SAM WELCH
Moving to Dartmouth from a small town in California, Sam Welch '10 had an interest in environmental protection when he arrived at the College. In Fall 2007, he joined forces with a handful of other students to form the Sustainable Living Center, Welch said in an interview with The Dartmouth.
"It took lots of patience, lots of meeting with administrators, clarifying your goals, figuring out exactly what we wanted and being able to express that in a succinct way," he said, emphasizing the importance of "making compromises when you have to, and not making compromises when it's not worth making compromises."
A year and a half later, College administrators granted the students a house, which became the physical location of the SLC, according to Welch.
"The challenges became less dealing with administration and more getting 20 people to live together and reduce their environmental footprint," he said.
In an effort to conserve energy, the SLC occupants practice sustainable habits such as unplugging dryers and refrigerators not in use. In one year, the house consumed sixty percent less electricity than it had in the past five years, Welch said.
Since its creation, the SLC has become an increasingly popular housing option. For the upcoming Fall term, more than 40 students applied for fewer than 14 spots, according to Welch.
"[The SLC] is on campus, close to a lot of things and in some ways it's kind of like a frat or a coed house," he said. "It's fun to live in a community, especially when there's a goal to that community. It's one constant challenge."
In addition to organizing the SLC, Welch has worked as the booking manager for Friday Night Rock.
"I came to college really interested in all sorts of alternative music," he said. "I thought I was going to major in music for a little while, but it ended up being a really involved hobby."
Welch is graduating as a double major in environmental studies and government. Welch said he had considered engineering for a time, but joked that Math 3 "changed [his] mind."
While Welch considers the SLC his "tangible" legacy, he remains most proud of the unaffiliated environment he helped to create, he said. Along with some friends, Welch arranged "meetings" for unaffiliated individuals on Wednesday nights.
"I think I helped create an alternative to the standard social life, whether it's the Greek system or drinking every night," he said. "[At independent meetings] we'll sit down at 9 and have ice cream and a beer. The nice thing about independent meetings is that it's just that block of time to hang out with people for an hour."
After commencement, Welch will guide white water rafting trips in Oregon before biking to South America with a friend to film a documentary on cultural differences.
"We're going to interview people and ask them, What's a problem that you've had in your community and how have you gone about solving it?'" Welch said. "Hopefully we'll get an idea of what culture and problem solving is like in Central America and South America."
BRENDAN HART
Upon graduating from high school with the Class of 2000, Brendan Hart '10 took an unusual route to Dartmouth, first joining the U.S. military and later working on Capitol Hill before matriculating at the College.
"If you asked me coming out of high school if I were to ever end up in a place like Dartmouth, I would have told you you were crazy," he said. "But one of the lessons I've learned in life is that you can never look too far ahead."
After high school, Hart worked "some odds-and-ends jobs," and later considered joining either the New York Fire Department or the United States Marine Corps after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. When the United States declared war on Iraq in 2003, Hart enlisted in the Marine Corps at the age of 21 and was soon deployed to the Middle East.
"It was a wonderful, wonderful experience," he said. "I learned a lot, but it was a chapter in my life."
After completing his service with the Marines, Hart lived in Washington, D.C., where he attended the University of Maryland and worked with the Wounded Warrior Project in the Department of Veteran's Affairs on Capitol Hill. Hart transferred to Dartmouth in September 2007 in part due to the efforts of former College President James Wright on behalf of veterans' education.
"Coming from the Marine Corps, the competitive drive took over, and I wanted to test my hand at a place with some of the best and the brightest," he said. "I considered a few Ivy League schools, but when it came down to it, Dartmouth seemed like the right fit at the time."
During his time in Washington, Hart had done some work on independent consulting projects. Drawing on this experience, Hart started a New York-based management consulting firm called Quantum Executive Group in January 2009.
"I saw an opportunity to streamline some of my work and figured that because of the D-Plan I would have the flexibility to get away from campus when I needed to," he said.
Hart encountered many difficulties as he balanced running his business with his academic schedule.
"Running a business out of Hanover is challenging in a lot of ways," he said. "What it means in terms of practical application is that I need to be very aware of time management, probably more aware than most Dartmouth students. It also puts me on the road a lot of weekends. I try to squeeze every minute out of the day."
Hart said his war experience and veteran status has largely defined his identity at Dartmouth.
"The focus of the veteran community at Dartmouth is to spur the conversation and to break down some of the stereotypes and barriers," he said.
At the College, Hart said he sees himself as a representative of the veteran community.
"I took the approach, especially when I first got up here, that I represented something much larger than myself when I was in the classroom and in social settings," he said. "I still feel a strong sense of obligation to do as well as I can not only for my self, but for also what the veterans represent at Dartmouth."
