Our Alums

I decided on Dartmouth because people had spoken so highly of our alumni, and after being here just one year I couldn't agree more. Our alums are some of the most loyal alumni in the world and are proud and supportive of Dartmouth long after their graduations.

One of the most useful and rewarding resources here is the Vox Alumni Network, a database of alumni who have indicated that they are willing to offer career advice and other valuable help. Any Dartmouth student or graduate can access the database, and it has records of alumni in virtually every state and country in the world.

Last summer I participated on the Beijing FSP. While there, I decided to call some of the alumni listed under "Beijing;" I ended up meeting four alums and got some great advice on how to pursue my academic and career goals. Next term, I am interning at a trading firm in China. How did I get connected to the job opportunity? Through a Dartmouth alum I met in Beijing.

I've found our alumni to be fiercely loyal, extremely outgoing, and highly accomplished--plus, they are always happy to chat about Dartmouth and are remarkably abreast of campus issues. The alumni: easily one of the best aspects of Dartmouth College.

I'm a senior...

...and as a senior, I now count myself a member of a larger group of my peers: the job-seekers.

Seriously, though, I think that the alumni network is probably one of Dartmouth's greatest assets. Having been able to interact with alumni during my time here, I now know why that is: Dartmouth alumni are insanely passionate about Dartmouth. For whatever reason, Dartmouth seems to graduate people who are so in love with their alma mater, so passionate about their experiences there, that they will literally bend over backwards to help out a fellow member of the Dartmouth community. In my case, I was fortunate enough to connect with an alum who lives in New England, and has practiced environmental law, the area of law that most interests me. All it took was a simple phone call, and this alum provided me with a huge list of Dartmouth and non-Dartmouth contacts through which I am hoping to both gather advice and hopefully a job offer or two. And we have never actually met!

We will see where life takes me after I graduate this June, but I feel confident that no matter where I go, I will be bringing that Dartmouth network with me.

Photo courtesy of the Dartmouth flickr photostream.

My second family....

Being a part of the Dartmouth Alumni Network is definitely like having a second family. It's really starting to sink in for me how big and useful the network is. As a junior I'm starting to travel to on-site interviews for internships and jobs and it's so nice to be able to get on Facebook, see which 08 and 09 alums are in Boston or New York and have them offer to let you crash at their place for the night or get a bite to eat when you are in town. All of a sudden the people who were seniors when you were an upperclassman have great jobs or are in grad school and they are a GREAT resource. I know that I even have a network of friends who haven't yet graduated but are taking their off-terms (through the D-Plan) in DC, New York, LA, ATL, and I can hit them up if I'm there. It's like you know someone any and everywhere!

This past fall I had a special experience with a Dartmouth alumna named Ricki Fairley-Brown, '78. I worked for her at a multicultural marketing agency called IMAGES USA where she is partner and CMO. I had always wanted to learn about marketing even though it has nothing to do with anything I'm doing at Dartmouth. Ricki is always looking for a Dartmouth intern and gives us preference over other students. She let me get in on substantive and cool projects, like meeting with NBA star Dikembe Mutombo to ask about the best way to pitch the agency to the Orlando Magic. She also fed me A LOT!!! I had an amazing time and I now have an IMAGES Family in Atlanta. Check out Ricki, Simon (a Dartmouth '08, former IMAGES intern turned full-timer), and me goofing around on my last day!

Alums!

I have used the Dartmouth Alumni Network primarily in the past for learning about what the alums do now. I'm interested in learning about their career path and how they ended up in a certain field of study compared to what their major was at Dartmouth. This has been really useful in helping me decide my own path. The alums offer a great deal of amazing advice that a lot more underclassmen should really take advantage of.

I have also had the opportunity to job shadow a Dartmouth Alum for a few days to get an idea of what his job was like. He mainly dealt with the policy issues behind Biomedical Research and it was interesting to see the government aspect in an area I want to study more about.

