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.
With the end of winter term, I am finally back to engaging in the Dartmouth Outing Club (DOC) activities! I have always been a huge fan of the DOC, and I have been to the Ledyard Canoe Club's (a subclub of the DOC) multiple rowing activities in the fall. After the winter term ended, I was itching to get back to the rugged beauty that defines our campus. This time, I signed up for a hike with the Cabins and Trails sub club to Lonesome Lake.
A beautiful photo of a river and snow and pines
A beautiful waterfall in the woods
Standing amidst the tranquil beauty of our natural surroundings, I couldn't help but reflect on the profound connection we share with the land. As I stood in the very spot where Henry David Thoreau once stood, witnessing the cascade of water into the granite bowl, his words echoed in my mind. Thoreau wrote in his journal, "this is perhaps the most remarkable curiosity of its kind in New England." Though my literary prowess may pale in comparison, I felt an undeniable kinship with his appreciation for the sublime beauty of nature as I sat on a big stone in the middle of a small waterfall, breathing the forest air and feeling the fresh breeze blowing across my hair.
Selfie with friends
For someone who used to and continues to find solace in nature and the wilderness, I feel incredibly grateful and fortunate that Dartmouth provides me with this natural splendor that I have always longed for. The DOC and natural resources here are unparalleled, and our 115-year-old outing club organizes FREE outdoors trips of all types including canoeing, hiking, and mountain biking, all with various difficulty levels. I have been constantly making new friends through my participation with the Dartmouth Outing Club, and with spring around the corner, I'm excited to share with you more of my hiking stories!
Through Dartmouth's Guarini Institute for International Study, I am getting to take classes and experience life at Wellesley College, an all-women's school!
