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!
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!
The Sinhala and Tamil New Year falls on the 13th and 14th of April each year, a time for plenty of celebrations and family time. Being away from home at this time is hard, and I miss my family terribly. My family has many New Year traditions, and I look forward to them every April. During my first year at Dartmouth, I decided to keep these traditions alive and make a little pocket of home here in Hanover!
The Sri Lanken New Year falls upon the end of the harvest season and a transition in the astrological calendar. There are specific auspicious times at which to eat and start the New Year celebrations. A vital tradition is the boiling of milk! Here, we place a pot of milk on some firewood at a specific time and then stand around it, waiting for the milk to boil over. The person who is standing on the side to which the milk spills first is granted good luck for the upcoming year! The year that it spilled to my side, I got into Dartmouth!
My friend and I, graciously hosted by Triangle House, a Living Learning Community on campus, had a wholesome celebration to bring in the new year. We used a burner to boil the milk on the Triangle House's lawn!
Boiling the milk!
To accompany the celebrations, I cooked some traditional New Year food! Kiribath (milk rice) is a dish made of rice and coconut milk, typically served on special occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries. It was my first time making Kiribath alone, so I was very nervous but it turned out really well! I also made some Lunu Miris, a citrusy and spicy paste made of chili flakes, onions, salt, and lime. Accompanied by a classic Sri Lankan chicken curry and bananas, it reminded me so much of home!
The Kiribath and Lunu Miris! Along with bananas of course.
In Hanover, I recreate our Sinhala and Tamil New Year traditions with my Dartmouth friends and celebrate an aspect of my home every year!
In my freshman year, I wrote a blog revisiting my decision of attending Dartmouth College. Now that more than a year has passed, I would love to revisit my decision again, with a more realistic lens.
As a practicing Christian, my faith has always been the foundation of my life. Coming into college, I didn't want to lose that essential part of my identity. I wanted to deepen it. That's when I found Cru — and it changed everything.
Dartmouth works to provide a variety of accommodations that suit each person's individual needs. Curious as to how housing accommodations work, whether they be for medical or religious reasons? Read on.
