Greetings from the woods! My name is Gavin Fry, and I'm a student blogger with the People, Places, and Pines team. I'm a proud first-generation college student, carrying with me the full support of my crazy family. I plan to be involved with undergraduate research, outdoor activities, and club golf here at Dartmouth! You can find me geeking out about the weather, reading novels, and always drinking coffee (at any time of the day). So nice to meet you!
Academic Program
Prospective Environmental Earth Science Major with a Minor in Public Policy
Favorite Thing Right Now
My idea of starting a chapter of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) here at Dartmouth!
Oh. My. Goodness. What a fun class this was! As a certified weather and climate geek, I was totally entrenched in everything we done in this course. From the labs and weather presentations to the "flipped" classroom experience, I thoroughly enjoyed this class. Dr. Osterberg's excitement for the course material made it that much more enjoyable! It was truly an extraordinary first-year course to take.
I’ve loved this class from beginning to end. For one, I enjoyed it because of the people in it, but I also loved it because of the content. Through frequent class discussion, I learned about the health of our democracy and the ways it is compromised. Very enlightening class!
Religion 5 was a quintessential liberal arts course that deepened my knowledge in a subject I thought I had all figured out. As a STEM-oriented student, this class offered the perfect balance to my spring term schedule. As a result of this class, I became more introspective of how I was raised, and I'm more grateful in my ability to be a free-thinker.
SummerOff Campus Internship - Princeton, New Jersey
This summer, I explored my future career plans by participating in a research internship with the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory at Princeton University. I learned a lot about what I want (and what I don't want) in a future career, and I made so many awesome lifelong connections!
A course rooted in both philosophical theory and real, practical methods of becoming a better public speaker was the highlight of the term. Our class of 16 students grew to be a sort of "mini-family," and I'm so grateful for the connections I made. I completely changed the way I view public speaking and homed in on my own skills as a public speaker!
Once again, a course outside my major found its way into my favorite class list. This sociology course helped me better understand how children are viewed in society, the way sociologists study youth, and the major differences in norms around childhood around the world. Who knew there was so much to learn about youth culture!
*note: This is the second iteration of my two-part "Why Dartmouth?" story/narrative. This post reflects on my decision to attend Dartmouth after getting accepted and the process of transitioning from rural Arkansas to Hanover, New Hampshire and how my life changed accordingly. IF you have not read the first post about my story, please read it first! ™
After I had all but made the decision to go to a local state college with good financial aid and a driving distance away from home, I looked into some of the top colleges in the nation. I came across schools like Yale and Princeton and the University of Michigan and Johns Hopkins. I remember telling myself out loud something like, "boy that would be nice," with a kind of snicker at the end. I'm not certain the phrase I typed into the search bar or the website I navigated to, but I remember coming across this college website that featured the most beautiful landscape I have ever seen with smiling faces, beautiful architecture, picturesque snow, and a whole lot of "green" on the page. I do remember a quote I found on this "Dartmouth College's" website: "Soon you'll see every corner of the campus, and the world, as your laboratory." It all fit. I scrutinized this college. The more I researched, the more I was reminded of the quaint town I grew up in and how I always found solace in the earth that surrounded me, by its beauty and by its therapeutic capabilities. Dartmouth was the only selective school I applied to after that. I felt in my heart that this was going to be my home. It all made sense. Finally, after all the stuff I had gone through in the college process, it all came together.
It was never a question of whether or not I would "get into" Dartmouth. Immediately after applying, I knew that this is where I was supposed to go to college and that the universe has a funny way of making things happen if they are supposed to happen. On April 6th, 2021 I was riding back with my coach from a golf match to a district tournament. He knew me well enough to know my story. I just checked my application portal and saw that I got into Dartmouth, and I was initially surprised but deep down I knew I would get in. I talked with my coach. I didn't think it was realistic for me to move halfway across the country, leaving behind a sickly grandmother and my brother and sister with my parents. Again, deep down I knew this was where I was going to college. I felt that my heart was attached to this small little college in the middle of the woods. I never visited Dartmouth, but I didn't need to. The sprawling city life wasn't for me, and Dartmouth was the best decision I could make to maximize my future opportunities while having a community and being a part of something great.
My very first picture of the Baker Berry library at Dartmouth!
When I told my grandmother where I planned to go to college, she was initially skeptical (she was under the impression I was attending a college much closer to home when I told her) but she immediately supported my decision. She saw that my dedication throughout high school, the ability to strive through life's problems, and the trueness of my heart deserved a college worthy of adding to my life's story. Just like me, she realized this was the place meant for me. After graduating high school, that entire summer was dedicated to spending time with family and preparing to attend Dartmouth College. A first generation, extremely low income student with dreams to chase was ready to tackle his first year of college. My nana saw it in my eyes. When it was time to leave for Dartmouth in early August, for the FYSEP program, we planned a road trip from southeast Missouri to Hanover, New Hampshire. It was me, my nana, and Carl (my nanas companion). This road trip will be one of the greatest memories in my life. I am like my nana in many ways, full of perseverance, a heart full of kindness (sometimes too full), a work ethic like no other, and a stubbornness that got us to a good position in life. This road trip is something I hold near and dear to my heart. It wasn't just for me; my nana also got to see the country and live vicariously through me. When we got to campus, I think she could tell I was at home. Even though I'm sure it was nerve wracking for her to send me away in the moment, I think I brought her peace showing her my future home. I gave her a hug just outside the Hop Museum to catch the Dartmouth Coach for her flight back to Missouri. She wasn't a woman in touch with her compassionate side or in tune with her emotions, but everything that needed to be said was expressed in the look in her eyes and the hug she gave me. It was perfect. She passed away this past Christmas eve, but I'm at peace knowing I brought her solace in the last months of her life. It was her mission to raise me and see me do great things, and she did just that.
Me and nana moments before "the goodbye hug" in front of the Dartmouth Green!
My "Why Dartmouth" story isn't a narrative I'm telling to show you how bad my life was before coming to Dartmouth or to give the impression of the "heroic" tale of the kid who experienced a bad childhood "making it" to the next level. Nope. My recollection of why I chose Dartmouth is more than just choosing a college or a home for the next few years. It was a statement to myself, to my friends and family, and eventually to the world that I will chase my biggest dreams and aspirations for the rest of my life. Coming to Dartmouth was a testimony that I can overcome any obstacle in my future. Every time I'm walking the halls of a Dartmouth building or staring up at Baker Berry tower while walking across the Green, I'm reminded of my story. I'm just now starting to realize that the "Why Dartmouth" portion of my story isn't a culmination of anything; Rather, it is a new and exciting chapter that adds to my book of life.
Needless to say, I felt right at home as soon as I arrived at Darty... I knew I would!
It's easy to forget how easy it is to access walking trails during the hustle of a Dartmouth term. As graduation nears, I am reminded of how special it is to step off campus and enjoy quiet moments in nature.
With a solar eclipse sweeping across North America for the first time in nearly seven years on April 8th came a road-trip with hundreds of other Dartmouth students to a zone of totality near campus: St. Johnsbury, Vermont!
