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 Environmental Studies. 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!
At the end of October, I traveled to Chicago, Illinois, for the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Conference. My first time in Chicago, I was so excited to explore a new place. Check out my previous blog post for more information about the SWE conference and what we did there!
This entire trip to Chicago was sponsored by the Dartmouth SWE chapter and with the support of Dartmouth Engineering. This included plane tickets, hotel accommodations, reimbursement for meals and transportation to and from the conference. We tried some amazing food places recommended by one of our friends who had lived in Chicago over the summer! My favorite was Hot Woks Cool Sushi just across from The Bean at Millenium Park! I had a much-needed hot ramen bowl after a long day of travel.
My delicious ramen bowl accompanied by a sushi donut!
I visited the Art Institute of Chicago on the last day and was blown away by the amount of art they had curated. I loved seeing the Monet paintings up close! The best part was finding a painting I included in a paper I wrote while I was in Berlin, Germany. "The Interior of the Palm House of the Pfaueninsel near Potsdam" by Carl Blechen is a painting about a famous Palm House located on "Peacock Island" near Potsdam, Germany. I included it in my paper as the only image of the Palm House recorded was this painting, as it burned down some years later. I did not expect to find this painting anywhere!
The Palm House in all its glory!
Exploring Chicago was an amazing experience, and I am so grateful to all those who made it possible! Join Dartmouth SWE for more cool events like these. There are many resources for funding trips like this at Dartmouth. Check out this page, which details how to apply for conference travel grants!
One of the staple characteristics of the D-Plan is the off-term, a term in which you are not taking classes! Most students at Dartmouth will take at least one off-term, and this winter happens to be my turn! What will I be doing?
Most students have to go back to college after Thanksgiving to take their finals, but not at Dartmouth! We have a six-week winter break, known as "winterim!" Let me tell you how I spent my winterim!
Applying early to a university can be overwhelming and confusing. As someone who did not apply to Dartmouth through early decision, here are a couple tips that I could have used when thinking about applying early to a school!
