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!
This class posed a new challenge for me: to improve the communication and marketing strategy of a real non-profit organization in New Hampshire. Through a 10-week term, our class analysed the marketing strategies of multi-national corporations and their sustainability positioning. We used these skills to create some real-world impact in our community and help surrounding organizations. Applying my classroom knowledge to improve my community was a thrilling experience!
On a Matcha Diet: Pieces of Dartmouth I Found in Japan
I expected Japan to be unlike anything I'd ever known—and in many ways, it was. Between ancient temples, trains, matcha ice cream at every corner, and unique food, Japan was new and vibrant. But, somewhere between sipping tea in a bamboo forest in Kyoto and wandering the clean streets of Tokyo, I realized something strange: I kept finding little pieces of Dartmouth.
The cultural immersion I experienced in Japan surprisingly reminded me of my first-year fall. There is something quite humbling about being fully immersed in a culture you don't yet understand. In Japan, everything felt otherworldly—train stations with quiet crowds, phrases I'd rehearsed but still mispronounced ("Arigato gozaimasu" became a daily soundtrack). It all had a resemblance to my first Dartmouth term, when I was still learning how to navigate a new campus, new classmates, and new systems. That same mixture of nerves and excitement washed over me in both places. Except at Dartmouth, the daily soundtrack was "Hi, what's your name? Where are you from?"—the most common words spoken during orientation. What I learned in Hanover about diving in, asking questions, and laughing at mistakes and mishaps gave me the courage to explore Japan with an open heart.
A huge piece of my exploration was the food. In Japan, it was more than a mere necessity, but a ritual. From slurping ramen at a tiny counter in a marketplace to eating sushi at Sushizanmai, every meal felt like an entirely new experience. Matcha was its own category, though: matcha tea, matcha ice cream, matcha cake, matcha everything, everywhere. Eating slowly, intentionally, and with quiet appreciation was a daily experience. It brought me back to moments at Dartmouth: trying Collis sushi for the first time or exploring Hanover restaurants. I won't lie to you, the food in Japan was better, but the excitement of exploring a new world was the same.
One thing that stood out to me everywhere was the Japanese etiquette. The quietness on public transport, the timeliness of everything, the subtle bows exchanged between strangers. It was all respectful and elegant, and oddly familiar. At Dartmouth, we hold doors open for each other, and we wave across the Green to say hi to friends or even acquaintances. There is a shared sense of consideration throughout campus with small, everyday acts that make you feel welcome and dear to the community.
However, the most impressive piece of Dartmouth that I found in Japan was an actual Dartmouth hat. Hiking the Fushimi Inari Shrine—a network of hiking trails along a mountain covered in torii gates that lead to multiple prayer sites—I spotted a very distinct pine tree logo on someone's hat. Even in the middle of a forest in Kyoto, Dartmouth makes its presence known.
My adventure along the Fushimi Inari Shrine
Not only that, but my Dartmouth hoodie was recognized at the airport, followed by a "Congratulations!" That's always a fun experience. :)
Since returning, the instinct to reply "arigato gozaimasu" instead of thank you still lingers, as I hope the memories of this incredible adventure will.
Instead of spending sophomore summer on campus, I pursued an internship in Hong Kong, where Dartmouth's alumni network and fellow students helped me to I find community, friendship, and adventure that made my summer just as memorable.
One of the most unique traditions at Dartmouth is sophomore summer, where students stay on campus to take classes the summer before their junior year. My sophomore summer has been an incredibly special experience!
Summers between terms look different for every Dartmouth student! Opportunities are abundant and it's all what you make it out to be. This summer I interned on the Clean Energy Team at Wood PLC and traveled home to see my sister get married!
