Olá! I'm Luana from Brasília, the capital of Brazil. A couple of years ago I was, just like you, looking through this blog hoping to get to know Dartmouth. But now, I get to tell you why I love being a Dartmouth student! From the academic opportunities to the community, I'll show you how grateful I am to have chosen the College on the Hill. So, consider this an invitation to accompany me as this blog becomes your looking glass into life in Hanover.
As a bookworm who loved dissecting and analyzing novels or philosophical works, a writing class focused on classical literature with weekly discussions was the right fit for me. Between reading Sophocles, Nietzsche, and Rawls, I had the opportunity to reassess my approach to reading, deepen my interpretations, and improve my public speaking skills while broadening my recognition of the significance of critical thinking.
I'll be honest: Physics has never been my favorite subject, until now. This term I am taking Introduction to Physics, a course that has shown me new horizons of what science can do. This class wasn't about calculating the movements of falling objects, it was about mathematically comprehending natural phenomena. The grandeur of that became evident as my professor, an accomplished experimental physicist, would passionately lecture on kinematics, waves, thermodynamics, and more.
I went into the woods and explored the fantastical worlds of the Brothers Grimm tales. It was definitely a thrilling and meaningful experience to analyse Snow White's virtues and Little Red Riding Hood's morals as important pieces of European culture. In other words, I got to study my childhood fairy tales, journeying through their real-world impact on a sociological, psychological, anthropological, and historical perspective.
For this summer, I decided to go home! Along with enjoying family and friends, I had the opportunity to learn a great deal during an internship at one of Brazil's top financial services institutions. There, I supported strategic growth and market positioning initiatives, delivered analysis and recommendations directly to senior stakeholders, and designed and executed internal engagement strategies to enhance organizational alignment and employee experience across business units. I also used this time to travel a little bit, exploring some of Japan. All in all, it's been a wonderful summer!
A Genuine Dartmouth Tale: I was Reconsidering my Major
I had always heard that professors at Dartmouth are kind and attentive—I got to experience that fact first hand this term.
I was reconsidering my major. The rumors are true, guys: engineering is hard. It took some adapting for me to find my pace and excel in it. Throughout that process, I got a bad grade. It's ok, these things happen and I got so much support from the Dartmouth community to ensure I would end the term happy with my results.
I went to my professor, asking for guidance on how to prepare for the next midterm. We walked through the test together, reviewing mistakes. I just found myself in awe of the fact that this accomplished professional and researcher was taking the time and dedication to review the test of a first-year undergraduate student on intro-level topics. That lives at the core of the Dartmouth experience: professors here genuinely care about their students and will never leave anyone unsupported. Regardless if it is an introductory class or a higher-level course, they will make themselves available and use as much time necessary to support you.
That availability reaches beyond classroom topics. So, considering the question of whether or not I was fit for engineering was running through my head, I decided to ask for some guidance about my major. I will carry his response forever in my heart. He kindly asked me, "Why do you like engineering?" This is something I am genuinely passionate about and my response demonstrated that as I explained my awe for the problem solving and design thinking skills engineering prepares you for. My professor teared up and through choked words said, "I don't want you to ever lose that spark." He used my test point by point to show me that my instincts are that of a real engineer.
Safe to say, I did not reconsider my major again. I owe so much of the confidence I regained in myself and in my career path to this Dartmouth professor. Fortunately, this is not a unique Dartmouth experience. From speaking to countless students, so many are grateful for the connection they had the chance to create with their professors, becoming a very impactful and significant piece of their career path.
Professor of English, author of multiple books on American literature, and recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the American Philosophical Society, and the Mellon Foundation—meet Professor Colleen Boggs.
