My academic year has ended on a high. I have spent the past five consecutive terms enrolled as a full-time student –– including an exciting term in Buenos Aires, Argentina as well as an unforgettable sophomore summer term –– and have found a strong sense of community at Dartmouth College. This past fall was particularly grounding: I have settled into part-time employment at the Dartmouth Office of Admissions and Guarini Institute for International Education; I have taken on leadership positions within my sorority, Sigma Delta, which recently welcomed a stellar new rush class; and my coursework has been more exciting than ever.
At the start of the fall term, I declared my majors in Government and Geography with a minor in Hispanic Studies. The nexus of these disciplines excites me, and I hope to find a career which pursues justice through an anti-capitalist, anti-colonial, and political-ecological framework. This past term, I found myself particularly taken with two courses: an unexpectedly engaging Geography course, which introduced me to Geographical Information Systems (GIS) computer software; and an absolutely fascinating Government course, which covered the physical and strategic effects of nuclear weapons in great depth. With the Geography course, I presented a final project which mapped the associated storm surges of Category 3, 4, and 5 hurricanes (in line with erratic weather patterns accompanying changing climate) on Martha’s Vineyard and their consequences for the tourism-dependent Vineyard economy. And with the Government course –– by far the highest quality course I have had the privilege to take at Dartmouth College –– I found myself routinely poring over recently declassified White House correspondence and taking well-informed stances on one of humanity’s greatest threats. I feel immense pride in my growth since freshman year, and I am eager to see what the future has in store. As my understanding of community deepens, I grow increasingly privy to the theme of interdependence; I am deeply grateful to and empowered by MVYouth’s investment in me as I make my impact on our island and on our planet.