After graduation, Hart said he will work to expand Quantum beyond its bases in New York and Washington, D.C., with hopes of opening an office in San Francisco.
"One of the greatest things that the military gave me is an unbelievable network," he said. "I've been able to mobilize and leverage not only my Dartmouth connections but also my military connections. That's translated to a moderate level of business success."
After Quantum reaches the point of "self-sustainability," Hart said he may consider pursuing a joint M.B.A. and master's degree in public policy.
ABBE SOKOL
Abbe Sokol '10 has thrown herself into student life during her four years at the College. Sokol has played goalie for the women's club soccer team, mentored for the DREAM program, been a Sexpert, served as a social chair for Sigma Delta sorority and been a member of Lodj Croo.
"I guess I just sort of accumulate activities," she said, adding that her roommate insisted that she drop some of her responsibilities before enrolling in a fourth class this term.
Even with all her activities, Sokol said she wishes she had more time to explore Dartmouth's opportunities.
"I've done as much as I possibly could, but not nearly as much as I wanted to," she said. "I could easily spend another four years here. There are so many shows I haven't seen, classes I haven't taken. It's easy to get paralyzed trying to make decisions even about what to do on a Friday night."
Sokol said she decided to get involved in the DREAM organization during her sophomore year after seeing how rewarding the program had been for her fellow students.
"Spending time with kids was one thing I didn't realize I missed during college until I saw someone else doing it," she said. "As wonderful as people my own age are, there's something so important about getting that fresh, unique perspective."
Sokol said her experience with DREAM has been primarily shaped by the friendships she has made with local children, or "mentees."
"What I've found over the years is that DREAM is not just about cookies and arts and crafts," she said. "Learning from and spending time with my mentee has been an amazing experience. When you make a multiple-year. one-on-one commitment to a kid, you get something very intense and serious out of it."
As a member of Lodj Croo during her junior year, Sokol welcomed freshmen to the Moosilauke Lodge after their First-Year Trips.
"[Lodj Croo is] exactly as much fun as it looks, which is too much for me to even describe," she said. "I'm not the best singer or dancer, but if there's one thing Dartmouth has taught me it's how to make people feel loved and included."
After graduation, Sokol will spend the summer interning for Mediavest, a New York advertising firm. In the fall, she will return to Hanover to participate in the teacher education program at Dartmouth and complete her certification in elementary education. As for the future, Sokol cited non-profit advertising and public relations as potential careers, although she said she expects to remain interested in educational policy.
JESSICA GUTHRIE
Soon after coming to the College, Jessica Guthrie '10 joined the Afro-American Society in search of a community of people culturally similar to herself.
"I wanted a place where I could go be around people who look like me, and who have had potential similar experiences," she said. "People who would understand what I'm talking about."
By senior year, Guthrie became president of the AAm, after holding positions as faculty relations chair, cultural chair and freshmen representative.
This year's motto for the society was "Striving for excellence through our actions." The AAm sought to increase the success of the black community on campus by creating an intra-Society mentoring program and awarding students points for different academic activities throughout each term, Guthrie said. Under Guthrie's leadership, the group also sought to foster student-faculty relationships between its members and their professors.
"[We] also [bridged] communications between black students, faculty and staff," she said. "A lot of times we think we're all alone here, but black faculty goes through the same thing."
This year, the AAm also established a mentoring program with the Tuck School of Business, Guthrie said.
Guthrie, a first-generation college student, is also a member of Palaeopitus Senior Society, the Gospel Choir and the Rockefeller Leadership Fellows Program.
"I wanted to do things that would enrich me outside the classroom," she said.
During her junior year, Guthrie said she served as an academic intern at the Office of Black Student Advising under the Office of Pluralism and Leadership with the goal of helping freshmen make the transition to college life.
"[I wanted to] make sure they're taking advantage of all the academic opportunities," she said. "Whether it be through a structured organization like OPAL or AAm, I'm always passing down information and helping students navigate."
In 2008, Guthrie served as the president of Vote Clamantis, a nonpartisan student organization formed to publicize the 2008 election and motivate students to vote.
"The point is to register students so people can vote," she said. "And to ensure you're receiving nonpartisan information about elections and candidates."
With the help of six other students, Guthrie registered 700 students through registration drives and saw over 2,000 students vote in Hanover.
In reflecting on her four years at Dartmouth, Guthrie said she believed her leadership significantly impacted the black community on campus.
"I'm just one of many leaders," she said. "I do think that I have left that community in a more organized state than it was in. I think that I have left it in a way where there are tangible goals to reach for."
After graduation, Guthrie will teach high school social studies in Dallas, Texas, as part of the Teach for America program.
