Hey y'all! I'm Caroline York, and I'm a '25 from Georgia! My hope is to share my Dartmouth experience with potential '29s, '30s, '31s and beyond! On campus, I write sports for The Dartmouth, am a Center for Social Impact SIBS mentor, am in Christian life, a Tour Guide, a Dartmouth Emergency Medical Services (EMS) member, and do medical research! Otherwise, you'll find me at the Norwich Farmers' Market, studying in the Tower Room, and running along the Appalachian Trail. Welcome to my world!
Hey blog! How have I been on campus for three weeks already?! My classes and clubs are keeping me so busy that time seems to be on double speed here at Dartmouth. Since I last wrote, I have tried so many new things from a Writing 5 essay to a Collis smoothie, but I want to highlight one particular interaction that dates back to almost two years ago.
Obligatory Baker-Berry Picture!
My first Sunday here at Dartmouth, I attended Christ the Redeemer Church, which is a popular local nondenominational church among students. I was really nervous as a new student, so I felt like going to church, something familiar from home, would help put my nerves at ease. I ended up loving the service, and afterward I mingled with church members. I was shocked to meet a woman named Ali because I realized she had been my Dartmouth tour guide in March 2020. Ali, '20, offered up lunch, and I gladly accepted.
We met on a Friday at King Arthur Flour, and she shared her Dartmouth experience with me. Over a delicious turkey and brie melt, she told me that Dartmouth had shaped her into who she was today. Ali was grateful for Dartmouth's classes and clubs, but what really stood out to her was the people she met along the way. She met her best friends and husband on Dartmouth's campus, and she is still living close by. Ali told me that the professors and the students she met truly cared about her education, but more importantly, they cared about her.
I told her that her tour was one of the main reasons I chose Dartmouth. During the mere hour and a half she was my guide, she emulated kindness and happiness, something I felt was most important in my college decision. Ali was involved with the Christian Union, Dartmouth Center for Social Impact, Dartmouth Running Club, and admissions, all activities I plan to do. On the tour, she explained how each club gave her a mini community of friends that supported her in all her pursuits.
Lunch with Ali, '20, at King Arthur Flour
Dartmouth is all about making connections with really special people, and meeting Ali again is a testament to how much Dartmouth students and alumni love their school.
I'm discovering that more and more Dartmouth students are like Ali, and I'm so excited to call some of these people my friends. It's crazy to think I might one day be friends with a '30!
The big-little process in my sorority has strengthened my bond with my big, fostered new friendships across class years, and deepened my sense of community and belonging on campus.
When I look back on my time at Dartmouth, and it is hard to believe I will be graduating in just two weeks, I know that Africa Week will always stand out as one of the moments when this campus felt most alive, most joyful, and most like home.
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.
