Student Snapshot: Cassandra DiPierro ’23
Cassandra DiPierro ’23 is a psychology major with two minors (religion and women’s, gender & sexuality studies); she’s also pursuing a health studies certificate. In her free time, she enjoys hiking—and hopes to one day scale all the peaks in New Hampshire that are above 4,000 feet. During the past two summers, she’s interviewed alumni remotely through Dickinson’s Presidential Fellowship.
Hometown:
Fairfield, Connecticut.
Major:
Psychology, with minors in religion and women’s, gender & sexuality studies; also pursuing a health studies certificate.
Clubs and organizations:
Kappa Alpha Theta, Presidential Fellows, Outing Club, the Center for Civic Learning & Action and psychology department teaching assistant and research assistant.
Honors/scholarships/awards:
Alpha Lambda Delta Honors Society, Psi Chi Honors Society, Order of Omega Honors Society, Dean’s List and John Dickinson Scholarship.
Favorite book:
Angels and Demons by Dan Brown.
Favorite movie:
Arrival.
Best thing about my Dickinson experience:
The best thing so far about my Dickinson experience is all the amazing people that I’ve had the opportunity of meeting and the friendships that I have formed. My time at Dickinson has also really allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and grow. As a first-year student, I had a hard time making friends and meeting people, so I decided to sign up for sorority recruitment on a whim. Participating in recruitment allowed me to find a group of like-minded women whom I could connect with, and it has given me some of my best friendships.
Favorite place on campus:
Stern Center.
Favorite Dining Hall food:
Blueberry blintz.
Favorite class/learning experience:
One of my favorite classes I’ve taken at Dickinson was a religion course called Spiritual Dimensions of Healing. The class explored different healing modalities across the globe, such as traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda and Ayahuasca. One class, we had a drum circle in the basement of Allison Hall, which was a great opportunity to learn hands-on and take a moment to relax. In-class acupuncture was also fun! I really appreciated how it allowed me to try new experiences and delve deeper into my interest in alternative medicine.
Best thing about my major:
Honestly, all of the professors I’ve encountered at Dickinson are amazing and willing to help students succeed, especially in the psychology department. As a student, it’s inspiring to learn from and work with individuals who are so passionate about the work that they are doing. I especially love the interdisciplinary nature of the psychology classes I have taken and seeing how they relate to other fields I am interested in.
As I kid, I wanted to be …
… a cardiologist. I was born with a heart defect; growing up, I wanted to help out other children like me. After discovering how terrible I was at chemistry and physics, I quickly switched career paths.
Post-Dickinson plans:
After college, I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in psychology. I am definitely planning on taking a year to travel abroad as well, after spending 1.5 years in my house.
On choosing Dickinson:
When I was looking at colleges, I knew I wanted a small, liberal-arts college, so naturally, Dickinson was on my list. Playing club field hockey in high school, I was in the area a lot, so I had the opportunity to visit campus six times before accepting. Each time that I came back, I fell in love with campus more and more than the last time. I particularly liked how close Dickinson was to the Carlisle community and its focus on sustainability.
Little-known hobby/talent:
I am reiki-certified, and I love to hike. I recently hiked Mt. Pierce in New Hampshire, which stands at 4,310 feet. I hope someday to hike all the peaks above 4,000 feet in New Hampshire!
Proudest accomplishment so far:
I have visited 28 states, and I hope to travel to all 50 at some point!
Most important thing I’ve learned so far:
Working as a Presidential Fellow for the past two summers has shown me the importance of relationships and connecting with others. Many of the alumni whom I have spoken with are connected to Dickinson because someone reached out to them, whether that person was a fellow student or professor. Being a part of the Presidential Fellowship Program these past two summers also has allowed me to get out of my shell, and it has given me the self-confidence to reach out to others. This coming semester, I am so excited to build upon the friendships and connections I’ve made at Dickinson.
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Published September 9, 2021