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A photo of a lecture at Dartmouth.

One of my favorite things about Dartmouth is the wide range of speakers that visit campus. It's so great to be able to listen to speakers from all types of different academic and professional backgrounds, who come and share their personal and professional life experiences. Speakers can also come to specific class sessions to have smaller and more personal conversations with students. In this post, I'll share some of my favorite guest speakers that have come to visit Dartmouth!

In one of my current classes, MES 5.01: Identity and Representation in the Middle East, we recently had an Egyptian author, Ahmed Naji, come to visit campus. Not only was he hosted at a talk available publicly on campus, but he also came to speak to my class, where we were able to discuss his latest novel and how it relates to themes of identity and representation.

Last week, the First-Generation Office hosted Anthony Jack, an academic who has done lots of work studying the experiences of first-generation college students. We got the chance to interact one-on-one with Jack at a first-generation breakfast event—it was a great opportunity to meet Jack, who was also a first-generation college student!

Another particularly memorable speaker was voting rights activist and former Georgia state representative Stacey Abrams, who delivered the keynote address for Dartmouth's Martin Luther King Jr. celebration this year. Her talk highlighted the importance of integrity and resilience during challenging times. As someone interested in social justice, I found her discussion on the role of civic engagement particularly inspiring. It challenged me to reflect on the impact individuals can have in promoting equality and justice within their communities.

Some of my favorite speakers throughout my time at Dartmouth have been those who visit in more informal settings, which makes their insights feel even more personal. For example, in one of my anthropology classes, we had a guest speaker who works with rural healthcare initiatives in the U.S. Their visit turned into a lively discussion about access to care and the intersections of policy, culture, and community needs. By inviting these types of speakers to class, Dartmouth professors make learning feel truly dynamic. Being able to engage with real-world experts is a tremendous opportunity and privilege.

Whether it's a renowned author, an investigative journalist, or a scholar pushing the boundaries of their field, Dartmouth brings in an incredible range of voices. The constant flow of guest speakers is definitely one of the things I will miss most about Dartmouth once I graduate.

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