Besides giving great career advice, Dartmouth Alums are the most friendly and enthusiastic people I have ever met. They are always eager to hear about your experiences and what it is like at Dartmouth now. When I went to Thailand, I received multiple invitations to have dinner or lunch with the several alums. It is great being able to share stories and reflect on what Dartmouth means to us. It is a bit scary knowing people will consider me an alum in less than four months!

NEW QUESTION: What has been your most memorable experience with a Dartmouth alum?

One of the best things about Dartmouth is out relationship with our alumni. Dartmouth alums are always willing to give back to current students and they really BLEED GREEN! This week we interns will tell you about we've used the Dartmouth Alumni Network and talk about our most memorable experiences with alums.



Below find last weeks responses about jobs and research we do outside of the Admissions Office.

Looking for pictures of life at Dartmouth?

I know when I was applying to schools, I could never look at enough photos. Especially for those of you unable to come visit campus, pictures can really help you get a feel for the campus and student life here. Well you're in luck! Dartmouth has a couple great Flickr photo streams you should check out!

Click here for the general Dartmouth flickr photostream.

Click here for the Admissions specific photostream.

Books and Brains...

One of the best jobs to have on campus is a library job! You basically get paid to do your homework. I worked at Kresge Physical Sciences Library my sophomore year and I got some of my best grades that term!

Right now, I get paid to do research in an education and neuroscience lab called The Reading Brains Lab. We use ERP/EEG technology to look at people's brain waves as they do reading related tasks. The goal of our research is to understand the brain processes behind reading in hopes to help those with reading disabilities and address the nation's problems with low reading proficiency levels in children. I started out in this lab last year after applying for a grant for sophomores through the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and now I am a Presidential Research Scholar. There are freshman, sophomores, juniors, seniors, and grad students in my lab. It's interesting research, looks great on a resume, and I also make money!!

Check out what your brain waves look like!

Making Money

Every fall and winter since my freshmen year, I have worked with the Women's Varsity Basketball Team as their team manager. Therefore, I attend all their practices and games. It has been a lot of fun getting to travel to different colleges across the nation. For Christmas break, we were able to travel to Los Angeles and for Thanksgiving break, we traveled to play Cincinnati.

Like Charnice and Nichole, I also participated in the Women In Science Program my freshmen winter and spring terms. I worked with the computer science department in their privacy lab. In addition with another intern, I helped publish a poster abstract on Facebook's privacy policies. Essentially, I was paid to sit on Facebook and research ways to make Facebook more private in order to protect people's identities.

My freshmen and sophomore years, I worked in the Fitness Center. There I would sit at the desk and monitor who came into the fitness center, clean up any of the machines that needed to be dusted off and made sure that the patrons were safe and sound. It was a nice job to have because after my shifts I would usually work out. And now since I don't ever need to go to the gym, I've fallen off of actually following my regiment.

Tutor, Researcher, and Much More!

Throughout my years at Dartmouth, I have had a variety of jobs. Math has always been one of my favorite subjects, so I decided to work as a math tutor and study group leader through our Academic Skills Center.

Like Nichole, I was also a WISP intern in the Biomedical Engineering Lab. I worked on two different projects which involved measuring the wear on retrieved knee implants and testing the mechanical properties of various materials. Ever since I did this internship, I have been interested in this field of study. Now as a senior, I am continuing my research and trying to determine if different sterilization methods affect the amount of wear of knee implants.

Along with being an Admissions Intern, I also work as a Dean's Office Student Consultant (DOSC for short). My job is to provide academic advising, so I help students with questions about classes, majors, internships, study strategies, and anything else in general.

DRILL BABY DRILL!!!

In addition to working for the Admissions Office - first as a tour guide and now as an intern - I've worked for several other departments on campus. Just like Nichole, I worked as an Undergraduate Advisor for the Office of Residential Life. I organized study breaks and put on events for my residents in an effort to make sure they had access to all of the different resources at Dartmouth. One of my favorite programs was a panel discussion on Study Abroad opportunities with students and faculty from all over campus. The event was catered by a local restaurant and drew an impressive crowd of East Wheelock residents. Another one of my favorite programs was a bit more low key: a bowling night in White River Junction! It was a great event because it allowed my residents to get to know each other better in addition to relaxing after a stressful exam period.

