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 7 of my winter term. I want to utilize this blog post as a form of reflection and life updates. This past week was filled with a ton of nice memories and new challenges.
I am really grateful for the people that I have on campus. Currently, I am spending my free time with my close friends and visiting local restaurants in West Lebanon and White River Junction. A really nice restaurant that is located in West Leb is a Thailand Restaurant. I love their duck noodle soup and lemonade, and will probably visit them another time before the winter term ends. I will make sure to write a blog post about the variety of restaurants that we have outside of the Dartmouth bubble.
This term I have placed my priority to explore Hanover and live in the moment. Sometimes when I have free time, I like to visit Roberts Flower of Hanover or the arcade in town. These little experiences really make my weeks and have served as opportunities to relax and explore new passions and interests.
On the other hand, with academic life, I would say that my favorite class this term is financial accounting. There are a ton of fun applicable studies that are very useful such as creating amortization tables, calculating bond prices, and analyzing balance sheets and income statements. This class is fascinating and reminded me a lot of ECON22: Macroeconomics given our extensive case studies on the Great Depression and the Great Recession. It is wonderful to connect materials learned from previous classes and use a new lens to analyze banks' balance sheets and how it relates to the world that we live in today.
Altogether, I hope my blog post provided some insight into my term thus far. Looking forward to updating you all next week! Until then! :)
At Dartmouth, there is an undergraduate requirement for language; after all, it is the liberal arts! Fulfilling this requirement looks different for various people and I will focus on my experience.
Traditionally, Dartmouth students take three courses during a term, but I decided to take four courses this term! Learn about course load and the academic system at Dartmouth.
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!
As I approach the halfway mark of my Dartmouth journey this spring, I find myself reflecting on the significance of distributive and world culture requirements in shaping my academic experience.
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!
