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.
Hey there! Thank you for stumbling upon my blog and taking the time to get to know me. My name is Diana, and I hail from Edison, NJ, a large town known for its cultural food and home to the Thomas Edison Memorial Tower. I live with my parents and my twin brothers, Adam and Adrian. I am half-Vietnamese, half-Indian and have an unhealthy obsession with hotpot and ramen. In short, the life that I led in my hometown is drastically different from the one I am currently living at Dartmouth. As I left Edison on September 10th to make the six hour drive to New Hampshire, I was reluctant to leave my family, friends, food, and most importantly, my bed behind. However, during orientation week (O-week), I was reminded by plants (yes, plants) of why I so desperately wanted to come to Dartmouth.
On the second day of O-week, my roommate Abigail texted me that Roberts Plants of Hanover was offering free plants to all 23's (that's Hanover hospitality for you right there). We decorated pots for our plants at the Collis Kickoff only to realize that we didn't have any dirt. As the devoted plant moms we are, we ventured to the Life Sciences Center in pursuit of dirt only to discover that the greenhouse was closed.
Fortunately, Professor Schaller noticed us milling around and unlocked the greenhouse for us. Not only did he give us a tray full of dirt, but he showed us a corpse plant (which emits a rotting smell when it blooms), took us around the labs, and spoke about his research. The acts of kindness that Roberts Flowers and Professor Schaller showed us only confirmed that Dartmouth is where I belong.
The corpse flower, AKA "Morphy."
Now, I promise you: my blog will not be entirely about plants. I am interested in speaking about working on campus, writing and business opportunities, concerts, and much more. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!
My plant Snowball (on the right) and Abigail's plant Rosie (on the left).
Wellness is super important in college, but especially at Dartmouth – terms move super quick here! Read on to find out more about my perspectives on the topic at Dartmouth.
Going back and forth between Dartmouth and Istanbul is a unique dance. Here's how I experience being an international student at Dartmouth when I'm back home.
