Hey!! I'm Eloise and this is my blog! I'm a '28 from New Holland, Pennsylvania. I love to read and write in my free time and I'm so excited to get involved in clubs at Dartmouth. I love exploring the outdoors and I can't wait to go on more trips with the Dartmouth Outing Club. I hope you enjoy my blog!
This course covers modern American history through an imperial lens. It was my first time learning about these topics and events in-depth, and I learned so much! The class focuses on small group discussions and having nuanced conversations about assigned readings. It was the perfect class for my first fall! I cannot recommend this class enough!
This course was my first-year seminar, a portion of the Dartmouth first-year writing sequence. In this class, we read four Jane Austen novels and discussed them as a class. The best part was our final project: creating an exhibit to be displayed in Baker-Berry Library! In partnership with Rauner Special Collections Library, we worked with Austen's first editions and designed an exhibit to celebrate Austen’s 250 Birthday.
This course introduces different types of sociological research methods, which culminate in a final research proposal to explore the topic of your choice. I'm not a sociology major, so I was intimidated at first, but I fell in love with the class and the topics. I stepped outside my comfort zone, and I learned so much. I highly recommend it!
SummerWashington, D.C.
For my first off-term at Dartmouth, I spent the summer in Washington, D.C. as a First-Year Fellow through the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Public Policy at Dartmouth. I interned at the House of Representatives, where I met constituents, politicians, and legislative staffers who help run our country. I learned so much about policy issues close to my heart, like animal rights and climate change. I also had so much fun exploring D.C. with the other fellows and learning about our nation’s capital!
Through this program, about 20 first-year students get placed into summer internships in Washington, D.C., and paired with Dartmouth alumni as mentors for the summer.
After being accepted into the program, I was placed as an intern in Representative Sean Casten's office on Capitol Hill. I was super excited about my placement because I've always wanted to experience being a "hilltern" (an intern on the Hill).
My main responsibilities included answering phone calls, drafting letters to constituents, and researching bills to provide recommendations to the Congressman on whether he should co-sponsor a piece of legislation or not.
Me in front of Rep. Casten's office!
I learned a lot from these assignments! I really improved my professional writing and phone skills, and I also learned all about Congress and how the legislative process works. Many of the bills and letters I looked at dealt with environmental issues, so I also learned a lot about climate change and animal rights, which are important issues for me.
Another one of my responsibilities as a hilltern was giving Capitol tours to constituents. Prior to my internship, I had never been inside the Capitol building, so I learned a lot about the building and its history. I really enjoyed giving tours to constituents and having access to such a beautiful, historic building!
The office itself was a wonderful place to work! The staff was so kind and created a really welcoming and collaborative space for us interns. They made time out of their busy schedules to grab coffee chats with me and offer advice and support wherever they could.
My fellow intern and I with Greg LeMond!
One of the coolest aspects of the job was attending briefings, hearings, and floor proceedings throughout the day. Rep. Casten is a member of the House Financial Services Committee, so I was able to sit in on a hearing one day. I watched as the representatives asked experts questions on crypto and stablecoins. At one point, I was right next to Congresswoman Maxine Waters, which was so cool!
Another day, I watched Rep. Hakeem Jeffries break the record for the longest speech on the House floor. My fellow interns and I sat and watched him speak for over two hours in the gallery. It was such a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
Many organizations also come to the Hill to raise awareness of their causes. These events were very informative and normally came with free food and merch. My favorite was the Bike Expo, where local cycling companies handed out free bike supplies. Greg LeMond, the first and only American to win the Tour de France, was also in attendance and talked to us. As a big Tour de France fan, I was overjoyed!
Me in front of the Capitol building!
My internship was a wonderful experience! I grew so much professionally, and I also had so much fun! I met some really cool, amazing, and dedicated people, and I definitely want to work on Capitol Hill again when I'm older.
Before my internship in Italy, I spent two terms studying in Rome. How did those experiences help prepare me for my current position? Well, let me explain!
Instead of spending sophomore summer on campus, I pursued an internship in Hong Kong, where Dartmouth's alumni network and fellow students helped me to I find community, friendship, and adventure that made my summer just as memorable.
One of the most unique traditions at Dartmouth is sophomore summer, where students stay on campus to take classes the summer before their junior year. My sophomore summer has been an incredibly special experience!
