Hi all! Welcome to my very public blogging page! I am Toni Fabian '25, the middle child of my family, from a small town in sunny Southern California. I plan to study economics and human-centered design. I am passionate about culture, educational equity, and social justice. I will be writing about all things Dartmouth, from the infamous FOCO cookies to the resources and opportunities offered here on campus. I am truly so excited to bring you along with me while I navigate my college journey!
Academic Program
Intended majors: Economics and Sociology; Intended minor: Human-Centered Design
Each week I was responsible for completing problem sets, quizzes, classwork, and discussion boards. Every week we related what we learned in class to the real world. For example, we read about food banks and their past struggles with efficiency. As a class, we discussed solutions and delved deeper by asking questions and collaborating with each other. I loved this class a lot because Dr. Petre made learning really fun and is so kind! I learned a lot of information ranging from different elasticities of demand and supply to the indicators of poverty. This class was awesome!
For my FYS (First-Year Seminar), I took a history course called Gender and Urban Transformation (9L slot). Our class discussions drew from primary sources and historical analyses that dabbled on gender and its intersection with race, sexuality, and class in the development of U.S. suburbs and cities. Essentially, we explored urbanization and suburbanization as a multi-gendered process. I developed my research skills as I drafted an annotated bibliography, book review essay, and prospectus on the Chicano Movement's impact in the realm of higher education from the 1960s to the present in California, Texas, and Chicago. I learned a ton, I am so happy that I took Professor Rabig's course!
Sociology 1 is the introductory course for the Sociology major, and I loved this class so much! We had a ton of class discussions and the material was very insightful. We were assigned a term-long discussion group, and my group leader was so kind and knowledgeable. We analyzed and discussed the reasons behind class stratification, power dynamics, and social and economic inequalities in society. This class has truly helped me further develop my sociological imagination and changed my perspective in life. :)
For the entire summer, I interned for Breakthrough San Juan Capistrano (SJC). Breakthrough SJC is a non-profit organization situated in Southern California that aims to close the achievement gap for underrepresented and underserved students. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to have served as a teaching fellow this summer and for Dartmouth's support in preparing me for this amazing and unforgettable experience!
I am writing this blog post as I finish up Week 5 of my fall term as a sophomore. Firstly, this week was very busy given I had to finish up a couple of projects and had a midterm for Macroeconomics. I am being challenged a ton and am learning so much. I really love all of my classes and am continuing to grow a ton in my academics and personal life!
As a reward for the busy week, I traveled to White River Junction with my friend, Lena '25, to Tip Top Pottery in White River Junction (Vermont). It took approximately 10 minutes by car to get to the location from the College. This adventure was awesome because we spent 6 hours painting mugs and we explored the museum in the building. Afterward, we visited a mom-and-pop thrift store in the area and got some lovely scarves for the winter (it gets really cold during the winter time!). It got really foggy and we ended our adventure by going to Five Guys and then visiting the Golf course during the night to stargaze.
My mug! :)
Very Foggy :(
This was pretty much my entire Friday night! I chose to highlight this adventure in this week's post because I want to show prospective students the beauty of leaving the College and the room for exploration and possibilities in places near the College. There are many opportunities to leave the Dartmouth bubble and to interact and explore with people that are outside of the College!
I hope that this blog post was useful and provided some insight into the possibilities that you could embark on while attending Dartmouth. I really enjoyed writing about this week's adventure and I am very excited to update you on my life next week! Until my next blog post, have an amazing day! :)
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.
Planning on visiting Dartmouth as a prospective student or an interested person wanting to see our beautiful campus? In this post, I share insider tips to ensure your visit is fulfilled!
Witnessing an eclipse was one of the most exciting days in my life to date, and a solid reminder of our place in this universe. Read on to hear about it!
