On campus, I am hyper-involved with the DOC, from Cabin and Trail (hiking) to Ledyard Canoe Club, I love leading trips and being outdoors as much as possible. Swipe through my posts for updates on studying abroad and traveling through college, student bands/a cappella, as well as the day-to-day updates of a 20yo who just recently started liking coffee (exciting, right?).
You May Be Asking, Why Dartmouth? Well, Here's My Take.
The colors split the sky open, bursting rays of yellow melted into the oranges and reds of the trees, and the air felt cold – sharp and renewed. From the top of Gile Fire Tower, surrounded by seven strangers dressed in old halloween costumes and patterned clothes, I watched the sun rise. We had all been accepted to this Flair Sunrike (sunrise-hike where you wear fun, silly clothing), and though it was week three of my sophomore year, I still felt the same giddiness I did the first time I saw this view.
Looking back now, it was a similar sunrike my first fall, where the entire club basketball team joined together to hike Gile Mountain—and later eat some baller pancakes! I felt overwhelmed with gratitude then. Though I was still reckoning with the fears that come with growing older, like being away from my family and starting over in a new place, I felt like Dartmouth was fertile ground for fruitful relationships and intellectual growth.
Almost a year later, the same gratitude is what I find at the summit. I am not the person I was last year. I have been challenged in ways that have shaped me into who I am today, and I've broadened my horizons to glow almost as brightly as the sun over the treeline. I have created my own band, learned a new language, built meaningful mentorships with professors, placed myself out of my comfort zone, and come out on the other side excited. I am so excited for what is ahead, and I can't wait to share it all with you!
Being the first in my family to attend an American undergrad institution, and an only child, I had no clue what college would look like. I had hopes and fears that crowded my mind, but did not know how to alleviate them. I had done all my research. I had read professors' bios, and class descriptions, even wikipedia articles were browsed as I attempted to grow more connected to Dartmouth.
That's when I came across the People, Places, and Pines blog. It felt like a first hand account of how Dartmouth allowed for many paths to flourish. The blog was my older sibling, my guiding mentor and advisor to the idea that it would all be fine. Through it, I was able to direct my interests more specifically, finding resources and clubs I had never even heard of, and most importantly, cultivate a true enthusiasm for the years to come.
I have always liked to stick with my decisions. Going into my senior year of high school, however—having spent the past three years with my heart set on a different school—my mind kept returning to that small town in New Hampshire.
The summer before college applications, I went to Dartmouth's International Career Open House, and spent the day touring the campus and listening to the extremely passionate faculty members of various departments, ranging from psychology to film. What was uniform was that even in their many contrasts, they spoke wonders about the College—and so did the students. Not a single description I had heard, on that fateful day, had any semblance of a "but."
After the programming, I joined a friend in visiting the Connecticut River where we witnessed the true charm of a Hanover summer. Students were spread across the docks tanning, taking out paddleboards, even grilling, and light music played as the sun was reflected on the water.
When the time came to apply, the school had embedded itself in my future plans. The reason I chose Dartmouth then is the same reason I choose it every day, it is full of people who see the best in each other, who make days feel sunnier, and let their passions be what fuels their growth.
