Hey! My name is Taylor, and I'm a '27 from Beijing, China. I'm majoring in Mathematics and Quantitative Social Science, with a potential minor in French. Outside of the classroom, you can find me going on hikes with the Dartmouth Outing Club, in the Spare Rib office writing creative pieces, or reading books in Sherman library
Coming to Dartmouth with a solid background in French (Delf B2), I find French 3 a perfect fit for me -- it helps me to consolidate a lot of key grammar and vocabs, and fun weekly cultural activities like coffee hours and french lunch table offers me chances to relax in busy times. While the class is very rigorous and requires a lot of hard work, my professor is so nice and makes the class very fun! I also look forward to going to Dartmouth's Toulouse LSA program after completion of this class!
This course explores how Buddhist concepts of embodiment affect daily life and society in Southeast Asian contexts, and how the intersection of religion, sexuality, and gender impact broader understandings of authority, wisdom, beauty, death, and loyalty. The class takes on many forms beyond mere lectures -- a visit to the Hood Museum of Art, mindfulness practices, and small Buddha-crafting projects. Our professor (the sweetest Prof. MK Long) also invites many of her colleagues at other institutes as guest lecturers to our class so that we can learn from real experts specializing in different countries in Southeast Asia. I have learned a lot from the class and decided to become a religion major after this course!
Having never enjoyed math classes before college, I'm surprised (again) by how I'm becoming a math major and falling in love with math here! My professor (Prof. Shu Longmei, who graduated from the best university in my hometown) is incredibly good at teaching the concepts -- not just explaining things clearly but also showing us the beauty and elegance of calculus. I really look forward to taking more math classes in the future!
SummerVietnam & Beijing, China
I first visited pagodas in Vietnam for a couple of weeks and had days of conversations with monastics! Then, I returned home to savor time spent with my family and old friends, focus on my mental and physical health, and study and work a bit.
This is a really fun and engaging class taught by an award-winning professor. The mini-ethnography assignments provide a lot of hands-on experience in conducting fieldwork, making the methods we study feel real and applicable. From participant observation to interviews and field note coding, this course offers an immersive introduction to ethnographic research on religion. Plus, the discussions on research ethics and methodology are both thought-provoking and relevant, making this an incredibly useful class for anyone interested in studying contemporary religious communities through direct engagement.
This class is incredibly interesting because it feels like traveling through time—from the philosophical foundations of Laozi and Zhuangzi to medieval Daoist traditions and contemporary practices in northern and southern China and Taiwan. Even as a Chinese student, I’m realizing how much there is to learn, not just about Daoism but also about the broader religious landscape and practices in China.
QSS 17 offered a rigorous and creative introduction to data processing and visualization. From replicating Florence Nightingale’s iconic rose plot to designing animated graphics and exploring datasets that captured my own interests, the course deepened both my technical skills and my ability to communicate insights visually. It taught me not just how to make graphs, but how to tell compelling, data-driven stories.
SummerHong Kong & Beijing, China
I completed an internship in Hong Kong and spent the rest of the summer with my family in Beijing.
The class featured an incredibly engaging range of readings—from Virginia Woolf, Kafka, and Shakespeare to Almodóvar’s films, as well as theoretical works by Butler, Žižek, Lacan, and Freud. I learned a great deal from the diverse perspectives these texts offered and benefited immensely from the in-class discussions, which were always thought-provoking and inclusive. The professor also made a genuine effort to get to know every student (all of us invited him to the Pine restaurant for lunch during the term), creating a warm and intellectually stimulating classroom environment.
This class explores French art, music, and history from the Middle Ages to the modern period, offering a broad view of the country’s cultural heritage. I especially enjoy it because many classes are held in museums and cathedrals, where encountering artworks and architecture in their original settings makes the material feel immersive and vividly alive.
This past weekend, our program took us to Bordeaux for a two-day trip that blended culture, history, and simple moments of togetherness in a way that felt uniquely special. Known for its elegant architecture and world-famous vineyards, Bordeaux immediately struck me as a city where art, history, and daily life coexist effortlessly.
One of the highlights of the weekend was a wine tasting that our study abroad program organized for all of us. Being in one of France's most renowned wine regions made it feel especially exciting, but what made it even better was experiencing it together as a full cohort. The tasting was led by a professional sommelier who gave us a two-hour guided session entirely in French, walking us through regional distinctions, production methods, and the history behind Bordeaux's global reputation. It was such a unique way to practice the language in a real-world setting while also learning something deeply tied to French culture. As we were laughing at our own attempts to taste and describe flavors in French, the wine tasting experience felt less like a formal lesson and more like a shared adventure and a fun way to spend time with friends outside of the classroom.
Wine tasting at Bordeaux
The timing of the trip made it even more memorable. Since it was Valentine's Day weekend, our cohort spontaneously organized a gift exchange where we randomly picked our "Valentines" and prepared small surprises for one another. Seeing how much thought everyone put into their gifts—inside jokes, favorite snacks, handwritten notes—made it feel incredibly personal. What could have been a simple exchange turned into an evening filled with laughter, hugs, and a kind of warmth that's hard to describe. In that moment, I realized how close we've all become in just five weeks. Studying abroad can feel overwhelming and unfamiliar at times, but being surrounded by people who are so genuinely kind and thoughtful makes it feel a lot more like home.
Bordeaux Museum of Fine Arts Lecture
We also explored Bordeaux through guided tours with our art history professors, which made the city feel like a living museum. At the Place de la Bourse, we admired the elegant 18th-century architecture, and the Opéra National de Bordeaux - Grand-Théâtre immediately stood out with its grand columns and statues. The Monument aux Girondins reminded us of the city's revolutionary history, while inside the Cathédrale Saint-André de Bordeaux, the soaring ceilings created a quiet, awe-inspiring atmosphere. We ended at the Bordeaux Museum of Fine Arts, where wandering through the galleries felt like the perfect way to slow down and reflect on everything we had seen throughout the day.
Curious about how declaring a major works at Dartmouth? Concerned about getting trapped studying something you don't like? No need to worry. Come explore with me how majors and minors work at Dartmouth!
My final week in Saigon was nothing short of adventure. Bittersweet, but still jam-packed with activities, come with me as I conclude my time in Vietnam
This winter, I'm studying abroad in Toulouse, immersing myself in French language, literature, art, and culture through place-based classes, city explorations, and firsthand experiences across southern France.
From surfing in Puerto Rico to backpacking in Joshua Tree to Norway: Break trips are a unique Dartmouth experience, giving students the opportunity to immerse themselves in the outdoors
