Hello hello! I'm Sarah, a '29 from Burnsville, North Carolina (about an hour outside of Asheville, NC). I'm a Questbridge National Match Scholar here at Dartmouth passionate about global affairs, public policy, disaster relief, and anything in-between. On campus, I'm involved with the DOC (VHOC!!!), MUN, World Outlook Journal, World Affairs Council, and more. Reach out with any questions!
I was drawn to INTS80.06 as it was taught by Ambassador Jeffery Delaurentis, a career ambassador to Cuba and to the UN Security Council. Throughout the course, we explored the history of the international liberal order that the US created after WWII and where that same international sphere is going today---and if US leadership is necessary or guaranteed.
During my first two weeks at Dartmouth College, I think I attended upwards of five open houses—mini showcase-like events that most departments and offices host at the beginning of the year. Yes, it was probably too many. However, I am still extremely grateful that I managed to drag myself all the way from the River Cluster to Haldeman Hall to learn more about the John Sloan Dickey Center, Dartmouth's center for International Studies.
The class at the UN Secretariat with Ambassador Delaurentis and Lisa M. Buttenheim, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for the Department of Field Support.
The Dickey Center hosts many student programs, such as the Great Issues Scholars for first-years, the War & Peace Fellows, and the Global Health Scholars. Dickey also regularly sponsors international studies experts to give free, campus-wide talks—I've personally attended talks from Jake Sullivan (the national security advisor under President Biden) and Shiori Ito (director of the award-winning documentary The Black Box Diaries), among many other notable speakers. Particularly, Dickey sponsors the International Studies (INTS) Minor and works to bring in field experts to serve as visiting fellows to teach seminar-level courses in the INTS department.
It was at Dickey's Open House during Orientation Week that I was told that Ambassador Jeffery DeLaurentis was visiting for the Fall '25 term to teach a course on multilateralism and U.S. leadership: INTS80.06. Although in the craziness of course registration, I hadn't managed to get a seat in his class, after reaching out via email, I was able to be added (Just ask!).
Learning from Professor DeLaurentis was a completely unbelievable experience. Throughout his career in foreign affairs, Professor DeLaurentis served at the State Department, throughout the UN, as the U.S. acting ambassador to political affairs at the UN on the Security Council, and as the U.S. Ambassador to Cuba from 2015-2017. Throughout the course, which focused heavily on the U.S.'s engagement in the UN and UN Security Council, Professor DeLaurentis would casually share anecdotes of his many interactions with presidents, colleagues, and other prominent ambassadors. The class was such an incredible way to gain firsthand insight into life at the UN, in high-level politics and foreign affairs, and a career in diplomacy.
Some classmates and I walking around the City.
To round up the class, we took a trip to New York City to visit many of Professor DeLaurentis' ambassador friends and colleagues—which is a crazy sentence to say. The trip was entirely sponsored by the Dickey Center. Throughout our UN-filled day, we visited the Brazilian, British, Bahamian, and Chinese Embassies to the UN. We also visited two offices in the Secretariat of the UN. In many cases, we were able to arrange our visits and speak with higher up Ambassadors and Deputy Ambassadors because of Professor DeLaurentis' connections from his career in foreign affairs.
Ambassador DeLaurentis at the door of the UN Embassy of the Bahamas. We got to sit and talk with Bahamian Ambassador Stan Smith!
The course was an amazing introduction to international studies and the endless opportunities available at Dartmouth. Before I even arrived on campus, I wrote a Dartmouth bucket list: one of the top things on my list was to go to NYC for the first time. I never imagined I would cross that off through an INTS class, let alone get to learn about and visit so many incredible pieces of the United Nations. I think it goes to show that opportunities are everywhere at Dartmouth and there are countless ways to pursue them within your specific interests and goals.
The New York Skyline from the British Embassy to the UN.
True to the theme of a liberal arts education, Dartmouth requires students to take one or two classes each in several different subject matters, or distributives, in order to graduate.
Welcome back to Open Doors—your inside look at life in the Woods! This week, Sarah Getraer '26, a studio art major, showed me around her dorm room, where we discussed Dartmouth residence halls, classes, and campus life.
