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 my third week of the fall term as a sophomore. This term has been very busy and filled with so many fun and exciting memories from designing prototypes of carrying devices to reading about ancient Russian incantations. I want to utilize this blog post as a place for reflection after the many experiences that I have lived through during my sophomore year at the College and mainly focus on this past week. Firstly, I am really grateful for my friends and the support system that I have cultivated thus far in my Dartmouth career. Personally, the campus is very welcoming and every time I go somewhere I always run into people that I know. I truly love this aspect of Dartmouth and the interpersonal relationships that are created given the small size of our community.
Moreover, this past weekend my friends and I rented a car to travel to Lebanon. We got a ton of snacks from BJ's, Target, Walmart, and got Five Guys afterward. The entire run lasted four hours, but it was the highlight of my weekend given my very busy workload in the previous week (I really needed this, lol). I am so lucky and grateful to have friends that really care about me and will always support me.
Also, this week was filled with transformational foliage, the trees are truly so beautiful. The foliage is my favorite part of the fall term. My personal favorite thing to do right now during my free time is laying on the leaves and watching them fall down. Altogether, this week was filled with so many meaningful memories and moments and I will make sure to update you all on next week's adventures. Thank you for reading my reflection post and I am very excited to write another blog post next week! Bye! :)
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!
It's not every day that my Intro to Chinese Culture and Understanding the Universe classes were both canceled, but the cosmos had other plans. Welcome to a rare weekday in my life with no classes!