As a native-french speaker, I've also worked for the French Department as a Drill Instructor. Dartmouth is globally renowned for its language program, which was originally developed by Professor John Rassias for the US government. It basically consists of 1) classroom instruction with a Dartmouth professor who stresses grammar and writing as well as 2) morning or evening speaking sessions with a current Dartmouth student who puts an emphasis on vocabulary and pronunciation. I think it's a fantastic teaching method because it really gives students a chance to embrace a new language beyond the textbook. The college offers a wide variety of foreign languages, including everything from Arabic and Chinese to French and Italian. The Rassias method itself is quite entertaining because drill instructors are highly encouraged to "act out" some of the words they require students to say.

Picture Courtesy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dartmouthflickr/3728425396/

Arts, Alumni, and Alumni

I have had a lot of jobs on campus. My freshman year, I worked a significant amount for the Hopkins Center for the Arts in the Box Office - known as the Hop. I sold tickets to members of the Dartmouth community as well as the general public. There are two wonderful things about the arts here at Dartmouth: first, the diverse and often world-renowned performers we bring attract both members of the Dartmouth community and local community members. Second, Dartmouth subsidizes student tickets so you will never pay more than $10 to see any show. We have written about the various awesome performances we have all attended before on the blog, but believe me, we haven't done it justice.

I have also had the chance to work with Dartmouth alumni, as both a member of the Hill Winds Society, and as a worker assigned to class reunions every summer. Both of these opportunities have shown me just how crazy and passionate the alumni of this College can be. They really are Dartmouth's greatest resource, and being a part of that family is wonderful.

For more information on the Hopkins Center for the Arts, click here.

For more information for or about alumni of the college, click here.
picture credit: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~gallery/events/comm06/images/0606-2.jpg

Research, Advising, and More...

Before I started working for the Office of Admissions my sophomore summer, I had a variety of jobs on campus. My freshman year, I worked as a WISP intern in the Biomedical Engineering Lab. WISP stands for Women in Science Project. It is an organization that tries to encourage women to stick with the sciences by offering relevant programming, mentors, internship opportunities, etc. As a WISP intern I did research on what material would be best to use when making things like knee implants in the future.

During my sophomore year I was an Undergraduate Advisor (UGA – which is the equivalent to a Resident Advisor at other schools) for transfer and exchange students. Being an Undergraduate Advisor is a lot of fun because you get to know a group of Dartmouth students, your residents, really well over the course of a term. UGA’s plan social an academic programs for their floors while also working with the other UGAs in their housing cluster to plan fun programs for the housing cluster as a whole.

Another cool place to work on campus is the Rockefeller Center for Public Policy and the Social Sciences (Rocky). I had the opportunity to be a discussion group leader for two of Rocky’s various discussion groups, Women in Leadership and VoxMasters public speaking forum and it was so much fun. All Rocky discussion groups meet once a week, for an hour, to discuss a range of topics over a free dinner. Students are welcome to attend any and/or all the weekly meetings over the course of a term. Attending a discussion group is a great way to meet people from across campus while learning about recent issues in the world at large.

NEW QUESTION THIS WEEK: ON CAMPUS WORK AND RESEARCH EXPERIENCES

Outside of working for the Admissions Office, what are some of the other job and/or research experiences that you have had on campus?

The posts below respond to last week's question: If you had to highlight an event/program that's happening on campus this week, what would it be?

DARTMOUTH IDOL

Tuesday, February 9th was the semi-finals round of Dartmouth Idol. Since its creation in 2008, Dartmouth Idol has become one of the major events of winter term. The competition takes place over the course of 3 rounds: an open try-out round, a semi-finals performance/competition, and a finals performance/competition. Dartmouth students get to decide who advances to the finals and which performer actually wins after attending the semi-final and final rounds respectively. This year, the performers are competing for major prizes. The first prize is $500 and the chance to record a 3-song demo, second prize is $250 and third prize is $100. The singers come from all parts of campus and perform songs from various genres. This year Andrew Rayner ’10 and Harmony Gbe ’10, both Admissions interns, are participating in Dartmouth Idol as a contestant and judge respectively. Whether or not you’re a fan of the original American Idol, Dartmouth Idol is definitely an enjoyable experience.

