Each year, class marshals are selected by their fellow students on the basis of good citizenship, enthusiasm, integrity, and positive impact on others. The marshals carry batons engraved with their names as they lead their classmates to the Green during the commencement procession.
We invited this year’s marshals to write a brief encapsulation of their time at Dartmouth and to share their thoughts and pose for a photograph from their favorite places on campus.
Student Marshals for 2019
Teresa Juliana Alvarado-Patlán ’19
Hometown: Countryside, Ill.
Major: Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean Studies (LALACS), French minor
Teresa Alvarado-Patlán spent her college career finding balance between social life and academic rigor. At Dartmouth, she was a Mellon Mays Associate Fellow, through which she expanded her interests in research and academia. She was a Rockefeller Leadership Fellow, and, alongside her senior cohort, she developed her leadership philosophy. Alvarado-Patlán advocated for students as a Committee on Standards member in the Office of Judicial Affairs. Being Latinx contributed to her pursuit of a major in Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean Studies (LALACS), and minor in French. Her senior thesis focuses on the role of the Department of Homeland Security in the criminalization of Latinx noncitizens post-9/11. After graduation, Alvarado-Patlán will be working as coordinator of the First-Year Student Enrichment Program (FYSEP), where she hopes to share resources with incoming first-generation and low-income students. After FYSEP, she will pursue a PhD in American studies and plans to become a professor.
Favorite place: Orozco Mural
“I first walked into the Orozco Mural room during Dimensions. I was in awe at the sensation of being surrounded by walls depicting a tragic history of civilization, but also at how art was used as an act of resilience. The Mural room became my safe haven, where I wrote my first and last college essays. Dartmouth is lucky to have a unique part of Latinx history painted over its walls. If this is not enough to convince you to visit the murals, it’s air-conditioned during the summer term.”
Anisha Ariff ’19
Hometown: Phoenix, Ariz.
Major: Government and Middle Eastern Studies
Anisha Ariff is grateful for the serendipitous moments of joy and community she has experienced at Dartmouth. The constant support of her friends and family has allowed her to devote herself to working on power-based violence prevention and inclusivity efforts on campus. From serving as a chair of the Student Presidential Committee on Sexual Assault to helping other students as an Undergraduate Advisor, Ariff feels fortunate to have been able to contribute in all the ways— big and small—to a more caring and equitable community. During her off-terms, Ariff has worked at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations as a Paganucci Fellow and at social-impact organizations in her hometown of Phoenix. Her four years have helped her grow as an empathetic and enthusiastic person, characteristics she hopes to carry with her to a future career in law and advocacy.
Favorite Place: The Green
“I love the Green because it’s a place where people can take time to appreciate the people and spaces around them. The Green, while changing across seasons, has remained a focal point of my Dartmouth experience.”
Nigina Baimukhamedova, Thayer ’19
Hometown: Astana, Kazakhstan
Major: Master of Engineering Management
Nigina Baimukhamedova is an aspiring product manager who believes that technology is a great tool to make the world a better place. She was born in Tajikistan and spent her early life in Kazakhstan, where she completed her BS in robotics and mechatronics from Nazarbayev University and worked for a year as a product manager. She came to Dartmouth to study for a masters in engineering management to develop her business acumen within the technological space. In her free time, she served as a teaching assistant for several systems engineering classes taught by Associate Professor of Engineering Amro Farid. She was also quite involved in Master of Engineering Student Council activities, organizing various events on and off campus for her classmates to establish a culture of support and interconnectedness, which she believes, is the key for fulfilling one’s potential.
Favorite Place: Ledyard Canoe Club
“My favorite place on campus is the Ledyard Canoe Club. Thayer’s proximity to the river just makes it impossible not to take study breaks and come down to the river to enjoy the serenity of nature, read a book, have lunch with friends on the dock. Kayaking is also great, of course.”
Daniele Bellutta, Guarini ’19
Hometown: Trento, Italy, and Los Angeles, Calif.
Major: MS, Computer Science
Daniele Bellutta grew up in the sunny suburbs of Los Angeles and spent academic breaks in his birthplace in mountainous northeastern Italy. He earned bachelor’s degrees in computer science and political science from Ohio State University in 2017. As a master’s student at Dartmouth, he did research with Professor V. S. Subrahmanian focused on conducting network analyses of terrorist groups. His other interests include space exploration, which he has had the opportunity to focus on during internships at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. During his last year at Dartmouth, Daniele has served as finance officer on the Graduate Student Council, for which he managed the funding of graduate student events and instituted new protocols for financial transparency. He will be starting a doctoral program at Carnegie Mellon University in the fall.
