Hello friends! My name is Diana D'Souza, and I'm pursuing a double major in Government modified with Economics and Chinese. On campus, I'm the Co-President of Women in Business and a Chinese language research assistant. I'm also involved in the Dartmouth Outing Club and recently led a fishing first-year trip at the Boston Lot Lake. In my free time, I enjoy cooking, reading, and spending time outdoors.
I ended up taking this class for two reasons. First, I needed to fulfill my CI requirement; second, my friend was also taking it. Regardless, it ended up being my favorite class fall term. Professor Washburn is an engaging, spontaneous professor and we studied everything from memes to The Tale of Genji. By the end of the term, I found myself to be a more confident and humbled writer.
This was my second time taking a 9 am class with Chen Laoshi. She is understanding, funny, and always eager to help. Even though this was a fast-paced class with daily quizzes, weekly tests, and new vocabulary sets every other day, I became extremely close with my classmates and more excited about learning the language. We ended the term over a feast of dumplings Laoshi prepared!
Because this term was online, I used my extra time to study a subject that has always fascinated me. Professor Ayubi was incredibly accommodating by allowing us to complete work at our own pace. The most memorable parts of the class were examining anti-Muslim materials during a virtual tour to Rauner Library and exploring Muslim punk rock through the movie Taqwacores.
SummerEdison, NJ - Remote Internship
My summer plans were derailed due to the pandemic, but Mr. Forbes, a Dartmouth alum, graciously allowed me to intern at his consulting firm. Over the course of two months, I became a master at navigating Microsoft Visio and writing grant narratives. I also lifeguarded the 5am shift (pain) at my local community pool.
Students at Dartmouth say ENGS 12 will change your life, and I'm one to agree. Professor Robbie helped me rethink and redefine my approach to creativity and radical collaboration. After the class, I became involved in the design community, participating in the Designation, 3 Day Start Up, and Tuck's entrepreneurship program, TuckLAB. I'm even a TA for the class now—oh, how the tables have turned!
WinterEdison, NJ - Remote Internship
In hopes of studying abroad, I declared a five-year D-Plan. I'm still a '23 at heart, but I'll be graduating with the '24's. I ended up working at my local newspaper, TAPinto News, and continuing my linguistics research with Professor Donahue.
SpringEdison, NJ - Remote Internship
With the help of the Magnuson Center, I landed an internship at Q30 Innovations, a medical device company. As a law development intern for Mr. Greene, a Dartmouth alum, I compiled a 20-page patent portfolio and provided recommendations for FDA clearance. I also took part in two Rocky programs, RGLP and MLDP.
Professor Dorsey is by far my favorite Dartmouth professor. He hosted in-person office hours every Friday, where we talked about anything from Japanese healthcare to craft beer to our personal lives. The class was an absolute blast, in which we dissected comics and listened to Japanese folklore. Class highlights included a field trip to a nearby Japanese Zen garden and a zoom call with Japanese folklorist Nakagawa Goro.
This was my hardest academic term to date, but I’m extremely proud of my work in this class.
Over ten weeks, Professor Samwick challenged us to design a financially viable social
enterprise. My team ended up creating BayStay, a one-stop service for homeless individuals in
the Bay area to locate a new roommate and temporary communal housing. The best part of the
experience was getting to interview leading experts on homelessness and pitching our business
model to an angel investor!
Given my areas of study at Dartmouth, it’s no surprise that I loved my introductory international
relations course with Professor Powers. She did a great job helping the class transition to in-
person learning by providing us with reading guides and laying out clear expectations in her
memos. We used high-level theory to explain the motivations of terrorists and the likelihood of
nuclear war. In my final paper, I presented my own analysis of why the United Nations was
powerless to prevent Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In this upper-level government seminar, my classmates and I met once a week for three hours.
Although it was sometimes tough to focus, I appreciated having the rest of the week to prepare
and complete readings. During the term, we debated a range of topics, including whether the
government should regulate marriage or whether having a nanny was inherently anti-feminist.
Another cool aspect of the course was that the class was entirely driven by student discussion
and debate. Professor Rose pushed each student to flesh out her thoughts through open office
hours and writing workshops. Looking back at my final paper, I’m really proud of my newfound
ability to argue complex philosophical topics in a clear manner.
