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.
Spending Valentine's Day with Friends at Dartmouth Skiway
Did you know that Dartmouth is one of the only two colleges in the United States to own their own ski mountain? And here's the best part: you don't have to be an expert skier to have fun on the slopes. As someone who hadn't skied in over 12 years, I had a great time reuniting with the sport last weekend for a three-hour excursion at the Dartmouth Skiway. Spending Valentine's Day taking a ski lesson with my friends was an awesome experience, even though we were all complete beginners!
I met my friends Lauren and Marco at noon in front of Baker-Berry Library to board the Dartmouth Campus Shuttle bound for the Dartmouth Skiway. The shuttle conveniently offers free rides at the top of the hour for all undergraduates throughout the day on Friday, Saturday and Sundays during the ski season. The Dartmouth Skiway is only around a 20-minute car or bus ride from the center of campus, so we arrived at the grounds with plenty of time to spare before our 1 p.m. lesson. Upon our arrival, Marco and Lauren headed to the rental station to pick up their gear: helmet, goggles, poles, boots, and of course, skis! I tagged along because I had brought my own equipment with me. Everything looked so different as we snapped on our snug ski goggles and stepped outside the lodge. The UV-protected lenses added a new filter to our vision, shielding us from the blanket of glaring white snow.
Lauren and I snapped this photo together after our first successful run of the bunny hill!
We met our instructor and introduced ourselves at the base of the bunny hill. All three of us may have stepped onto the skiway as complete beginners, but by the end of our first lesson, we had learned how to stop, change directions, incorporate our poles, and stand up sideways to recover from a fall. We also became much more confident at zigzagging the bunny hill — all in the span of 90 minutes!
Regardless of your experience, there are a variety of steepness levels for skiers to enjoy after mastering the bunny hill: green (novice), blue (intermediate), black diamond (advanced). After a quick water break back at the lodge, we headed up the magic carpet (a conveyor belt type lift that takes you up the slope while standing) to conquer the bunny hill a couple more times before trying one of the easier main green slopes. It was so much fun taking a ski lift for the very first time; the views were incredible! We still need some additional practice, but I'm so glad to have had this chance to re-engage with skiing while at Dartmouth, with many more trips to come. I plan on hitting the slopes again next weekend, and would love to make skiing part of my weekly winter routine.
In the future, who knows? I may even try snowboarding.
Fun fact: Dartmouth Skiway hosted the NCAA Skiing Championships in 1958 and 2003. It also plans to host the championships again in 2025!
I have written about being a student worker plenty of times in the past, but I have yet to talk about one of my favorite jobs ever: ticket selling at the Hopkins Center for the Arts.