Favorite Place: Kemeny Hall
“My first class at Dartmouth was in Kemeny Hall. It’s a great place to get work done, because it’s not normally as busy as the libraries and has a quiet, academic atmosphere. I really appreciate the light that enters through the large windows, especially during the winter.”
Timothy R. Harris, Geisel ’19
Hometown: Portland, Ore.
Major: MD
A native of the Pacific Northwest, Tim Harris studied international studies at the University of Washington. With no interest in medicine at the time, Harris joined Teach for America, where he taught AP chemistry in Detroit for the most resilient students. He concurrently completed a master of arts in education at the University of Michigan. During his tenure, he saw the parallels in disparities between health and education and decided to apply to medical school. While at Geisel, Harris served in student government for four years, most recently as student body president. Additionally, he was an Urban Health Scholar and Schweitzer Fellow, which allowed him to continue his passion for education. Harris will spend the next five years completing his surgery residency at the University of Arizona, Tucson.
Favorite Place: DOC House
“Geisel students have a ‘work hard, play hard’ mentality, and there was nothing more fulfilling than our post-exam formals, events, and exchanges, many of which were held at the DOC. Student government would plan most of these events, which would bring all the classes together.”
Michael Harteveldt ’19
Hometown: Greenwich, Conn.
Major: Double major in Government and Chinese
Ever since his first year, Michael Harteveldt has been passionate about the Dartmouth community and the many subsets of it in which he participated. He spent a significant amount of his time at Dartmouth performing with the Dartmouth Aires and served for the past year as the group’s business manager. Harteveldt also invested his time in sexual violence prevention efforts on campus, serving as one of the directors of preventative education for the Movement Against Violence. Harteveldt’s other activities included being a tour guide since freshman year and participating in the first year trips program as both a trip leader and a member of Hanover Cru. Academically, Harteveldt enjoyed studying government and was able to pursue his passion for Mandarin, which he started learning in the sixth grade. He would like to thank his loving family and friends for their steadfast support throughout his four years at Dartmouth.
Favorite Place: Hopkins Center for the Arts
“My favorite place on campus definitively has to be the Hopkins Center. I spent so much of my time at Dartmouth performing with the Aires at the Hop and made so many lasting memories with the group that I will always treasure. The Hop and the Aires allowed me to grow as a singer, a leader, and a friend.”
David William Jelke ’19
Hometown: Miami, Fla.
Major: Neuroscience
David Jelke applied to Dartmouth for three reasons: the nature, the Green, and the burger at Pine. Jelke is infinitely grateful that these seemingly random elements drew him to Dartmouth because they led him to form countless invaluable friendships. He has served as founder and president of Dartmouth’s Mental Health Union, a subject he is passionate about. He engaged in neuroscience research in the lab of Assistant Professor Matthijs van der Meer, studying memory and brain oscillations. He served as the chair of the Haven’s after-school tutoring program in the Upper Valley, providing a role model for at-risk youth who have abundant energy. He spent two summers shadowing his former pediatrician on the job in Miami. He even assumed the responsibilities of the Dartmoose for a brief stint! Following graduation, Jelke will explore different career paths but is especially interested in engaging in applied neuroscience, design thinking, and communications.
Favorite Place: Pine Park/golf course complex
“I love spending time in the Pine Park/golf course complex. I’ll go for a run and come to a fork in a trail I’ve never been on. It reminds me of all the choices we get to make in college and how the paths we take bring us to where we are.”
Josephine Kalshoven ’19, Thayer ’19
Hometown: Lanham, Md.
Major: Engineering Sciences (Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Engineering) (BA and BE)
Josephine Kalshoven has relished her four years at Dartmouth. Since day one, she has been an active member of the Aquinas House community and the Dartmouth College Marching Band, in which she has had dual roles as both a clarinetist and the pre-game and halftime announcer. Since her freshman spring, she has served on the 2019 Class Council. This year, she holds the title of senior class vice president. She became a member of the TEDx Dartmouth executive team, which held its second annual TEDx conference on campus in April, after she and a group of close friends decided to resurrect the defunct club over their sophomore summer. She has loved being a biomedical engineering student at Dartmouth, an experience enriched by her participation in research and a semester exchange at the Technical University of Denmark. She looks forward to beginning a PhD in biomedical engineering at Brown University in the fall.
Favorite Place: The Great Hall at Thayer School of Engineering
“Thayer has truly become my home-away-from-home at Dartmouth. There’s something about spending countless late nights here with classmates in shared academic struggle that can really endear it to you. This beautiful wooden hall is my go-to meeting place, studying place—even eating place, a lot of the time.”
Darryn J. Lee, Tuck ’19
Hometown: Compton, Calif.
