Hi! I'm Colleen! So far, I've studied abroad in China and Peru, interned at a start-up in Mexico City, worked in Beijing, China, and completed non-profit consulting projects in Peru and Japan with the Tuck School of Business. I'm currently working on a two-year project to promote female empowerment through entrepreneurship in South America and East Asia. When I'm not traveling, you can find me advising the DEN, exploring the Upper Valley, or debating the outcome of The Bachelor with friends.
Academic Program
Asian & Middle Eastern Studies Modified with Economics Major; Human-Centered Design Minor
As 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!
Compared 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!
A 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.
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!
This 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.
This 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.
This 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.
The 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!
Impact 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.
Business 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.
There is something truly magical about waking up to a pristine, fluffy coat of white snow on Dartmouth's campus. As a winter enthusiast and cold-weather sports fiend, I get goosebumps when I hear a snow storm is in the forecast and genuinely think that the best winter day involves at least a few feet of snow. But, whether you're a winter lover like me or prefer to admire the snow from afar, you may just have to admit that everything looks a little more beautiful under a coating of snowy white powder. So, without further ado, here are some of my favorite winter pictures in Hanover because there really is SNOW place like Dartmouth.
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.
Every time I travel, I wear one article of Dartmouth gear. Yes, I have school spirit and love the Big Green, but I wear my school's green colors for a different reason.
Being away from the Dartmouth's campus and some of my closest friends has given me an opportunity to reflect on the community I was able to find at Dartmouth during this past academic year.
I recently finished my first year at Dartmouth. Now that I've had time to reflect, I realize just how much I've come to learn about myself in the past year. Hint: Dartmouth has a big hand in that.
