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.
I spent Fall 2022 in Washington, D.C. at the Department of State (DOS), which is our country's foreign policy arm. Over the course of ten weeks, I worked on the China desk as a Strategic Communications Intern. Our unit focused on analyzing and drafting messaging used in PRC-related public statements. A few of my individual responsibilities included creating an annual domestic outreach plan, drafting public messages and press guidance materials for senior officials, and reporting on content generated from PRC government social and traditional media outlets.
This internship was one of my most transformative and impactful professional experiences. I got to work alongside people from varying backgrounds, from particle physicists to former marine biologists to career diplomats. I also met esteemed individuals through events at the State Department, such as the President of the Solomon Islands and Olympian Michelle Kwan!
Meeting Olympian and Ambassador Michelle Kwan
Being a DOS intern wouldn't have been possible without Dartmouth's D-Plan. If you are a prospective student, you've probably heard about the benefits of the D-Plan, but here's a brief rundown. Dartmouth's D-Plan gives students greater flexibility to customize their learning experience. Because the College runs on a quarter system, students must be enrolled for 12 terms. Most students take classes during the fall, winter, and spring terms of their freshman and senior years. This gives us the chance to bond as a class from start to finish. Most students will also opt to take classes during their sophomore summer, which has become a tradition at Dartmouth. However, for the remaining five terms, Dartmouth students have a lot of flexibility about when to take classes during their sophomore and junior years. On these "off-terms," when we are not taking classes, Dartmouth students take part in internships, study abroad, travel, relax, and/or spend time with family.
I made sure to have fun in D.C. by checking out the Smithsonian Zoo
When I found myself missing campus, I admired the bonsai trees at the Arboretum
Before I came to Dartmouth, I recognized the uniqueness of the D-Plan. I didn't hear of many other colleges offering that same flexibility. However, as a current student, there are two additional hidden benefits of the D-Plan I should mention. First, the D-Plan makes getting internships a lot easier. My internship with the DOS was highly competitive, with over 2,000 applicants vying for 150 spots. However, the summer term is typically far more competitive, with over 5,000 applicants. Dartmouth's unique system allowed me to take off when most schools are in session, giving me an edge in applying.
The second benefit is that the flexibility relieves some of the pressure of finding an internship. One of my brothers is currently a freshman at Cornell, and he's already stressed about finding a summer internship. At Dartmouth, if you don't feel ready, you can easily take classes during your freshman summer. There's also little to no pressure during your sophomore summer, since most of your peers will be taking classes as part of our mandatory tradition. This structure gives Dartmouth students time to explore their interests, get some classes under our belts, and build up our resumes with extracurriculars and research. That way, when we apply for internships during our junior year, we are much stronger candidates—especially if you apply for an internship in a non-traditional term, like in the fall or spring semesters.
I'm so glad I got the chance to spend my fall in D.C.. This was my first time living alone in a new city as well as my first time navigating an in-person, professional internship. Still, I'm so excited to be back at Dartmouth taking classes, and bringing you along during my junior year winter.
In this post, I share what I'll be doing during my off-term this spring, and also give some advice for finding internships and off-term work in the context of Dartmouth's quarter system!
I was excited to hear that two of my friends will be studying abroad in Ghana. Talking with them about what to expect from the program made me remember all the great memories and lessons I made and learned from my study abroad experience there.
FYREE is a program organized by Dartmouth Engineering that offers first-year undergraduate students an early opportunity for hands-on experience and mentorship.
