你好！Or Hi! My name is Taylor, and I'm a '27! I'm from Beijing, China. I'm hoping to major in Mathematics Modified with Computer Science and minor in Religion. Outside of the classroom, you can find me going on hikes with the Dartmouth Outing club, drawing or crafting at the jewelry studio, or having fun, philosophical conversations with friends!
Academic Program
(Intended) Mathematics Modified with Computer Science, Religion
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.
Dartmouth offers a variety of resources and programs for students during breaks, and this winter break, I participated in theTuckLAB: Energy Program for eight days before returning home. TuckLAB is a "bootcamp" initiative for Dartmouth undergraduate students that includes both an entrepreneurship program and an energy program. The TuckLAB Energy Program aims to equip students with business knowledge and insights to address various challenges related to the energy transition. The program collaborates with the Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth Engineering, the Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society, and the Revers Center for Energy, Sustainability, and Innovation.
As someone who was not well-acquainted with the energy transition, I decided to enroll in the TuckLAB Energy Program this winterim to better understand Dartmouth's decarbonization efforts and explore the different energy systems that contribute to a sustainable future. My experience proved to be enlightening and offered unexpected opportunities for growth.
During the program, participants were divided into small groups of four to five students, each tasked with addressing an energy transition challenge related to the United States grid system. We focused on identifying a specific niche problem and examining it through technology, policy, finance, and sustainability justice aspects. Our ultimate goal was to develop a comprehensive solution and present our findings to faculty advisors within a week.
Each day involved a mix of lectures and research, covering topics such as financing the net-zero transition and policies affecting energy systems. My team chose to concentrate on using microgrids to stabilize the grid system and mitigate the impacts of extreme weather events in Gainesville, Florida. The learning curve was significant—I began the program with little knowledge about microgrids and, by the end of the week, felt confident discussing various aspects of the system we proposed.
This winter break experience at Dartmouth allowed me to gain practical knowledge about the complexities of the energy transition. Through the TuckLAB Energy Program, I developed a greater understanding of the collaborative efforts needed to address energy challenges and the potential pathways toward a more sustainable future. The skills and insights I gained will be beneficial as I continue to explore this important field.
I've never felt the saying, "Time flies" more strongly than now. How am I already halfway through my Dartmouth career? This winter marks the end of my 6th out of my total 12 terms, the halfway point of my Dartmouth journey.
