Hey all! So excited to see you here. My name is Sydney and I'm a '24 passionate about energy, education, the environment, and economic policy. I grew up in Southern California, but have also lived abroad in Gibraltar, Spain, and the Philippines. When not blogging or working at McNutt as a Senior Admissions Fellow, you can catch me involved in the Dartmouth Energy Alliance, Energy Justice Clinic, and Greek Life. I hope my blog can give you a window into Dartmouth from a student's perspective.
Academic Program
Majors in Economics and Environmental Studies, Minor in International Studies
Taught by Professor Tine, this class focused on many interdisciplinary topics within the field of education. I loved learning about the significance of early pre-K interventions on long-term behaviors, the layered complexities of the American public school system, the neuroscience behind how the brain processes new information, and much more!
As someone interested in international studies, this course opened my eyes to the complex world of global health – both the biological and social sides of achieving equity. I found this class especially applicable given the COVID-19 pandemic and often transfer knowledge from Global Health & Society into my everyday life.
Searching for Justice is a perfect blend of studying literature and law. Highlights from this course include an op-ed I produced on anti-Asian hate crimes and a fictional short story adaptation based on Japanese internment camps from Korematsu v. United States. This first-year seminar exposed me to many different court cases, and I’m now strongly considering a future career in law!
SummerClaremont, California
I spent my summer back home in Southern California, working at my high school alma mater as a Summer Fellow for their Junior Scholars program. I had a wonderful time designing curriculum for the Journalism program, planning activities for middle schoolers, and providing support in the dorms. I also spent quality time with my cousins and bonded with family by the beach.
I am an aquaphile, a lover of all things related to the water. This environmental studies course on Marine Policy was perfect for me because it dove into how humans have impacted the oceans. From coastal development to deep sea mining, we explored how to think like a policymaker and consider the many different stakeholders involved in global marine issues.
Wow, the Practice of Science Policy and Diplomacy was a blast! I was eager to get to class early every day for this Public Policy seminar. Professor Burkins introduced me to writing effective policy memos, participating in a Model Arctic Council simulation, and presenting our SDG 7: Affordable & Clean Energy recommendations with a state coalition.
Energy Justice examined issues of culture, power, and inequity in the necessary shift away from fossil fuels. Taught as a Social Impact Practicum, this class deepened my interest in pursuing a career in energy and environmental law. During junior year, I’m excited to continue working with Professor Kelly as a Presidential Scholar researching justice and accountability in corporate energy systems.
During my Sophomore Summer, I really enjoyed studying food systems and accessing Dartmouth’s Organic Farm as our lab for Professor Ong’s Agroecology course. It was an incredible New England summer experience learning to visualize data in R, conducting fieldwork outdoors, and working as a team on scientific research projects. A term highlight was tasting freshly tapped maple syrup from Dartmouth’s very own Sugar Crew!
I was one of six Dartmouth Economics exchange students at University College London this term. All four of my modules—UCL’s equivalent of classes—gave me a new perspective on Economics and Geography through a British lens. Economic History was my favorite as we studied industrialization, the demographic transition, and the East Asian economic miracle after World War II. I grew a deep appreciation for how the events of our past can offer important lessons for us today and into the future.
WinterNew York, New York
Since Dartmouth students typically spend their Sophomore Summer on campus, the D-Plan allows us to take a different term off to develop personally and professionally. I spent my off-term working as a corporate legal assistant intern at a law firm in New York City. It was such a thrill to live and work in the Big Apple! With many fellow Dartmouth '24s also in the NYC area, my days out of the office were full of yummy food, catching up with old friends, and exploring iconic city sights.
Drawing upon disciplines like law, psychology, and popular culture, Writing and Speaking Public Policy was all about becoming more persuasive communicators. Professor Kalish provided us with such thoughtful, detailed feedback on our assignments and arranged for class field trips to the Jones Media Center and Hood Museum of Art. I especially enjoyed the flexibility offered for our small group media campaign project, where I created a children’s book on the benefits of bringing universal pre-K to New Hampshire.
SummerMystic, Connecticut
During my junior summer, I interned as a Yale Conservation Scholar at Mystic Aquarium. Working in the Education & Conservation department, I mentored high school interns about marine science communication and public engagement. Besides attending weekly professional development workshops with the Yale School of the Environment, I also helped out with summer camps, traveling classroom programs, and citizen science projects.
I traveled to Southern Africa for the first time with Dartmouth’s Environmental Studies FSP. From conducting research on invertebrate diversity in the Namib Desert to speaking with community members at Uibasen-Twyfelfontein Conservancy, we studied Namibia's socio-ecological systems. Highlights from this incredible trip include experiencing game drives at Etosha National Park, discussing ecotourism at the Cheetah Conservation Fund, and learning about Namibia’s integrated coastal zone management approach with government officials from the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources.
