Welcome to my page, I am a '27 from central New Hampshire! I came to Dartmouth for the liberal arts curriculum, so I plan to explore the academic disciplines before deciding what to focus on. I am currently looking at environmental science and religion. In addition to blogging, I work as an Interfaith Trip Fellow with the Tucker Center for Spiritual and Ethical Life. I enjoy mountain biking, running, skiing, singing, and drawing.
Academic Program
Intended: pre-health, anthropology, environmental studies, and religion.
This discussion and reading-based class was incredible and relevant! Content ranged from the historical impact of the printing press to AI in the workforce and transhumanism, and all of the topics were grounded in religion and some of the frameworks religion provides. I pondered on ideas from this class all the time.
I was captivated by the first class meeting of the term reading Ovid's 'Metamorphoses' and eventually chose to focus on it for my research paper at the end of the term. All of the readings captivated my attention, however, Kafka, Han's 'The Vegetarian', and Kristeva were the authors that made the biggest impression on me. The class discussions resulted in wonderful insights relevant to humanity at a macro level. My favorite aspect was our professor instructing us to focus on the ideas before picking apart the writing style.
This class made me think about the bigger picture of health in a systems focus. Ultimately this class helped me realize that there are a lot of structural health system challenges in the U.S. and around the world. I particularly liked learning about the histories and anthropological side of things. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) were my favorite topic in the class because the frameworks are very limited, so some do not receive enough focus and funding.
My Spanish language study abroad was wonderful. In addition to improving my Spanish proficiency, I learned a lot about the culture and history of Spain- especially in the autonomous community (region) of Cantabria where Santander is located. My favorite class on this trip was literature, every class had a different theme relevant to the history and culture of Spain and this was explored with movies, videos, and readings that resulted in some great insights during class discussion. The homestay aspect and excursions bolstered the conversational and cultural aspects of the LSA.
First and foremost, choosing to go to Dartmouth knowing that I will not be going into debt has allowed me to do some incredible things so far in my time here. My life and career goals center around trying to create positive change in the world; the knowledge of not going into debt during my undergraduate years has made it possible for me to choose a major without the end goal of the highest financial career outcome—not to say that I do not value a healthy income, I just do not have to factor in paying back school loans to that equation. I think it is freeing to engage in intellectual exploration which can lead to creative forms of leadership in a changing world, which in my case is largely enabled by financial accessibility. I have learned a lot from my classes, job positions, and groups here about transferable skills and the key abilities of thinking critically and communicating well with others. My point is that a liberal arts education is teaching me much more than just how to succeed in one particular field or career path.
Another key part of the fact that I can attend Dartmouth is the friends and the people I am exposed to here. The kinds of conversations I have here tend to be fantastic and continue to drive my intellectual and cultural curiosity. It is also great to be around people who have a variety of goals, experiences, and origins, which is more relevant at a smaller school like Dartmouth where student life is a bit of a microcosm.
During the solar eclipse last spring, my friends and I went to Pine Park to experience the spectacle. We also had a good time being our usual goofy selves.
Last spring, my friends and I hosted a prom-style social event and had a blast—we also took some great photos!
There are plenty of various fundings at Dartmouth, and one particular area that I was able to experience is going on a trip. Many trips (such as the Dartmouth Outing Club), internships, research positions, and more have easily accessible funding opportunities at Dartmouth making them possible for all Dartmouth students. For example, last spring break, I went with the Tucker Center to Washington D.C., which proved to be a great experience with the expenses covered; it would have stretched my budget and probably stop me from attending if I had to pay for this myself.
Last March, during my Interfaith Trip to Washington D.C., I was able to explore some important locations around the city.
Furthermore, this past summer, I was on a study abroad term, which is slightly more expensive than an on-campus term—however, thanks to the financial aid, the extra boost made my abroad experience accessible. The goal is for students to be fully immersed in a study abroad experience and not have to divert their time towards a paid job to make ends meet. I was able to have a range of experiences in Spain and during our week off midway through the program, I was able to travel a bit with some of my classmates.
This collage represents a small snapshot of my recent Summer term in Spain. These are all photos from various excursions, some were facilitated by the program and others were not.
Lastly, I work paid jobs at Dartmouth. However, with my financial aid package, I don't necessarily need to do this. Nonetheless, I like working as it helps break up a dense intellectual schedule. Currently with my two jobs, the maximum I could work in a week is 14 hours, but that will rarely happen—last year my weekly maximum was 4 hours. This is important because it means I do not need to work crazy hours to make ends meet and dedicate more time to my studies and taking care of myself. In summary, I am able to attend, be successful, and take care of myself at Dartmouth thanks to strong financial aid policies.
I include this photo as a way to mention that I have been able to continue my hobbies since coming to Dartmouth, as I have not needed to work to pay for school expenses at every spare second in my schedule. I love photography, especially in nature, which is peaceful for me. I have had room to take care of myself and have some fun!
Curious as to what Greek Life is like at a college where 50% of eligible students are part of at least one Greek organization? Read on to learn about my experience with sorority recruitment!
As an international student, I was hesitant to join Greek Life, but I found a welcoming community. Now, as a junior, I hope to help others find their place too.