Picture courtesy of Dartmouth College, Hopkins Center for the Arts

"Colorline" Discussion

As a part of black history month, the NAACP is hosting a series of discussions with professors from the African and African American Studies department to commemorate the department's 40th year anniversary. Therefore, I've been busy trying to make sure the event is well planned. Even though it has been fairly time consuming, I am looking forward to this week's discussion because it is featuring one of the many great professors I have had the opportunity to take a class with: Professor Soyica Colbert. She has been my idol since the day I met her in class and being able to participate in a discussion with her this week is going to be one of the highlights of my week! The discussion will center around the idea of the 'colorline' being present in today's culture and intertwined with that the belief of us living in a post-racial community. I am excited to hear the thoughts and ideas that Dartmouth students and Professor Colbert have on the particular subject.

WINTER CARNIVAL!

Dartmouth's annual big weekend starts this week on Thursday! Winter Carnival is probably Dartmouth's most famous big weekend because of the 1939 movie Winter Carnival and its national promotion by the Dartmouth Outing Club during the 1920s-1940s. The weekend consists of greek house hosted dance parties, the ski races, 1 dollar rental day at the Dartmouth Skiway, the Winter Ball, and the Polar Bear Swim, where the school cuts a hole in Occum Pond and students take a chilly plunge for a moment. The is also always a snow sculpture constructed in the middle of the Green. In sum, it is a fun weekend for Dartmouth students and Upper Valley residents alike.

African vs. African American Discussion

As the others said, there are many events and panel discussions taking place this week. The program that I am very interested in hearing is called "African vs. African American" which will be a discussion about the different perspectives from students associated with each category. I am anxious to hear both sides because these are distinct categories and often times they are always grouped together.

SOCIAL JUSTICE

One of the reasons why I love Dartmouth so much is that the institution really puts an emphasis on learning outside of the classroom, recognizing that important ideas should not be restricted to traditional academic settings. In light of this, today starts a week-long event focusing on social inequality, whether it is in education, employment or things that many of us take for granted, like having a place to live. Different organizations on campus often host panel discussions on the importance of social justice, but I am really looking forward to this particular segment because it features one of today's leading activists in the public education arena: Jonathan Kozol. Here is a breakdown of the week's activities:


***********************************************
The Ignored of America: A Week Exploring Social Inequality
***********************************************

Thursday, February 4th
The Social Construction of Poverty: a Panel on Inequality and Education in
America
- Faculty Panel: Irene Kacandes, Michael Harris, Samantha Ivery
- Free Dinner at 7pm in Rockefeller 002

Friday, February 5th
Working Class Brilliance: Examining the Many Faces of Intelligence
- Free Dinner Discussion at 6:30pm in Brace Commons

Monday, February 8th
Rachel and Her Children: The Long-Enduring Damage of Homelessness to Children
and their Parents
- Public Lecture by Jonathan Kozol
- 4pm in Filene Auditorium

Film: Whatever It Takes
- Screening presentation by Jay Davis
- 7pm in Filene Auditorium

Tuesday, February 9th
"What Matters to Me and Why" with Jonathan Kozol
- 12pm (noon) in Collis Common Ground

Picture Courtesy of: http://www.uwyo.edu/sjrc/images/socialjustice.jpg

Meditation!

My favorite event this week has to be the Transcendental Meditation (TM) session tonight from 7-8pm. There will be an instructor to help you learn the techniques of TM so everyone is welcome.

This is the point of the term in which midterms are ramping up, so a little relaxation is probably in order. I might just have to drop by and check it out myself...

