Darin Raiken, winner of a Fulbright Scholarship this spring, attributes his academic success to hard work.
An economics major, Raiken maintained a 3.92 grade point average through the end of Winter term.
"I don't think I'm naturally smart; I just put in long hours," Raiken said.
"I get excited over [the work] I'm doing. I can stay up for two days without any sleep if I'm solving a problem," Raiken said. He added that he averages four or five hours of sleep each night.
Fullbright scholarships, named for Senator William Fulbright, allow college graduates to spend one year in a foreign country either teaching at the high school or college level or pursuing graduate studies.
Raiken will pursue a masters degree in economics from the London School of Economics next fall.
Although Raiken arrived at Dartmouth expecting to major in either film studies or creative writing, he soon decided he wanted to pursue a career in economic public policy.
"I enjoy storytelling and explaining things," Raiken said, adding that he hopes to find a job where he can help the public understand the government's complex economic policies.
He said he would like to work in a "behind the scenes government" position, such as a cabinet post.
As a study group leader, Raiken has already had experience in helping people understand economics.
After Raiken's Fulbright is over, plans to work in an investment training program, where he expects to put in 120 hours a week. After Morgan Stanley, Raiken plans to attend graduate school and pursue a Ph.D. in public policy.
Raiken said his membership in Bones Gate fraternity provides him a place where he is able to "blow off steam."
"The administration doesn't expect a person from Bones Gate to win a Fulbright," Raiken said, when asked about his fraternity life.
Raiken said his participation in other extra-curricular activities have "tapered off" in the last two years because he "got more into academics."
During his first two years at Dartmouth, Raiken played bass guitar in a rock band and worked on the computer-based environmental publication Common Sense.
