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.
Being a super senior ('23) is like being an incoming freshman ('28) in some ways. While I may be well versed in classes and finding my way around campus, I have to admit I was nervous about finding a new friend group after the Class of 2023 graduated. Luckily, Dartmouth's small community includes many social spaces students can tap into. Below are some ways I have made friends on campus as a more introverted person. Don't be afraid to put yourself out there; there are many ways to get involved!
1. Classes
I've found a lot of success in finding friends through classes. My modified government major allows me to take classes with some of the largest departments on campus. I'll often find someone friendly to sit next to on the first day of class and will become close to them throughout the term after collaborating on problem sets and studying for tests. Sometimes, Dartmouth's required distributive classes lead to the most enduring friendships. For instance, I became friends with Alex '24 and Kate '25 after taking QSS 30.04 "Evolutionary Game Theory" last spring. I was initially very nervous to enroll in this class, given my limited coding and math experience, but I managed to pull through with the help of friends. Alex, Kate, and I still hang out, as seen in this photo of us strolling through Pine Park last week.
Kate '25 and Alex '24 posing on Pine Park trail
2. Clubs and Extracurriculars
Another common avenue to find community is through clubs and extracurriculars. One unique aspect about clubs at Dartmouth is that you can pick and choose new commitments each term, which means clubs usually look for new members! I have definitely taken advantage of this flexibility from participating in entrepreneurship ventures like the 3 Day Startup and Tuck Lab to political programs like the War and Peace Fellows Program and the Rockefeller Global Leadership Program. My important commitment on campus is Dartmouth Women in Business (WIB), a club I have been actively involved in since my freshman fall. Pictured below is a photo of me and Ellie '24, encouraging first-year students to join WIB during the club fair. Many new friends I made in WIB this year are underclassmen mentees hoping to land their first internship or job.
Ellie '24 and Diana '23 promoting Dartmouth Women in Business at the club fair
3. Language Communities
Dartmouth has several living-learning communities for students passionate about world cultures and languages, including the Max Kade German Center and La Casa. I lived in the Chinese Language House (CLH) at Dartmouth for two years. Students in the CLH are encouraged to speak Chinese as much as possible and participate in discussions with a live-in advisor from Beijing over weekly home-cooked meals. Members of the house also celebrate Chinese holidays like the Mid-Autumn Festival and Lunar New Year. Although I no longer live in the CLH, I enjoy spending time with the new residents. Recently, I headed over to the Green to watch the eclipse with members from the CLH and La Casa, including Kevy '26, Malachi '26, Yeel '26, Emilie '25, and Anne '25.
Members of the Chinese Language House and La Casa sitting on the Green enjoying the eclipse
4. Freshman Floor Housing
My freshman floor is the most special community at Dartmouth. My floormates and I would spend hours hanging out after floor meetings or grabbing meals together. Funnily enough, many members on my freshman floor are still in or around Hanover! Some of my friends work near or at Dartmouth, like Lucy, '23, Abigail, '23, Varun '23, Emily, '23, and Chris, '23. Others opted for a gap year, like Kirusha '23, Paul '23, Michelle '23, and Jiyoung '23. Yes, there are still quite a few of us around! We decided to have a small reunion at the beginning of spring term in the Cube, as seen below.
Members of Diana's freshman floor in the Cube for a reunion dinner
5. Internships
Two summers ago, I participated in the Paganucci Fellows Program, an on-campus internship run by the Tuck School of Business. Not only did I become friends with the fellows, but I also developed a relationship with future cohorts. Pictured is Nacho '25 taking a selfie in a meeting room at Tuck with two cohorts of Paganucci Fellows in tow.
Student Nacho taking a selfie in the Tuck School of Business with two cohorts of Paganucci Fellows
6. Through Other Friends
It's also great to lean into the friends of your friends. At the beginning of this team, Sydney '24 invited her friends Amanda '23 and Shandu '24 to Trivia Night at Collis with me and Joanna '26. These weekly outings are a great way to unwind at the end of the week while enjoying free pizza and garlic knots.
Sydney '24, Amanda '23, Shandu '24, Joanna '26, and Diana '23 at Trivia Night at the Collis Center for Student Involvement
7. Through Trips
Dartmouth First-Year Trips have been a staple part of my Dartmouth experience. I participated in a first-year cabin camping trip during my freshman year and an organic farming trip for STRIP during my sophomore year. I wanted to be a part of welcoming other people to campus and led a trip of 25's on an organic farming trip and a trip of 26's on a fishing trip. Keeping in touch with my tripees is one of my favorite parts of being a leader. This week, I hosted a reunion with my '26's in the dining hall to catch up.
Diana and members from her first year trip at Foco late night
There are so many ways to meet people on campus. The ways I have listed barely scratch the surface. Other popular communities on campus include sororities, fraternities, sports teams, religious groups, and house communities. At Dartmouth, finding the people who speak to you is easy.
As a high school senior, I chose to apply to colleges with a strong Chinese language department. Luckily, I have found Dartmouth's campus brimming with students passionate about Chinese culture and language.
My "The Making of 21st Century Exhibits: Curating a National Black Theater Museum/Institution" class went on a field trip like no other. Here's the play-by-play.
