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 want to utilize this blog post as a reflection on my transition into the College. For context, I went to a college preparatory high school in Southern California and challenged myself a ton. I took advantage of the resources and opportunities at my high school. I took classes that I was genuinely interested in and worked very hard to be successful.
Now, after completing my first year at the College, I think that my high school experience prepared me to excel academically at Dartmouth. My high school course load consisted of seven classes, but at Dartmouth, students typically take three classes per term. After experiencing my first year, these classes were indeed extensive and went by very quickly. I loved every class that I took this year and challenged myself a ton and grew a ton in my academic journey.
Firstly, I want to preface by saying that the transition from high school to college was a lot to process, especially after leaving California to New Hampshire and experiencing the physical and non-physical landscape of the College. I left home and embarked on a new chapter of my life and created home at Dartmouth. Although I experienced a lot of change, I had immense support from Dartmouth and my family to succeed as a first-generation lower-income Dartmouth student.
The First-Year Student Enrichment Program (FYSEP) aided me a ton by giving me the opportunity to transition into the Dartmouth community a couple of weeks before the incoming class. The experience was wonderful and I created friendships within FYSEP that I will carry with me well after graduation and for the rest of my life. During the FYSEP program, we had experience with mock classes, research, support department within the College, etc. In addition, I created close-knit relationships with my professors and mentors and have gone to them for support throughout my first year at the College. Altogether, I am grateful and appreciative for the immense support that I received as I transitioned into the realm of higher education.
What kind of classes do you take in a subject-based Foreign Study Program? Here's a rundown of my classes in the Music FSP in London to give you an idea of what academic life is like in the program!
After returning from an enriching study abroad program, I'm diving into a bustling spring semester here at Dartmouth. Here are my four courses I'm taking this term!
