Hey y'all! My name is Natasha, and I am a junior at Dartmouth College. I'm majoring in history and minoring in public policy and Chinese. In my free time, I love to watch New Girl, hang out with my friends, and explore the Upper Valley. Dartmouth is a pretty neat place— I hope you enjoy reading my posts about life here!
Academic Program
History Major and Minors in Public Policy and Chinese
Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder: A Summer Term Reflection
As I look at the calendar, it's hard for me to believe that summer is already over. Although I wholeheartedly welcome the beginning of fall and the cooler weather that comes with it, this summer was truly unlike any other.
To be honest, I was initially apprehensive about this summer. I was worried that being away from my friends and the campus would make me feel disconnected from the Dartmouth community. I quickly learned that this was far from the case. In fact, in some ways, I feel closer to the Dartmouth community than ever before!
For example, I got to meet so many other amazing '23s through the First-Year Fellows Program. This program, organized by the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Public Policy and the Social Sciences, places first-year students in a public-policy related internship with a Dartmouth alumni mentor. I was placed at The American Leader, where I researched constitutional crises in American history. Usually, the program takes place in Washington, D.C. However, due to the pandemic, the program became fully remote. Even though the internship was remote, I gained so many valuable experiences from it. I especially enjoyed getting to know the other fellows, many of whom I did not know prior to the program.
A group picture of all the Fellows taken over Zoom
Another fun part of my summer was hanging out with my friends (remotely, of course!). Even though we are all living hundreds of miles away from each other, talking to my friends over Zoom transported me back to winter term when we'd sit on my friend's futon and hang out for hours on end as snow quietly blanketed the ground white. Admittedly, virtually talking to friends is not nearly comparable to physically hanging out with them. However, talking to my friends this summer has nonetheless been wonderful, and I can't wait to get back on campus to see them.
A throwback to winter term with my friends!
Saying that I miss Dartmouth would be nothing short of an understatement. I miss our beautiful campus, miss my friends, and miss the amazing professors who put their hearts and souls into teaching us. And while a pandemic is certainly not on my list of best things to happen in 2020, spending time away from campus made me realize just how much I can't wait to go back!
I reflect on Week 4 and the beauty of Dartmouth's many opportunities and resources. I discuss the amazing memories and bonds that I have created within the Dartmouth and Upper Valley communities!
Do you know where Hanover, New Hampshire is and what there is to do around here? Don't worry, I'm here to tell you some of my favorite things to do around the Upper Valley!
Like the college application process itself, I thought starting college in person would be equally as vague and difficult to navigate; however, Dartmouth was there for me in ways that I will forever be grateful for.
A kid from Southern California packs his bags and heads east. He arrives at Dartmouth College and begins a new life. I wonder what he will do? It is Fall, the leaves begin to change, what else will change with time?
As people are beginning to trade in their tank tops for sweaters and iced coffees for pumpkin-spiced lattes, I can't help but reminisce about my summer term at Dartmouth.
