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.
This summer, I'm taking a two-course term with one core class for each of my majors: Economics and Environmental Studies. My busiest days are Wednesdays through Fridays, but I only have one class on Monday and none on Tuesday, leaving ample time for my research with the Energy Justice Clinic, leading the Dartmouth Energy Alliance, my part-time job with Admissions, and bonding with fellow '24s!
ENVS 25: Agroecology
My ENVS 25 team analyzes our data about which ant species live in two separate plots back in the Organic Farm's lab.
If you don't mind getting your hands dirty and are intrigued by the idea of improving food systems, Professor Ong's ENVS 25: Agroecology is the perfect Sophomore Summer class for you. My favorite part of Agroecology is investigating field problems from start to finish with a team because it feels like partaking in real, hands-on scientific research. Dartmouth's Organic Farm is our classroom—we board a yellow school bus each Thursday morning to get to our lab session. My group has studied the effects of riparian buffers on water retention times, survivorship of annual versus perennial flower species, and the impacts of the age of agroforestry plots on predator biodiversity. After collecting data in our weekly lab, we prepare group presentations and papers where we switch from taking on the roles of lead author, data analyst, and researcher.
As a non-CS major, coding in R has been a completely new yet exciting experience because I've learned how to visualize data in bar graphs, box plots, histograms, and more. Our three TAs have been very accessible and essential in helping myself, a beginner programmer, gain an understanding of R. With no tests or quizzes, our grade is entirely based on collaborative group work where we can turn in drafts and our individual final project, which is extremely open-ended. This approach has been such a welcome change of pace where I feel focused on just learning and not worried about exams. For my independent final field project, I am analyzing how intercropping tomato and basil impacts farmers' economic profits. During our last lab session, we exchanged ideas in a working discussion between the Organic Farm managers and ENVS 25 students on how future class sections can aid in developing better irrigation and pest management systems. I love the practicality of this class and its application to real-world issues, like changing weather patterns on crop yields and species diversity.
ECON 21: Microeconomics
During Week 2 of the term, I learned in ECON 21 how to apply the Lagrangian method to maximize a consumer's utility subject to their budget constraint for optimal quantities of two goods.
Of Dartmouth's three Economics core courses (ECON 20: Econometrics, ECON 21: Microeconomics, and ECON 22: Macroeconomics), Microeconomics has the reputation of being the most math-heavy. This course builds upon ECON 1, which I took during my freshman fall, so initially I was a bit nervous about how much I would remember from AP Calculus and ECON 1. As for class structure, two midterms and one final comprise 74% of our final grade; the rest are discussion board participation, problem sets, and module worksheets for completion. We finish weekly online modules at our own pace, where video explanations are posted that we can pause or rewatch as many times as we'd like. I have especially enjoyed the game theory and consumer choice units because I've found the material very relevant to my own life.
Although the content can be challenging, Dr. Petre is an amazing professor and explainer! Between Friday's collaborative problem set sessions, her weekly office hours, and our TA's weekly office hours, there are plentiful opportunities to ask questions on concepts less intuitive to us. Dr. Petre has made me feel much more confident in understanding the math and logic behind why certain models work that we were introduced to in ECON 1. In fact, my friend Annie and I are using Dartmouth's Take Your Professor Out to Lunch program with her this upcoming Week 9 to get to know her outside the classroom at one of Hanover's nicest restaurants.
Farewell for now, blog! I will be studying abroad at University College London (UCL) this fall for an exchange program with Dartmouth's Economics department, then interning in New York City this winter as a legal assistant during my off-term. I look forward to updating you when I return about all my junior year experiences—see you soon!
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This is my final term before senior year, which is both exciting and terrifying at the same time. One thing I am excited about is the classes I am taking this term, so let me tell you more!
