Pioneer on Campus: Dartmouth College

Lace up your best boots, because it’s time to hike up to Hanover for this edition of Pioneer on Campus! Hanover is home to Dartmouth College, and 27 Pioneer alumni admitted to the college in 2020 and 2021. Almost 14 miles of the famed Appalachian Trail run directly through town, so you know that many weary travelers have paused for a refreshment here, perhaps stopping for an early morning bite at the iconic Lou’s, where hungry people have indulged in delicious baked goods since 1947.

Speaking of refreshments, they were in ample supply at a recent Pioneer on Campus event held on Dartmouth’s campus. Organized by Dartmouth senior and 2017 Pioneer alumna Judith, she told us that the get-together was a great opportunity not only to interact with fellow researchers, but to provide advice to scholars just starting their college experience.

 “I enjoyed getting to meet students who also participated in Pioneer and getting to share the knowledge I’ve accumulated over the years about being here.” she said. “It was fun getting to meet the faces of Pioneer as they are special students and to connect students with researching opportunities and resources they did not know about.”

Judith also took a minute to reflect on her time at Pioneer. According to her, the Pioneer journey was invaluable in preparing her for the nuances of college life at Dartmouth. “Without Pioneer, I would’ve been so lost in college, especially because I came from an underserved high school. Having exposure to navigating a college library database and most importantly the scientific literature, made the transition to college a lot easier. I honestly don’t know what I would’ve done freshman year if I didn’t have this previous experience.” 

Judith is currently preparing to graduate in May, and says that she is waiting to hear back from NIH funded PREP programs, or as she refers to them, “pre-PhD programs.”

Stay tuned for future Pioneer on Campus events at other universities. To learn more about Pioneer and our alumni network, check out our official Instagram @Pioneer_Academics, our student-run Instagram page @scholarsofpioneer, or our LinkedIn page.