Student Interviewers

My cousin graduated from Dickinson in 2011 and his father graduated in 1977. When I was a senior in high school, there was only one place that I wanted to apply to college. My time at Dickinson started because of my family, and my time at Dickinson will end with an even larger family.

My first-year seminar was also a learning community, which means that the class was centered around an interesting topic and paired with another class of a similar topic: How Recording Technology Changed The Music Industry was connected to Music And The Mind. The 20 students involved lived on the same floor, participated in Orientation together, and academically engaged within the classroom and community. Many of those students have remained my closest friends, in fact, I continued to live on campus with them all four years. I was also able to bond with other students outside of my seminar by joining a dance team and a sorority.

I have spent my summers at Dickinson working for admissions as a tour guide and for The Trout Gallery, the museum on campus. Not only did I meet other amazing groups of students that I would not have otherwise met during the school year, but I created relationships with Dickinson faculty. I have bonded with invaluable mentors through the admissions office, The Trout Gallery, the student life office, and college planning committees. I’ve gotten to know their cats, children, spouses, and hospitality. They’ve become my pseudo parents in my home-away-from-home.

I have taken life-changing classes and explored the vibrant town of Carlisle. In Social Analysis, I learned about sociology and then applied it to my own experiences. I became a student and then a teacher of African dance. I have taken a seminar on Leonardo da Vinci and visited his Last Supper in Milan. I have gone hiking around the area, proudly eaten at every restaurant, lived in nearly every type of housing option on campus (dorm, special interest house, apartment) and planned campuswide events. I have held leadership positions, such as becoming the academic chair of my sorority.

There is no place that I feel more comfortable. I’ve learned more about myself and more about the world around me. And in case I don’t already sound too cliché, I’d like to finish with a final statement: Dickinson has provided a transformative academic experience, and fostered life-long friendships… friendships that are more like family. If you have any questions about my Dickinson family, art history or Carlisle, don’t hesitate to contact me at tobasha@dickinson.edu.