Panels, Panels, Panels

I've been going to a lot of panels lately dealing with a range of issues: Haiti, Preparing for senior year, religion and spirituality at Dartmouth, the list goes on

Tomorrow I am double-booked attending two panels in the evening. At 7:30 I'm going to hear a panel discussion called "The Social Construction of Poverty: a Panel on Inequality and Education in America." This is actually the beginning of a week of events that addresses social inequalities in America. I work in an education/neuroscience lab and have taken an education class about reading and educational development so I am interested to hear the faculty panelists discuss the issues of educational discrepancies. (And there's FREE FOOD!!!!)

Next at 8:30, Dartmouth seniors will talk at "Branded." They will be discussing how the communities with which they identify on campus (athletes, cultural groups, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, etc) shape how they are perceived and how they view themselves. Our very own Admissions Intern, Harmony Gbe '10 will be a panelist! I'm excited! Yay Harmony!

Check out more about Social Justice Week at the Tucker Foundation's website:

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~tucker/

New Question This Week: Weekly Highlight

If you had to highlight an event/program that's happening on campus this week, what would it be?

The posts below respond to last week's question: What is your favorite unconventional thing, place, or activity at Dartmouth that a lot of students don't know about?

Also Fort Lou's Restaurant

Fort Lou's is the best known secret on campus. If you're involved on campus in any number of activities, you can count on the night ending (or the morning beginning) over a plate of crispy home fries at this favorite of Dartmouth students. Yeah sure, it's a decent drive away from campus. And yes, the food isn't exceptionally good compared to regular Lous; but Fort Lou's cant be quantified by these typical restaurant standards because it's the experience that matters.

~*~ Fort Lou's Restaurant ~*~

One of my favorite activities at Dartmouth is actually off-campus, which is why many students don't even know it exists...Fort Lou's, the best truck-stop pretty much middle-of-nowhere breakfast diner in town! Fort Lou's has been around for about 50 years and as a result, it has an intense following which makes it almost impossible to get a meal there quickly. It's soooo worth it though!! I never have to wait in line because I usually go there in the early morning after an eventful night on campus. Fort Lou's is known for its corned beef hash but I always go for the cruller french toast which is absolutely AMAAAAZING. They offer hearty lunch plates and tasty baked goods, but I highly recommend the breakfast menu to anyone who wants a taste of homemade maple syrup! Did I mention that their portions are HUGE? As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing better than enjoying chocolate covered pancakes at four in the morning, talking with friends about the night you all just shared and laughing out loud at the thought of having class the next day. Nothing even comes close.

Organic Farm

Like Jana and Charnice, I haven’t had the chance to fully explore all of the interesting places and things around Dartmouth. That being said, one very cool place to visit, that’s off campus, is Dartmouth’s organic farm. It is located about three miles from campus by car, bike, or river paddle (you can get there by water since its located right next to the river). The organic farm is in operation year round and provides students with tons of educational and recreational opportunities. Whether you decide to work/volunteer for the organic farm, have a lesson there with a class, or visit with a school group there are always tons of things to do and explore on the farm. I had the opportunity to live on the organic farm for five days during my DOC (Dartmouth Outing Club) pre-orientation trip and had so much fun. My group and I learned how the farm operates, picked and sautéed vegetables, and swam in the river. For more information about the organic farm visit http://www.dartmouth.edu/~doc/organicfarm/

Robert Frost Statue

Not many people know that the famous poet Robert Frost spent a few brief months here at Dartmouth as a student. Although he eventually left, he remains a member of the class of 1896. At Dartmouth, if you matriculate, you remain a member of that class forever.

My favorite unconventional place at Dartmouth has to be the Robert Frost statue. If ever I am feeling overwhelmed or just a little lethargic, a quick walk up to his statue refreshes me. It sits in one of the most peaceful wooded areas of the campus, right next to an old stone tower, the site of the Lone Pine (one of the oldest symbols of Dartmouth), and the BEMA, the site of many graduation traditions. In any case, the statue has always been a serene place I can go to clear my head, and not enough Dartmouth students know about it!

Picture by Joe Mehling '69
http://ask.dartmouth.edu/categories/alumni/17.html