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!
Personally, it's always been the "what's next?" in life—the next task, the next accomplishment, the next (fill in the blank). Since graduating high school, I've tried to gain the ability to appreciate the things I'm doing in life. Whether it be graduating valedictorian, attending my dream school that is Dartmouth College, receiving honors in classes, or making lifelong friends as an introvert, it's important to acknowledge your successes before moving onto the next thing in your life. In the past week, I was reminded of this important life skill. I landed an internship in the field I've wanted to get involved in since I was a kid, and it's an absolute dream come true. In addition to it being all of the glitter and gold that I imagined, it's tough. In my opinion, this summer was the first time I've truly felt completely independent from anyone else in my life. I drive myself to work, cook meals, make plans with the other interns, have meetings with incredible scientists, etc. It's easy to get caught up in this kind of workflow, and it becomes difficult to keep track of your happiness sometimes.
The view from the plane ride home was incredible. Just look at those cumulus clouds!
I was looking forward to seeing this sunset for days!
Thankfully, I was able to realize that everyone, including myself, is subject to the feeling of "burn-out" or purely becoming overwhelmed by everyday life. I'm also thankful that my internship is flexible enough that I was able to work from home for a week. I decided to take the week of the 4th of July to visit my family back in Arkansas, and it was a wonderful decision. Now, if you've read some of my previous blog posts, you would know that my family situation isn't the greatest. Whenever I return, it's usually filled with all sorts of family drama that makes me want to leave the scene and never look back. I suppose there is always some kind of calmness amidst the wind and rain bands of a hurricane. This past week was a good visit. It was refreshing to catch up with both of my parents and extended family. Moreover, it was nice to spend time with my aunt and uncle (my primary guardians) while I was at home. They reassured me that they were proud of me and that I was the most impressive person they've ever seen. My life hasn't been easy in the past few months, and it's nice to know my accomplishments are recognized.
Me and the little sis after a day full of 4th of July festivities!
Perhaps most importantly, it was comforting to be with my brother and sister after they haven't seen me in about four months. They don't have the greatest family situation either, so I suppose it's a beacon of light when I return. The 4th of July was probably the perfect time to return. Of course, there were the tangible things: fireworks, BBQ, swimming, and watermelon that always get me excited. However, it's really the intangibles that I was looking for upon my return: the hysterical laugh of my brother and sister after I fell in the mud, the split second of perfect lighting right when a firework shot off overhead, or the lighthearted conversations with my family amidst all of the chaos with the children. I was also reminded of all the friends I've made at Dartmouth. I wished them happy 4th of July via a phone call and we reassured each other we couldn't wait to get back to Darty come September. This visit was something I needed and I'm so fortunate to have taken a mental break this past week. Remember how important those are.
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!
Homecoming—a time when current students and alumni gather to relive cherished memories and exhibit large amounts of school spirit. Find out how I spent my second Homecoming Weekend at Dartmouth!
I recently visited the Harold Edward Cable Makerspace, a workspace designed for students to create personal projects. Read about some of the different tools available and what I made!
