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!
You probably already know where this is going. What better way to end Green Key weekend than with the mother of all concerts, the ERAS TOUR 2023. On Sunday, I got to see the one and only, brilliant, insanely talented Taylor Swift!
Back in the Fall Term, some of my friends and I fought the great war to get Taylor Swift tickets for Gillette Stadium on May 21st. While it was the most nerve-wracking, time-sensitive experience, we managed to get seats right in the middle, with an amazing view of the stage. Not only did we get to see Taylor, but we also got to see Gracie Abrams and Phoebe Bridgers!
Gillette Stadium is about two and a half hours away from Dartmouth, not counting the traffic caused by 70,000 people traveling to the concert. Since one of my friends could drive, we booked a Zipcar for 24 hours, which is readily available in this region. We only had to stop to re-fuel once along the way. However, had none of my friends been able to drive, we could have just taken the Dartmouth Coach to Boston. The Dartmouth Coach runs regularly during the day, to Boston Logan Airport, Boston South Station and New York City. Tickets are priced at $40 per person, and times are flexible! Even if you buy a ticket for the coach at 12:00PM and you miss it, you can still use the same ticket for the 4:00 PM coach.
One of the surprise songs was Red!
We arrived at the concert around 2 hours before it started but we still had time to get merch! After three and a half hours of singing and sobbing to Taylor's music, we left the stadium around 11:30 PM and made it back to campus at 3:30 AM, because of the traffic. Even though Dartmouth may seem regionally isolated, if you ever want to get out of campus for a bit, there is always transport available to do so.
