Hi everyone! I'm Yehalah and I'm a '26 coming all the way from Colombo, Sri Lanka. My academic passions lie in Energy Engineering and sustainability. I am a first-generation and low-income student, actively involved with the community. I love to paint and read during my free time. I'm excited that you're here, and I hope you enjoy this account of my life at Dartmouth!
Taking an art class has long been a dream of mine. Drawing 1 with Professor Enrico Riley exceeded my expectations greatly! He is an inspiring instructor who allowed us creative freedom, while guiding us in the right direction. We drew in different forms of charcoal, with colour introduced towards the end of the term. I loved my experience and I cannot wait to take another Studio Art class!
The sequel to Drawing 1 with Professor Enrico Riley! We worked in oil paint, which I was completely new to and admittedly afraid to use. I ended up falling in love with the medium and the flexibility it gave me to adjust and refine my paintings at any point in the process. I am sad to finish this class and I hope I get to take another Studio Art class in the future!
Moving to America was a drastic adjustment, especially considering the difference in perception of race and ethnicity. This class gave me a insight into past and current American oppression against Black and Indigenous communities. I loved how much I learnt through this class, which was also my First Year Seminar requirement.
My first language class at Dartmouth! Taking German was intimidating, especially because of the fast-paced and rigorous learning method that Dartmouth uses. It was so interesting to learn the different grammar and rules used in the German language. I cannot wait to use my Beginner German skills in Berlin next Spring!
The Sacred Architecture of Asia is one of the most incredible courses I have taken at Dartmouth! The course is primarily discussion-based, with Professor Seher explaining and initiating conversation about the course material. The material assigned was incredibly inspiring and taught me so much about South Asian religions and their beginnings. Everywhere I travel now, I think about the lessons I have learnt in this class and I am truly grateful to Professor Seher for facilitating an incredible learning experience!
Learning about German history in Berlin was a great way to explore the city and culture! The class had weekly excursions where we visited important sites in Berlin, which was so informative and helpful. Overall, I learnt so many new aspects of Germany and the people who played a significant role in German history.
SummerPerrysburg, Ohio
Interning at First Solar, a solar panel manufacturing company! I work on the Application Engineering team under Product Management, developing ways to better serve our clients and enhance our products. It has been an amazing experience so far, I have learnt so much and I am so grateful for this opportunity!
Solid mechanics is a class all about stress, strain and structure. My favorite part about this class was getting to design, 3D model and construct a wooden bridge from scratch! Using SOLIDWORKS to perform FEA analysis and a laser-cutting machine, my group and I put together a model bridge that held four times more that the desired weight! It was an awesome experience to put our classroom theory into practice. This has been the most exciting engineering class I have taken so far!
Taken for my language requirement, this class involved translating multiple documents from my native language (Sinhala) to English! I loved getting to know more about ancient texts in Sri Lanka, and finding out about words I had no idea existed. My final project was translating some scenes from the movie Gamperaliya (ගම්පෙරළිය), analyzing the language forms, and presenting them to the class!
Focused on Computer-Aided Design (CAD), this class took me from a beginner in SOLIDWORKS to passing the SOLIDWORKS Certified Associate test with a perfect score! We learnt about master modelling, kinematics and how to think about mechanical design. For our final project of making a walking dinosaur, I designed a pterodactyl!
I had the best time exploring art history in the center of the (European) art world: Paris! For 3 weeks, I bounced between Parisian museums such as the Louvre, Musée Condé, Musée d'Orsay, Palace of Versailles, and many more. For our final paper, I picked Imaginary View of the Grande Gallery in the Louvre in Ruins by Hubert Robert, with which I spent hours looking at, in an attempt to decipher its meaning and intent! I cannot emphasize how much I learnt about art history through this program and the guidance of Professor Katie Hornstein.
Paris is often hailed as the center of the (European) art world. I took ARTH 28.06 European Art in the Age of Revolution in the fall term, the first European art class I have ever taken! It took us through the Rococo, Neoclassicism, and Romantic periods, specifically by thinking through the French Revolution. I loved learning about art I had never looked at before, and how we see manifestations of public thinking and movements within art. It gave me a renewed perspective on how to look at art, and how to consider their political and social nuances!
The interior of a part of the Louvre!
The Fall+ Program: Slow Looking in Paris is a 3-week extension of this class, during the winter break. These fall plus programs often have a prerequisite (ARTH 28.06) that is taken in the fall term, which informs the work we do over the 3 weeks of break. The Slow Looking in Paris program's intention is to allow students to experience these monumental artworks in person, an entirely different process of looking than in a digital format! Taking around 15 students, the program's classroom was primarily the Louvre and other museums in and around Paris. We visited the Louvre at least 20 times, taking time to explore the once-in-a-lifetime exhibitiondedicated to Jacques-Louis David!
Jacques Louis David, Death of Marat, 1793
My favourite part of the program was walking into the Denon Gallery of the Louvre, where most of the large historical paintings are. It was a feeling that is quite hard to put into words; it was the same feeling as meeting your childhood role model, or your favourite singer. I could not believe that I was meeting these paintings in person and having the privilege of looking at them so closely! Professor Katie Hornstein, director of the program, constantly encouraged us to slow down our looking process. She prioritized allowing us time to look at an artwork for hours, and multiple times, in order to truly try to decipher its meaning and intention. With her guidance and the lively discussion of my peers on the program, I was able to unlock a mode of thinking about artwork that I will apply to all my future endeavors.
Théodore Géricault, The Raft of the Medusa, 1819.
The program took us to many important museums close to Paris, such as thePalace of Versailles, and the Musée Condé at Chantilly for instance. One of the best parts of the learning experience was a journal we were required to keep, an account of our experiences and musings on the artwork we encountered. It was a great way to think deeply about our environment, and also a way for me to keep in touch with drawing!
While I am an engineering major, I find that Dartmouth continues to provide me with opportunities to explore my additional areas of interest. Fall Plus programs are just like any other study abroad program and are entirely covered by financial aid. I did not think it was possible to learn so much within the span of 3 weeks, but Slow Looking in Paris went beyond and above my academic and cultural expectations!
If you're a prospective geology, mining, or resources student, this post is for you. "The Stretch" is Dartmouth's field geology program, and it covers exactly those areas!
This winter break, I went on tour with the Dartmouth Decibelles to Charleston and Atlanta, performing throughout local communities and making lasting memories together!
