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.
One of my goals for this term was to take advantage of the free speaker events that are open to campus. So when I heard that Priya Krishna D'13, a food writer at The New York Times and former Bon Appetit video producer, would be the keynote speaker for Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPIHM), I knew I had to be there. I started watching Priya on the Bon Appetit YouTube channel during the pandemic, and loved that she proudly showcased Indian cuisine and culture. Even after Priya left the channel, I continued to follow her work in The New York Times.
Helping myself to a buffet of my favorite Asian food staples
I made sure to arrive at Collis Common Ground early so I could grab a good seat. As I waited for other students to trickle in, I admired the coordination and planning by this year's AAPIHM Committee. They had beautifully decorated the common space with tablecloths, colorful posters, and lights. They also organized a buffet with my favorite Asian food, from samosas, biryani, eggrolls, yogurt dipping sauce, and banh mi Vietnamese sandwiches. It wasn't long before the event kicked off with opening remarks from the Office of Pluralism and Leadership team (OPAL), who welcomed Priya on to the stage.
What struck me about Priya from the start was her relatability. She spoke about studying in Collis, hanging out in The D's office, and taking government classes with Professor William Wohlforth. She confided that she came to Dartmouth uncertain about her future, but ended up taking French classes and falling in love with food. Her passion led her to start a food column in the Mirror, work with Dartmouth Dining Services to improve the student dining experience, and intern at Murphy's, a local restaurant in town, as their first female line chef. Priya ended her opening remarks by talking about the struggle that Asian Americans feel to be "successful," and how she tried to find her own success even as she started her first job in New York City in a food advertising role that paid $12 an hour. With luck, she ended up pitching a cookbook about Indian food (called Indian-Ish) while the Bon Appetit food channel took off, propelling her career to new heights.
Priya D'13 giving opening remarks on Collis stage
The event later transitioned into a Q&A session moderated by Mehak Batra '24. Priya talked about some of her favorite memories (completing the Lou's Challenge), advice for current students (don't worry so much about grades), and favorite class (French 20 by Prof. Faith Beasley). In addition, she touched on her upcoming project (a cooking book for children) and some of the challenges about being a woman of color in the industry. Personally, I really enjoy it when Dartmouth alums come back to speak to current students. They show that everyone at Dartmouth has access to same the educational resources, which help level the playing field and make it possible for anyone to succeed. Halfway through AAPIHM, I have been consistently impressed by how the community is able to pull off such incredible programming. I hope that you're able to get involved in the fall if you're passionate about Asian American representation!
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!