SummerHanover, NH - On Campus
While most of the ‘23s are off campus, I’m spending my junior summer in Hanover because I
took a gap year! I’m spending most of my time this term as a Paganucci Fellow at the Tuck
School of Business. I’m also working for Dartmouth Admissions and serving as Co-President of
Dartmouth Women in Business. Even though I’m not taking classes, I’m definitely keeping
myself busy!
FallWashington, D.C. - Internship
I spent my off-term interning on the China desk at the U.S. Department of State (DOS). I loved
being able to apply what I learned in class in a professional setting and getting to see diplomacy
and foreign policy in action. Some of my internship highlights included volunteering for the first,
historic Indo-Pacific Summit and meeting North Korean defectors. Still, I’m excited to be back
at Dartmouth, taking classes again, after six months off!
I took this class because it was the final culminating experience for my Chinese language major. Professor Ericson gave really engaging lectures that made it feel like he was reading us a story. As a capstone project, I wrote a 20-page paper about imperial Japan's use of visual propaganda in Manchukuo, analyzing primary texts in Chinese and Japanese.
This class explored the economics behind the gender gap, child penalty, and labor market discrimination. My favorite part was the MBA-style class study, which focused on the rationale behind Patagonia’s generous parental leave policies. Professor Olivetti was so helpful and held frequent office hours. Definitely take this class, even if you aren’t an economics major.
During the college application process, I hated filling out the "intended major" section. A lot of colleges only let me write down one major. Some schools even made me commit to a certain school, for example the School of Arts and Sciences, warning that transferring to another major would be difficult. So, I was pleasantly surprised when Dartmouth's application allowed me to pick three potential areas of study. I picked Chinese, a language I had studied throughout high school; English, because I loved writing for the newspaper; and Economics, since it seemed practical. When I got accepted to Dartmouth, I realized that many of my peers felt the same way: they had no idea what they wanted to major in or what job they wanted.
Some of my favorite memories in high school revolved around Chinese!
Luckily, Dartmouth's focus on interdisciplinary and exploratory studies encouraged me to try out nine different departments in my first year alone. With so many options available, I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue studying Chinese, especially since the pandemic prevented me from studying abroad in China. I ended up taking time off of school and delaying my graduation by one year. When I returned to school, I was committed to at least finishing the Chinese minor.
Zhang Lao shi, or "Teacher Zhang" (above) immediately made me feel comfortable in my intermediate Chinese class. He encouraged me to speak without the fear of making a mistake. He also urged me to talk about Chinese politics with my steadily improving language skills. Around the same time, I found myself engaged in my first international relations class, right during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. By the end of my sophomore year, I figured it out: I would study Chinese culture and language through the Asian Studies major, and economics and politics of East Asia through my modified government major. I was officially a Government modified with Economics and Chinese double major.
At school, I continued to seek out opportunities around my new interests. As a Presidential Scholar, I studied conceptions of blackness and race in China with Professor Mingwei Huang. I found a community in the Chinese Language House, where my friends and I gathered for weekly home-cooked meals with our live-in professor, Lyu Lao shi. I even completed an internship with the U.S. Department of State, or the government's foreign policy arm, on the China desk. This term, I'm especially looking forward to all three of my China-related classes. I'll be taking my third language class with Zhang Lao shi, called "Modern Chinese Short Stories." I'll also be taking my culminating Chinese seminar "Imperialism in East Asia" and a mid-level government course called "Rise of China."
Jonas S. '20 and I became close friends in the Chinese Language House (CLH)
Dartmouth's broad, liberal arts curriculum ultimately allows students to figure out what they are passionate about. As previously mentioned, I have taken classes in at least 9 different departments. But students do not sacrifice depth for breadth. As I have narrowed in on my interests, my classes have become increasingly focused as well. In fact, 14/25 of the classes I have taken at Dartmouth are dedicated to East Asian culture, language, and politics in some form.
If you are a high school student figuring out whether Dartmouth is the right fit for you, don't worry about picking the perfect major or knowing exactly what you want to do in the future. I'm still figuring that out too. As long as you have something you're passionate about, Dartmouth has the resources for you to find your academic place.
In addition to blogging, I work as a Fellow for the Tucker Center, which focuses on promoting spiritual and ethical life on campus. As part of this role, I'm leading the Interfaith Alternative Spring Break Trip. Read on to learn more about my work!
Unlike some other universities, many of the STEM lecture classes at Dartmouth require concurrent enrollment in a laboratory section. What is it like navigating that time as a student?
