Connecting the Dots

Danielle Goonan

Danielle Goonan '07, Senior Associate, Clinton Global Initiative

What do you think Dickinson provided you? 

"Dickinson first and foremost allowed me to write my own destiny. They said I’m going to spend the next four years investing in you. If you take advantage of all the opportunities we give you, we will invest in you and we will help mold you into the person that you want to be."

What are the advantages to Dickinson's broad, interdisciplinary liberal-arts education?

"My liberal-arts degree provided me with knowledge of many different areas of studies and taught me how to connect the dots ... I’ve been able to adapt to a various and different environments, whether they’re in the U.S. or abroad. I think the most important thing is that Dickinson opened up my eyes to the possibilities out there, prepared me to compete and grab hold of those possibilities and run with them."

How did the college's focus on global study and engagement shape you?

"Dickinson gave me a foundation for my love of traveling. Getting to know other people, other cultures, other religions, Dickinson sets you up in a way to know this is what you should be doing. It’s going to make you understand how you can be a part of not only a small community, but also communities elsewhere and the world in general. It’s incredible that as an American studies major, I was able to go abroad and take courses at the University of Bologna—courses that provided an international view of the United States and United States history ... It’s incredible that Dickinson provided these kinds of opportunities."

Published September 1, 2013