Mucho gusto! Let's get to the fun stuff first. I love journaling, dancing in the gym, and being outside in some sunshine. I am from Tucson, Arizona and a '28. I am a proud first generation and low-income student who comes from a loving Mexican and Native American family. An early riser and bubbly personality are some ways to describe me. So before you leave, welcome to Dartmouth! I am Dezstany and I hope you join me on this journey into the woods!
The Prequel: All the Adventures that Happened Before New Student Orientation!
Hey y'all!
"How are you doing?!" A common question going around as us—first-years—experience our first day of classes. So far, I have loved all the energy my professors are bringing, the questions my peers are asking, and the community I can lean on during this exciting yet new transition.
I am blessed to say that I have been on campus for quite some time already! I was a part of the First-Year Summer Enrichment Program, commonly known as FYSEP, an amazing three week program offered to first-generation and low-income students. Within the program, I learned more about what a STEM and writing course entails at Dartmouth, how to start preparing for my post graduate career (never too early to start!), and gaining some out of the classroom knowledge with welcoming upperclassmen. Thanks to FYSEP I made some amazing core memories: Swimming in the Connecticut River with friends, dancing the night away to Bad Bunny, and stargazing on the golf course near campus. It definitely went by way too fast and I will be forever grateful for all the care and attention the First-Generation Office put into it.
The girl in the pink shirt dancing under the coffee house photo is actually me! "Coffee House" is another way to say a talent show within FYSEP and it's a big tradition.
For me, I felt so much security going into classes because of FYSEP. As a first generation student, it can feel a bit overwhelming trying to figure out such new territory on our own. However, I can confidently say that you are never alone at Dartmouth! The community is fueled by passion rather than competition and I was really able to see that when it came time to pick my classes. Upperclassmen were always available to answer our questions and help us plan out our fall term—professors too! I emailed some professors because I had questions about their classes and they responded as soon as they could. Did I know them beforehand? Nope! That's the Dartmouth community for you. Not only were they super welcoming but also encouraging of the questions I had about general Dartmouth questions.
After FYSEP ended, there was a short break before New Student Orientation. However, I also attended the Native and Indigenous Pre-Orientation, known as NIPOP. If you couldn't tell yet Dartmouth loves acronyms. NIPOP is a three day orientation that helps Native and Indigenous students have a successful transition into Dartmouth. We learned about ways to continue practicing our culture through opportunities such as Powwow. I also got to connect more with the Native and Indigenous students before all the other first years arrived on campus.
Thankfully adjusting to college has been so smooth because of all the resources Dartmouth provides. If I named each of the individuals that I know I could reach out to for support, we would be here for another three weeks! So please, if you have any questions about the Woods, know there is someone who is waiting to answer it.
In one of my previous posts, I mentioned how I joined a sorority earlier this fall by going through the recruitment process. I've come a long way since then. In fact, I am living in my sorority house for my sophomore summer!
I've just finished my first four weeks as a Concord Monitor news intern, having delved into journalism in ways I couldn't have without the help I received from Dartmouth's Center for Professional Development.
Dartmouth is not just a college. With world-renowned graduate schools, why would we choose to call ourselves a college instead of a university? The story behind that decision dates back to a significant Supreme Court ruling.
On a quiet spring Saturday in Hanover, I traded the usual campus buzz for Monet in the morning and archery in the afternoon—a reminder that Dartmouth weekends can be just as meaningful when they're slow, reflective, and a little unexpected.
During my sophomore spring quarter, I took on the challenge of four STEM courses, and while it has been intense, the unexpected connections across subjects and the joy of learning have made it one of my most rewarding academic experiences yet.
Read about the Sophomore Summer Soiree and how I got to witness the beginning of something that hopefully grows into a long-standing Dartmouth tradition!
