and are currently working with our professor to turn this idea into a self-sustaining social business.
SpringHanover, NH
Favorite Class: ENGS 15: The Senior Design ChallengeThe Senior Design Challenge might just be my favorite class I have taken at Dartmouth! At the start of the term, my partner and I were given the challenge of figuring out how to use leftover Nike materials to improve the quality of life for individuals experiencing homelessness. By having the autonomy to fully immerse ourselves in the human-centered design process, my partner and I have learned how to pivot from one idea to the next and feel a remarkable sense of pride and complete ownership over our project!
SummerBeijing, China & Tokyo, Japan - Internship & Research Abroad
This summer, I am heading abroad for the sixth(!) time in three years. I'll be spending eight weeks working at a consulting firm in Beijing before continuing on to Japan to work on my Stamps Scholars research for a few weeks. Stay tuned for blogs about my adventures in Asia!
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FallHanover, NH
Favorite Class: CS 29/PSYCH 15: Impact DesignImpact Design is a Social Impact Practicum, meaning that my group and I have been working to create a delightful, educational project/experience for a 14-year old autistic girl at the Hartford Autism Regional Program (HARP), our community partner. This class has allowed me to work with a team of my peers while creating something that has the power to positively impact the life of the girl for whom we are designing! Plus, the class is all about creating delight, so it has been a ~delightful~ experience so far.
WinterHanover, NH
Favorite Class: Business Management & StrategyBusiness Management & Strategy (Tuck 3) is just one of a handful of business classes undergraduates can take with professors from the Tuck School of Business. As an aspiring businesswoman with a deep interest in management and entrepreneurship, I LOVE the case-study model of this class and appreciate our professor's cold-call methodology that ensures everyone in the class is actively participating and paying attention. In addition to class readings, we've even had Skype calls with CEOs of some of the companies we have discussed in class.

Senior Design Challenge: Take Two!!
I LOVE Human-Centered Design. Throughout my time here at Dartmouth, this love has manifested through a variety of experiential learning-based classes, classes that usually entail working with community organizations and collaborating with my peers.


Surviving College Without Coffee
To me, coffee has never been part of my daily routine and I did not want college to change that. So, here are the top four ways that I stay awake and alert without caffeine pulsing through my veins.

Exploring Baker Tower
When I first drove up to Dartmouth for my admissions tour during my junior year of high school, I remember immediately seeing the clock-face of Baker tower and knowing that I had arrived on campus.





There's SNOW Place Like Dartmouth
There is something truly magical about waking up to a pristine, fluffy coat of white snow on Dartmouth's campus.

Safety Net: How Dartmouth Had My Back While Solo-Traveling Abroad
Despite having studied, interned, and conducted independent research abroad multiple times since coming to Dartmouth, there is one conversation I just cannot avoid with my mom each time I jet off someplace new: safety.

Senior Year Bucket List
How the heck did I become a senior? The past three years have flown by, and with only winter and spring term left, I am starting to feel the nostalgic reality that my precious time left at Dartmouth is winding down.



Tuck, Travel, and Tokyo…OH MY!
This winter break, I will be traveling to Japan for three weeks, marking the ~seventh~ time I have gone abroad at Dartmouth in the past three years.




Learning to Love Group Work
Despite being a little apprehensive about group work prior to college, my time at Dartmouth has helped me realize just how much I have grown to love working with my peers on large, term-long projects.






The Beauty of Looking Up
Sometimes all you have to do is look up to find some of the most unexpected moments of pure, natural beauty. Here are my favorites from this past fall term.

How to Create an Independent Study
As an Asian and Middle Eastern Studies modified with Economics Major, I have become quite accustomed to finding ways to customize my Dartmouth education to suit my interdisciplinary interests.