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. Aspiring law student, an early riser, and bubbly personality are all 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!
Academic Program
Government or Native American and Indigenous Studies
This course was one of the reasons I chose to apply early decision to Dartmouth! I know, how could one course even influence such a big decision? Hearing Professor Duthu describe cases regarding the dispossession of Native tribes, the cultural tensions that many Native youth experience because of the effects of the Doctrine of Discovery, and economic development issues amongst many Native reservations made me edge out of my seat with excitement. The description did not disappoint because although it is one of my earliest classes, I always find myself running to class to learn something new. Professor Duthu presents in a way that wakes you up, makes you laugh, and encourages you to ask some pretty tough questions about tribal regulations. It has been extremely interesting how "bullets of the past are hitting present targets", meaning that many federal policies that happened decades ago still have very noticeable impacts in Indian Country (land in which tribal members own or previously occupied). I love being able to schedule office hours for any leftover questions. Would definitely recommend it!!
In my friend group, I am usually the one being teased for not knowing how to spell. However, when I saw the word "headcorders", I knew something was a little off. It turns out that the man who built Headcorders had the last time "Corder". Headcorders is a special place on campus as it is the meeting space for the Dartmouth Outdoor Club every term. The space is used by the ski club, the woodchopping team, and so many other outing clubs.
The First Generation Office hosted a skiing event open to all first generation students. The head of the Office is an alum who was and still is very passionate about showing other students how to ski. Jay gave so many of us the opportunity to go skiing for our first time which was a lot of fun. Coming from Arizona, I was a little hesitant to try and find my way through the snow. Ice skating, sledding, and skiing were all quite foreign to me. So when I received an email that skiing lessons were offered I was extremely interested!
At Headcorders, students were able to pick up boots, skis, and poles. All of this is provided through Dartmouth, so no pressure if you do not own any personal equipment. This type of support is open to all Dartmouth students, not only those within the First Generation Office!
We started off our skiing lesson without poles. We had two amazing instructors who showed us the importance of keeping our knees low and swinging side to side when skiing. Nordic Skiing is done on flat slopes which is why you can see we are not on top of any big mountains. The lessons were filled with falling, laughing, and jokes about how funny we looked starting out. By the end some students were really getting the hang of it and gliding down some of the smaller hills. A major perk of Dartmouth is the ability to have such easy and close access to outdoor activities!
The event took place on a Wednesday afternoon, which might seem odd because it is in the middle of the week but thanks to the skiway being only a ten minute drive away, we left campus at 3:30pm and were back by 6pm—this was perfect as I had two later events to attend on campus.
After getting dropped off onto campus, I picked up one of my favorite fruit smoothies from Collis and went to a meeting for my social impact consulting group and finished up some tasks for other clubs I am a part of. This day felt very Dartmouth as I had all my classes in the morning yet was still able to relax in the outdoors before the sunset!
One of my greatest privileges at Dartmouth has been learning from Professor Ed. Miller of the History and Asian Studies departments. Read on to learn more about why he is my favorite professor!
The Sri Lankan New Year falls on the 13th and 14th of April, a time for plenty of celebrations and family time. At Dartmouth, I keep these traditions with my friends and celebrate a part of home every year!
