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!
This summer I interned at First Solar, a solar manufacturing company based in Perrysburg, Ohio. As an international student, I was initially surprised at the importance placed on internships. It was not something I anticipated coming into Dartmouth, so I was not proactive about my internship search. I will be honest and say it was a source of stress because many companies do not hire international interns. It was disheartening to navigate this challenge initially, but there are resources to help alleviate this burden.
Handshake is a platform used by college students to find internships and full-time jobs. It has the functionality to filter the job searches to only positions that accept international students. This was incredibly helpful in minimizing the time I spent trying to figure out if a company would hire me based on my visa status. It is important to always make your work authorisation status clear to the company when applying for any job. This may just be a simple checkbox to indicate that you would need sponsorship to work in the future. Connecting with fellow international students is extremely helpful to ask for advice!
The Dartmouth home page on the Handshake website!
Creating a LinkedIn profile can be intimidating but I have found it so important to keep track of my experiences, job openings and to create a network. The Center for Professional Development (CPD) has a great LinkedIn Guide for setting up and expanding your network. They also offer 1:1 coaching for any recruiting concerns and are ready to help at any point in the process. Dartmouth Connect is a Dartmouth-specific networking hub for all people affiliated with Dartmouth and a great way to identify people who could be a great resource.
Another important first step to take is to have a polished and updated resume at hand. The CPD has a variety of resume templates for different fields and the CPD coaches are available to help students craft a resume. This involves prioritizing experiences and rephrasing accomplishments.
Completing all these steps during the term on top of classes can be stressful – I found it incredibly helpful to finish these preliminary steps during my break. I found my job for this summer through an internship fair hosted at Columbia University where I met a member of the team. Dartmouth hosts a number of career fairs throughout the term which is a great place to meet new companies and people
Dartmouth students enjoy diverse summer experiences, balancing productivity and leisure through local jobs, remote internships, and programs like the First-Year Fellows, each offering unique opportunities for personal and professional growth.
As my first year (and first spring) at Dartmouth had come to an end, I wanted to provide some thoughts and reflections on my classes this term. Perhaps you'll find something you'd like to take someday!
To come along with me on my Dartmouth journey, you have to know a little bit about me. Here are the essential facts, hobbies, interests and experiences that make up the bulk of my personality and my life. Welcome to the first of many blog posts!
If someone claimed they hitchhiked 600 miles in two days without spending a dime on transportation, would you believe them? You might wonder why anyone would do that. My answer: Dartmouth connections and sustainability.
What do people mean by "research opportunities"? This phrase often confused me during my college search and during my time as a first-year-student, too. Here are the first steps I've taken on to research assistantship.
