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.
This class sits at the center of the two interests that I have chosen for my modified major, anthropology and environmental studies. There are a few reasons I love this class. First and foremost, there is a SIP fieldwork aspect to it (I wrote a post about this!) which means I can experience local communities and have a tangible impact. Next, my professor has a wonderful design for the content and structure of the class. Also, I am genuinely excited to learn about the content and perspective this course utilizes by considering the many dimensions of disaster. I particularly like exploring the historical factors that turn a scenario into a disaster, and how that can be prevented.
This past interim, I was part of an interfaith group that traveled to Washington DC on a Dartmouth-funded trip for American religious history! Here is what it looked like:
Washington National Cathedral
Our group was fortunate to have a tour from Reverend Hamlin who is the Minister of Equity and Inclusion at the Cathedral. Everything in the Cathedral has some sort of significance, whether you are looking at the stained glass, mosaics, or architecture. We learned that the Cathedral is for the people of the United States and is supposed to reflect that. Therefore, many of the stained glass pieces tell stories related to U.S. history. For example, the colors in the Civil War stained glass below are meant to reflect the turmoil in the country at that time. Downstairs there is also a multifaith room and a space for reflection on the devastation in Ukraine, and our group valued the existence of those spaces.
Civil War Stained Glass
Peaceful Protest Stained Glass
National Cathedral Mosaic
Sikh Gurdwara DC
On the fourth day of our trip, we went to the Gurdwara, which was familiar for me. The group got to see part of a service and got a special presentation given by a member of the Sikh Coalition about the social impact and dedication to service that is a huge part of the Sikh faith. The group also got to experience Langar, which is the picture of me below, where people eat simple vegetarian food while sitting on the floor.
Langar at the Gurdwara
Islamic Center of Washington DC
This mosque is on Embassy Row and it is fairly close to the Cathedral and Gurdwara. We went there mainly just to see it an did not have a tour.
Inside the Mosque
Outside the Mosque
Sixth & I Synagogue
On the second day of our trip we started our day at the synagogue and had a great conversation with Kira Doar, the Director of Community Impact and Organizational Culture. We learned that the synagogue is also used as an event venue and that as an organization they are trying to create an inclusive space and Kira specifically noted that they have trainings for LGBTQIA+ and racial inclusivity.
Synagogue Seating and Stage
Synagogue Ceiling
Iftars at Center DC, Georgetown University, and Howard University
In case you do not know, Iftar is when Muslims break their daily fast during Ramadan. It was really neat to see the slightly different approaches at the different places and to better appreciate the Muslim prayer practices of some of my friends. At Georgetown we were also fortunate to get a tour of some of the their student religious centers, and I found their dharmic room to very exciting.
A note on affordability: this trip was covered by the Tucker Center along with generous alumni funding, and thanks to that those of us who went on the trip did not have to pay anything for it. Things at Dartmouth are typically finanical aid friendly!
Stay tuned to check out my next trip update next week!
Learn about the different programs Dartmouth offers prospective students to explore campus life, learn about Dartmouth, and enjoy an all-expenses paid trip to Hanover!
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!
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.