Major: MBA, General Management
Darryn Lee grew up in Compton and Long Beach, Calif., and moved to Philadelphia to study at Temple University. He began his career as the lead portfolio analytics analyst at BlackRock in New York City, and then moved to institutional sales in BlackRock’s U.S. defined contribution business. Lee came to Tuck to broaden his understanding of strategy and organizational behavior, Tuck School of Business, and to expand his pedigree. He improved his professional acumen through a Tuck OnSite Global Consulting project in Uruguay, his First Year Project in Germany, and through a venture capital internship at Harlem Capital. He also served as class president both years at Tuck, working hard to ensure that students felt more connected, culturally fluent, and supported in their future endeavors. After graduation, Lee will join MetLife as a director in its Global Leadership Development Program, after marrying his fiancée, Ayisha Devonish, a senior manager at TIAA.
Favorite Place: Baker Tower
“When I was applying for colleges in high school, I wasn’t confident enough to apply to an Ivy League institution. I didn’t think I was qualified enough to get in. Standing atop Baker Tower and seeing the beautiful landscape is a reminder of how far I have come in my life, and the opportunities that I now have available to me because of my Dartmouth education.”
Alexa Lewis, Thayer ’19
Hometown: Paradise Valley, Ariz.
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Above all else, Alexa Lewis is grateful for the communities she found and the friendships she formed at Dartmouth. The organizations she was most involved with Thayer School of Engineering, the Aquinas House Catholic Student Center, and the Thought Project Living Learning Community. Through these communities, Lewis was able to form meaningful connections and relationships, and she eventually took on leadership roles in all of these organizations, in an effort to give back as much as she had received. Lewis was also heavily involved in scientific research and worked as an undergraduate researcher in two labs at Dartmouth and another at home during off-terms. Next year, Lewis will be headed west in order to complete a master of science program at the University of California, San Diego.
Favorite Place: The Connecticut River
“Although not one of the locations where I have spent the most time, the river has always been one of my favorite places on campus. No matter the hour, the season, or the weather, I find the river to be an incredibly beautiful and peaceful spot where I can take a break from academics and enjoy the outdoors.”
Danny Li ’19
Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
Major: Government
Danny Li arrived at Dartmouth with a desire to be involved with public service and has embraced every opportunity to give back to the community that had taken him in. On campus, Li founded two student organizations focused on international diplomacy and foreign policy while serving at the helm of six other student organizations, such as the Dartmouth Law Journal. His most rewarding leadership experience has been serving as class president of the Dartmouth Class of 2019, a role he has held since freshman year and through which he enjoys interacting with and supporting his classmates. At the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Public Policy, Li developed an interest in government and policy. From interning at the local town manager’s office to writing memoranda on the 2018 National Defense Strategy, Danny has engaged with the policy process at the local, state, and national levels, making his initial contributions to better American governance. He is now eager to take his skills, perspectives, and enthusiasm for public service to Washington, D.C., to contribute to the problem-solving of the challenges facing the world at large.
Favorite Place: Rockefeller Center
“The Rockefeller Center represents the nexus of my passion for policy and commitment to service. Here, I learned about the world of government and applied my insights outside the classroom walls. At Rocky, I realized that I didn’t have to wait to make a difference. I could just go and do it.”
Ryan Ross Monasch ’19
Hometown: Goldens Bridge, N.Y.
Major: Neuroscience with minors in Spanish and Jewish Studies
Ryan Monasch has used his time at Dartmouth to help grow vibrant communities in the residential spaces that students could take part in and enjoy. He found success as the chair of West House, where he led such initiatives as developing a West House lounge and snack shack as a central social space within the residential community. In addition to his work in the house communities, he strove to make incoming students feel welcome as a trip leader for first year trips and also served as one of the co-captains for club soccer. Academically, he is passionate about the study of learning and memory, having conducted neuroscience research that culminated in his thesis on sensory integration. Following graduation, he plans to work as a research assistant in neuroscience to gain experience before moving on to higher education to pursue a PhD.
Favorite Place: Baker Field
“Baker Field represents a peaceful center of my Dartmouth experience. It’s perfectly spread out grass is the perfect place to sit and admire the surrounding iconic buildings on campus such as Dartmouth Hall, Baker Library, the Hopkins Center, and Collis. Most importantly though, it’s where I met and spent the most time with my best friends on campus.”
Colleen Elizabeth O’Connor ’19
Hometown: Buffalo, N.Y.
Major: Asian and Middle Eastern Studies modified with Economics
Despite not receiving her first passport until her senior year of high school, Colleen O’Connor has gone abroad seven times for extended periods of research, work, and study since coming to Dartmouth. As a Stamps Scholar, O’Connor has spent the past two years working to use entrepreneurship as a vehicle for female empowerment within indigenous communities in South America and East Asia, for which she was named the 2018 Undergraduate Catalyst for Change by the American Association for University Women. On campus, O’Connor is president of Women in Business, the undergraduate adviser for the Dartmouth Entrepreneurial Network, and a Senior Admissions Fellow. She has truly embraced the “One Dartmouth” spirit by pursuing a minor in human centered design at Thayer School of Engineering and working as a Paganucci Fellow and Onsite Global Consultant with the Tuck School of Business. O’Connor also graduates as a salutatorian of the Class of 2019.
