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!
The "Green City Program"—the German-Engineering Foreign Study Program—in Berlin has four course options. In this blog post, I will explain the options to choose from and tell you a little bit about the courses I took!
1.) ENGS 37: Introduction to Environmental Engineering
2.) ENGS 45: Sustainable Urban Systems
3.) GERM 44.07: Metropolis Berlin
4.) GERM 2-3 Introductory German (the accelerated German language course)
I decided to take ENGS 37, ENGS 45, and GERM 44.07. Here is a little bit about each of the courses I took during my abroad in Berlin!
ENGS 37: Introduction to Environmental Engineering
Petra Bonfert Taylor taught ENGS 37, which focused on human-caused environmental pollution. We learned methods to mitigate, treat and prevent environmental issues. One of the main sections of the course was air quality, where we learned how to analyze air quality data using the coding language R. My team and I analyzed air quality data in Cologne, comparing the air quality near a green space to a heavily trafficked street. There were homework sets scattered throughout the term. Before every class, we had a reading quiz to complete after watching a video and going over some slides. For me, the best part of the class was a media piece we made for our air quality project about Cologne. My team decided to do a website and ad campaign. We realized something was missing throughout our media piece and wanted a creative aspect. With this in mind, we created a children's book to explain the benefits of green space. It was an extremely rewarding course, and I love how much I learned during the creative process. Professor Petra Bonfert Taylor was incredibly supportive, and I had a great time learning with her!
ENGS 45: Sustainable Urban Systems
I am passionate about sustainable design, and I was excited to learn more about urban systems in this class. It was taught by Professor Hossein Sagheby. The class followed a lecture style, with occasional quizzes. Our main project was a 40-page sustainability report of a city in the United States—including water supply, urban agriculture, green spaces, PV potential, transportation updates, and greenhouse gas emissions. We were tasked with assessing the current status of these sectors, developing a 5-year plan of action for the city, and analyzing its feasibility according to the city's annual budget. It was a lot of work and required great teamwork to make it successful. I had an excellent team to work with. I enjoyed learning about sustainable applications in a real-world scenario. We had excursions on some days to companies that delve into sustainable urban planning.
On one of our excursions with ENGS 45, we visited EUREF campus, where there was a building growing algae on the side of its walls
GERM 44.07: Metropolis Berlin
A study abroad in Berlin would not be complete without learning its history and culture. This class included excursions to important sites in Berlin on most Friday afternoons. It was an amazing way to explore the city and learn about the culture. This class was taught by Professor Michael Saman.
I elected to not take the intensive GERM 2-3: Introductory German class while in Berlin. Instead, I tried to make do with my Duolingo lessons. I loved the combination of classes that I took, it was completely manageable and a great learning experience!
Coming back to Dartmouth for my senior year, I have been loving pursuing my major. However, what I love about the liberal arts education is that you can take classes for interest far beyond any classes in your major.
For those who want to attend medical school after their undergraduate education, the infrastructure of a "pre-med" track is an important factor when choosing a school to apply to. Here's how the premed experience has been for me at Dartmouth!
It's been (almost) a full year since I was in your (figurative) shoes! Let's take a trip down memory lane and dissect my Dartmouth application process. Part one of a long journey!
Near the start of every fall term, the Jones Media Center hosts the library's annual 48-hour film contest! This event encourages all levels of student filmmakers to create a short film using a specific prompt and prop given by the library staff.
