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!!
For me, the fall term was a term that was scheduled and busy! Most days were planned out thoroughly on my trusted Google calendar. With the ten-week term instead of the semester system, this required a more planned-out approach. Looking back, I am extremely blessed to be surrounded by the community that I was in. Flying back home to the other side of the country gave me a lot of time to think about my first term at Dartmouth.
This was my Google calendar during the week of my first major midterm! I had moments between studying to go out in nature :)
Coming back home to a setting that did not require my days to be as planned and allowing my brain to slow down a bit, I have to admit, it did feel a little odd. I wanted to be productive and plan for summer while also giving myself a break.
As a first-generation student, I am very lucky to have access to the career development resources within the First Generation Office. After a zoom meeting with Janice Williams, the Associate Director of the office, I certainly felt much more confident about moving forward in my career search. I was able to access a list of contact information of other alumni who have pursued a deeper dive into the government or legal field. Thanks to that, I have already scheduled calls with three alumni to see what their typical work day looks like. This shows how eager alumni are to enhance the Dartmouth community. This tight community is not uncommon, as I have heard that Dartmouth alumni are very supportive of various career paths.
Yesterday, I spoke with an alum who worked in the maintenance of bilingual education services in California. As a Mexican American myself, I was really impressed to see the wide range of issues that Dartmouth alumni are making a positive difference in. We talked about how it is experiencing Dartmouth as a first-generation student, funding opportunities, and the adjustment from super sunny places to the snowy woods! It was an amazing conversation.
After that call, I worked on my study abroad application! This summer, I hope to travel abroad through theItalian Full Immersion Rome Experience, also known as FIRE. Thankfully, there is still quite a bit of time left on the application, as it is not due until the beginning of February.
I appreciate how supportive Dartmouth is in career exploration. There are many funding opportunities through the Dartmouth Center for Social Impact, the Rockefeller Center, and theGuarini Institute of International Knowledge. I have noticed some students come to Dartmouth with a general idea of what career they want to pursue; do not worry if you are one of them because I was definitely that type of person (or at least trying to be). However, Dartmouth has a beautiful way of showing you all the different possibilities that are available. If you let it, the professors that guide you, the centers that fund you, and the community that motivates you may transform your future plans into something more than you could have planned!
This winter break, I spent eight days participating in the TuckLAB: Energy Program before heading back to home. In this blog, I'd like to share more about what TuckLAB Energy is about, and why I decided to participate in it.
Dartmouth hosts a variety of speaker events, bringing experts from politics, journalism, and academia to campus. The 2024 Election Speaker Series featured figures such as Mike Pence, Elbridge Colby, and Ben Rhodes.
Having grown a little more accustomed to the single-digit temperatures in Fahrenheit, I decided to spend my three-day weekend participating in a campus-wide snowball fight.
