My name is Michal, but I often end up being called Michael. I am a '27 from Lozorno, a small town outside Bratislava (Slovak capital). I am an exUWCer. I am passionate about climate change and sustainability in general. I want to devote my life to making this world a little more sustainable. I am an incredibly curious person and I'll be exploring as much of Dartmouth as possible from hardcore research to different sports to American culture. Please enjoy my adventures and thoughts on Dartmouth!
Today, I am reporting from Southern Alaska, specifically Kayak Island. I'm here to clean up the island from plastic pollution, which washes up on the shores; this island stands out for its rugged and pristine environment, which is home to diverse wildlife, including sea lions, harbor seals, and seabirds. It also holds historical significance as the site where George Steller, the first European, set foot on Alaska during Vitus Bering's expedition in the 1700s. In other words, it's an incredible place to work. This awesome opportunity was possible for me, thanks to Dartmouth.
People often write about how awesome the academics at Dartmouth are, but Dartmouth isn't only about academics or the DOC trips. In this blog post, I would like to add a new item to the list of awesome things about Dartmouth: the networking that happens at Dartmouth.
Over time at Dartmouth, I befriended a girl named Mia. Mia's dad has been a fish and game warden in Alaska for the last 20 years, so Mia knows Alaska well. One night at dinner, she told me about a company in Alaska named Ocean Plastic Recovery Project (OPR); the name is quite representative of the goals of this initiative: they send out people from around the U.S., either as volunteers or as paid workers (as in my case), to clean up the beaches of some of the most remote regions of Alaska.
It's not only about the networking; it's also about the people. In my case, I needed two recommendation letters to get this job. This was no problem; I asked another amazing person who, sadly, just graduated from Dartmouth. She was the president of the Dartmouth Outing Club (DOC) and wrote one for me. If it were some random outing club, this would probably have had a lot less weight. But since it's the Dartmouth Outing Club, the oldest outing club in the country, it means something. I ended up having an incredible experience. I met passionate people, discussed Alaska's fisheries, and was awed by the vastness of the ocean. Being on an abandoned island with 10 other people gives a new meaning to solitude. It's an amazing feeling when everything stops, and you are allowed to—and encouraged to—spend time with yourself. This forces you to start thinking and asking those questions that you have been putting off.
Card games on the beach!
Jobs like this one are not easy to come by because it's not only about making money. It's about being in a cool place, doing what you want with your life, and working on projects that truly make sense to you. In my case, I always wanted to visit Alaska. Additionally, because this island has no infrastructure, Plastic Recovery Project flies its workers around on helicopters. So every day, I get to get a tour of the island from above. Lastly, I appreciated the breadth of air away from Hanover as a global citizen—and Dartmouth has been awesome in allowing me to do so!
Before my internship in Italy, I spent two terms studying in Rome. How did those experiences help prepare me for my current position? Well, let me explain!
Instead of spending sophomore summer on campus, I pursued an internship in Hong Kong, where Dartmouth's alumni network and fellow students helped me to I find community, friendship, and adventure that made my summer just as memorable.
One of the most unique traditions at Dartmouth is sophomore summer, where students stay on campus to take classes the summer before their junior year. My sophomore summer has been an incredibly special experience!