Econometrics was a pleasant surprise! While I came into this statistics-heavy course without a Stata coding background, Professor Fetter’s amazing explanations helped me feel confident about the new material. I learned so much about the assumptions required for causality and now feel equipped with the analytical tools to evaluate Economic research papers in an entirely different light.
An Economics and Environmental Studies Double Major's Winter Class Schedule
As I write this post, working by a café window while the snow tumbles outside makes me feel like I'm inside a snow globe. Many Dartmouth students pick up a more rigorous course load during the winter term as it is the perfect time to hunker down in the cozy library and focus on academics. I thought it would be the perfect time to knock out my last core Economics class for the major, along with two fun Environmental Studies courses exploring Earth's cold regions and Indigenous Environmental Studies.
ECON 20: Econometrics
ECON 20 is widely known among Economics majors as one of the most challenging courses in the major here at Dartmouth, but it's also been one of the most practical and rewarding. This class takes a deep dive into statistical analyses using the powerful software Stata, spanning multiple regression and instrumental variables with a strong emphasis on mastering causal inference tools. My friend Elizabeth '24 and I used Dartmouth's Take Your Professors Out to Lunch program to take Professor Daniel Fetter to lunch at Pine Restaurant for free, learning more about his research, life outside the classroom, and what drew him to pursue academia. Professor Fetter and the course's two teaching assistants (TAs) are readily available to guide us through conceptual and data exercises, creating a learning environment where asking questions is not just welcomed but encouraged. I am also super grateful for group tutoring withDartmouth's Academic Skills Center, a free program where students who previously performed well in the course host drop-in, small-group office hours three days a week as their part-time job. Next term, I will enroll in my culminating experience for the Economics major (ECON 64: Topics in Development Economics), so the skills I learn in ECON 20 will be extremely useful when writing my own major research paper!
ENVS 15: Environmental Issues of the Earth's Cold Regions (AKA: Pole to Pole)
If you have ever wondered about how to conduct ethical community-based Arctic research or why the ocean global conveyor belt is so important, this is the course for you. Winter is the most fitting term to take this very popular Environmental Studies course about the Earth's coldest regions, and Pole to Pole also counts as the fifth of six classes in my International Studies minor. The course consists primarily of '27s (first-years) and '24s (seniors), though students span all class years. We also have a wonderful graduate student TA Sarah who helps grade our assignments and host office hours. Professor Ross Virginia is a Deadhead (loyal fan of the American rock band The Grateful Dead) and always begins class with a song that captures some element of the day's lecture topics. The assignments have been fun, engaging, and memorable, from transcribing the Lorne Knight Diary to writing a blog post reflecting on the music selection of diverse peoples of the Arctic. The open-book midterm was a non-stressful learning opportunity for us to demonstrate our ability to synthesize polar science concepts like thermohaline circulation and Bond cycles. We also have the chance to interact with primary sources from the Rauner Library Special Collections that are over a hundred years old!
NAS 18/ENVS 18: Indigenous Environmental Studies
This cross-listed course in the Environmental Studies and Native American and Indigenous Studies departments examines Indigenous rights, land-language linkages, reciprocity, self-determination, and much more. I am currently collaborating with four of my classmates for our creative group assignment, where we are co-producing a research paper, presentation, and zine on green hydrogen in South Africa. This course satisfies my Systems and Traditions of Thought, Meaning, and Value (TMV) distributive requirement, meeting every Tuesday and Thursday for roughly 2-hour blocks. On Tuesdays, we complete an 8-minute in-class reading reflection and hear a lecture from Professor Meredith Ferguson. On Thursdays, guest lecturers visit our class to discuss their areas of expertise. These speakers have ranged from my Energy Justice Clinic research professor, Dr. Sarah Kelly, to the Executive Director of Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, Aja DeCoteau '03. A couple of times, Sarah Parella from the Dartmouth Library Book Arts Workshop joined our class to teach us fun, artistic techniques for the zine component of our creative group project. The second half of every class is devoted to small-group reading discussions where we take turns serving as the week's team leader and pose questions to our peers. I'm so glad I got to take a course in Dartmouth's Native American and Indigenous Studies department before I 'spring' into my final term!
At Dartmouth, there is an undergraduate requirement for language; after all, it is the liberal arts! Fulfilling this requirement looks different for various people and I will focus on my experience.
Traditionally, Dartmouth students take three courses during a term, but I decided to take four courses this term! Learn about course load and the academic system at Dartmouth.
As I approach the halfway mark of my Dartmouth journey this spring, I find myself reflecting on the significance of distributive and world culture requirements in shaping my academic experience.
