Welcome! I'm Olivia Koo '26, hailing from Los Alamos, New Mexico. I am studying biological chemistry on the pre-med track, and I'm excited to be supplementing it with music, as a classical pianist and singer-songwriter! Some of my favorite things to do are watching YouTube videos about video games, singing and playing my guitar, and reading New York Times op-eds. Look through my page for information about Dartmouth's pre-med track, STEM research, acapella/music, and study abroad opportunities!
Unsure whether I would enjoy the biology-heavy pre-health track, I took an intro biology class. I surprisingly found myself so invested each class—I didn’t think I’d ever be excited trying to determine if the Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA) had DNA or RNA, but here we are! I found it a great introduction to thinking processes at Dartmouth.
I loved coming to this class with its supportive environment! The professor's feedback really helped me improve in my writing. This course guided us through personal narratives and organizational writing while discussing what it really means to be authentic. It also introduced me to the library’s resources for writing and research!
This class was definitely not easy! The accelerated version of general chemistry, it was my first class at Dartmouth that used a textbook, and I had to adapt and learn how to use a textbook for a class properly. But that didn't mean I didn't have a good time! The classes were full of physical demonstrations, and I felt very supported in the lab and beyond.
This was the first group music class I took, and I loved it! Each class we'd move a little forward in time; one day we'd talk about medieval chants, and by the next couple weeks, we talked about Baroque music. We even got to observe original medieval music scores from the Rauner Library, and attend a performance of Baroque music by the Dartmouth Symphony Orchestra!
Songwriting 1 was the first time I was able to work on something creative/in the arts at Dartmouth, and I really loved it! I got to learn how to improve my songwriting and get to know a community of fellow songwriters on campus. The class was both supportive and constructive, and I pushed myself to my creative limit with the assignment of writing one new song a week. This class inspired me to continue writing and being expressive, whether in an academic setting or not.
For one of my classes on the London Music FSP, I got to attend a myriad of musical performances in London and discuss them with my class! It was a once-in-a-life-time experience–getting to watch multiple operas, ballets, jazz sets, and a musical, as well as seeing beautiful performances from the London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic, and more, helped me grow my ear so much and my inspirations as a musician.
I took this class to learn a little more about the social landscape around medicine, and this class delivered that by a mile. From environmental exposure to racial inequities in medicine/health to the discussion of medicine itself as a manipulative tool in colonialist social structures, this class helped me rethink medicine and my role within it.
In the fall term, I auditioned for the acapella groups at Dartmouth. There are eight groups on campus: three all-male groups, three all-female groups, and two co-ed (all genders) groups. At Dartmouth, the audition process for all groups were held at once, meaning that I auditioned for every group (except for the all-male groups). Through that process, I chose the Rockapellas! The Rockapellas are an all-female acapella group with the mission to spread social justice through performing "freedom songs" at their shows, songs that voice a specific issue.
The freshmen in the group ( me!). We're called Pebbles! (get it, Rocks?)
We rehearse three times a week for two hours each! Throughout the term, we performed in sorority and fraternity houses, and in the winterim, the group organized a trip to San Francisco, where we performed our songs, along with some Christmas classics. It was an amazing experience rehearsing with, performing with, and just hanging out with the members of the group, and I'm so thankful to be a part of this group!
We performed at the Old Skool Café, a non-profit supper club with a 1920s speakeasy theme! The Café is known for helping at-risk youth via employment.
We also performed at some private parties (many attendees were Dartmouth alums!). At this party, we were able to talk to one of the founding members of the Rockapellas, which was established in 1989!
We also had the opportunity to perform at a San Francisco alumni event!
I recently visited the Harold Edward Cable Makerspace, a workspace designed for students to create personal projects. Read about some of the different tools available and what I made!
