In his room in Casque and Gauntlet senior society, Kevin Walsh '98 hangs a picture of himself as a second grader. Underneath the photo is the caption, "I am now learning subjects like math and science." To Walsh, the photo is an amusing reminder of his roots in Pearl River, N.Y.
But today, this 21-year-old senior mostly concentrates on where he is and where he is going.
As College President James Freedman's student intern, Walsh has a unique opportunity. He works one-on-one with the president and acts as the liaison between students and the president's office.
One of Walsh's duties is to organize brown bag lunches for Freedman and students to meet and discuss campus issues.
Last month, Walsh organized a lunch to discuss former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. Freedman served as a law clerk under Marshall in his first year out of law school.
Walsh said he considers these lunches a great idea because they allow students to really get to know the president and allow them to realize he is a thoughtful and sincere man.
Walsh said he thinks the president's reputation as an introvert is undeserved.
"He's such a great guy -- a really good listener and really interested ... you just know that he cares a lot about Dartmouth and what Dartmouth students are thinking."
As for desirable qualities for the next president, Walsh said the College needs someone who can "understand academics, business and strategic planning, all wrapped up in someone who's thoughtful, approachable, visionary and energetic."
Walsh said the application and selection process is somewhat of a "mystery." It requires a long, written biography of the applicant, along with a handful of interviews.
Walsh said his main motivation for applying for the internship was "out of respect for the president. I wanted to see what he was like ... instead of just shaking his hand and passing on."
Freedman said he chose Walsh because he was "very impressed with his seriousness of purpose."
"He's outstanding and I enjoy him very much," Freedman added.
Walsh brings this sense of purpose into the many facets of his life at the College.
In addition to working with the president, Walsh considers his involvement with the Aquinas House, the College's Catholic Student Association, "far and away the most important thing" in which he is involved.
As president of Aquinas House, Walsh "has brought outstanding breadth, balance and energy... He leads us as much by his example as by his encouragement," said Father John McHugh of the Aquinas House.
The Aquinas House was one of the main factors that drew Walsh to the College, and he has been involved with it since his freshman year. Walsh considers this decision "intensely personal."
"Part of college is figuring out what you think and how you want to live your life," he said.
Walsh said he tries to apply his sense of religion to many different aspects of his life.
Along with a few other members of the class of 1998, Walsh helped found the Coalition for Life, a College pro-life group. He has served as president and treasurer of the organization.
"The laws governing abortion are way too permissive... We need more discussion on the humanity of the unborn," Walsh said. To this end, he has attempted to stimulate discussion on the topic in a variety of ways, organizing an Ivy League Coalition for Life conference.
In addition, Walsh has served as a senior interviewer for the Office of Admissions, calling it "a blast," mainly because he loves telling people what's great about Dartmouth.
He is currently treasurer of Casque and Gauntlet and was a presidential scholar during his junior year. The presidential scholar program, he said, is one of the many enduring marks Freedman will leave on the College.
Walsh, a philosophy major and government minor, said, "I look at next year as an opportunity to get experiences that I would not get otherwise." He is considering working for a Catholic program as a legal aide or at a ministry for the poor.
As for post-graduate studies, Walsh said he probably plans on attending a theology program in order to study the nexus between philosophy, politics and religion. This study is his primary personal and academic passion, and he is currently working on a thesis about it.
When asked about his career aspirations, Walsh said, "It's wide open." However, he recalled mentioning to Freedman his possible legal aspirations to which Freedman responded, "The world has plenty of good lawyers. What we need now are good teachers."
Despite his many involvements and plans, Walsh still finds time to kick back.
Walsh cited reading as his "most intense hobby." He also plays the piano and enjoys putting together puzzles.
"Kevin Walsh has done much good for Dartmouth. He excels as a student, as a leader, as a person of faith and is an all around nice guy," McHugh said.
"Kevin Walsh is, simply put, a great guy. Always fun to be around, he's a mixture of all personalities -- crazy but conservative, a leader but a listener, fun-loving but serious. He means a great deal to this campus and especially to all of his friends," said Jon Hurst '98, one of Walsh's closest friends.