Favorite Place: Baker Tower
“Sitting on the Green my first night on campus and looking up at the glow of Baker Tower was a visceral experience and the first time I really internalized the fact that this beautiful campus that I’d seen in admissions brochures was now a place I could call home. These past four years, climbing the tower during big weekends to enjoy the breathtaking views of the surrounding area or simply passing Baker on my way to class always reminded me of just how lucky I am to be part of the Dartmouth community.”
Kyla Rodgers, Guarini ’19
Hometown: Wolfeboro, N.H.
Degree: PhD, Experimental Molecular Medicine
Kyla Rodgers earned her BS in biochemistry and molecular biology from Gettysburg College in 2011, after which she began working as a research assistant in the Chou Laboratory at Dartmouth. In August 2013, she joined the Program in Experimental Molecular Medicine, where she continued her work in the Chou Lab, studying the innate immune functions of astrocytes and their implications for neurological conditions (i.e. Alzheimer’s disease). During her studies, she served as both a departmental representative and president of the Graduate Student Council, winning the Graduate Community Award in 2018. She is now completing her first year of her MD at the Geisel School of Medicine, and will serve as a Dickey Center Global Health Fellow this summer at the Comprehensive Rural Health Project in Jamkhed, India.
Favorite Place: Occom Pond and the DOC House
“I love the fine dining of Moosilauke Ravine Lodge. I adore the quiet splendor of an evening, lying on the docks and spotting shooting stars, then waking up to the call of the loons on a foggy summer morning at Hinman and Armington cabins. But I will never forget all of the loops I ran around Occom Pond when the yellow-green buds poked out their heads in the spring, or when the warm summer breeze rippled its surface, or when the scarlet- and canary-colored leaves dropped and crunched under my feet in the fall. I come here to find my peace.”
Carlos Manuel Tifa, Jr. ’19
Hometown: Bronx, N.Y.
Major: Geography
Carlos Tifa has made several contributions to student life on campus through his love and dedication to event planning and community building. Serving four years on Dartmouth’s programming board, which culminated in the position of executive director, Tifa has been a part of the planning and the execution of the Green Key Concert, Fallapallooza, and various other concerts and events. His time as the executive director of the programming board was shaped by pushing the board to create events where marginalized communities felt safe and included. Tifa has also served twice on Dartmouth’s orientation team, on which he welcomed first years with his infectious personality and bright spirit. Tifa has also been a member of the Sigma Epsilon Chi (Tabard) gender-inclusive fraternity and Zeta Psi, bridging the gap between queerness and the Greek system. After graduation, Tifa plans to live in New York City and become a marketing consultant.
Favorite Place: Collis Patio
“Throughout my four years at Dartmouth, Collis has always felt like home. Leaving the place that has shaped and taught me so much is probably one of the hardest goodbyes I’ll have to say in the next few days.”
Carlos Tigreros, Gaurini ’18
Hometown: Chicago and Cali, Colombia
Major: Master of Arts in Liberal Studies
Prior to Dartmouth, Carlos Tigreros served overseas in the U.S. Navy as an electrical and nuclear-repair engineer. He completed deployments across the Persian Gulf, the South China Sea, and the Korean Peninsula. Seeking a broader academic understanding to the national security challenges he confronted, Tigreros joined the Dartmouth community to attain a more well-rounded perspective. In his second year at Dartmouth, Tigreros worked overseas at the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala in the economic and political affairs section. He spent most of his weekends at the indoor rock-climbing gym in Maxwell Hall and Tigreros served as an officer in the Graduate Student Council. He spearheaded efforts in recreating the Student Veterans Association of Dartmouth, while serving as the event coordinator for Dartmouth’s Uniformed Service Alumni. In addition, he collaborated with Dartmouth’s Alumni Relations team in organizing dozens of alumni engagement events. After Dartmouth, Tigreros will be serving in the Office of Policy and Strategy at the Department of Homeland Security.
Favorite Place: Baker Tower Room
“Baker Tower has always been my second home while at Dartmouth. People tend to walk a little slower, they are more inclined to whisper, or turn off their cell phones upon entering the Tower Room. There is an unspoken understanding that there is an intangible and yet special aura inside the Tower Room. Having the ability to study and be a part of such a special study space was a privilege I can never take for granted.”
William Platt can be reached at william.c.platt@dartmouth.edu.
