"It's a really amazing honor," Kaufman said. "There's some really incredible kids doing some incredible work, it feels really crazy to be among really phenomenal people."
Students appointed to the first-team must have a grade point average of over 3.5 and have found the balance between dedication to their studies and "down time," according to the newspaper. University of Alabama has the highest representation in the program, with seven participants, followed by Yale and Dartmouth, who have five and four participants, respectively.
Kaufman is majoring in health and society in Latin America and the Caribbean and is writing a thesis exploring the success of raising HIV/AIDS awareness among Haitian youth in the Dominican Republic. In addition, he has raised over $100,000 for AIDS awareness and prevention in Africa through the organization Grassroots Soccer, and founded the campus group Dartmouth Ends Hunger.
"I think learning really only begins in the classroom," Kaufman said. "The most rewarding times have been when I can connect classroom work with service and research. Those are three big pieces of me, and I've been blessed to be able to put them together."
Thompson, who met Kaufman playing frisbee on the Green freshman year, encouraged Kaufman to apply for the program. Thompson is studying medical anthropology and co-founded PharmaSecure, a company that verifies the authenticity of drugs. He has spent a total of 14 months in Rwanda, doing public health and medical anthropology related research.
Thompson also plays the saxophone, and his musical interests have led him to ethnomusicology, the study of music within cultural context.
"I've been looking at Rwanda and trying to understand the history of music and politics and the role music has played in politics, particularly looking at the genocide in Rwanda," Thompson said.
Myers and Ogden, who received honorable mentions from USA Today, are both making strides in medical sciences.
Myers conducts research on the policies and ethics of stem cell research at Dartmouth Medical School, the National Institute of Health and Harvard Univerity's Stem Cell Institute. She works for the National Student Society for Stem Cell Research and started a chapter at Dartmouth in her sophomore year. She is also the managing editor of the Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science. She won the Barry Goldwater Scholarship, which is awarded to science majors with a significant background in research.
"I'm just trying to enjoy Dartmouth and do everything I can before I leave," Myers said.
Ogden is focusing her attention on nanoparticle hyperthermia for cancer treatment through research at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.
"ENGS 56 really got me interested in the research I do at DHMC," Ogden said.
She also works with a device that detects radiation after exposure in the event of an emergency, she said.
All four students agreed the award reflects Dartmouth's institutional strength.
"Dartmouth is not just a stepping stone to medical school or law school or the corporate world," Kaufman said. "Dartmouth students are really making the most of their time at Dartmouth and using this opportunity to make a huge difference in the world."
Myers is impressed that four students in her class were recognized by the program, she said.
"It's really neat that we have two of 20 winners and two seniors who are also in to the honorable mention. Four different people doing very different things," Myers said. "I really think it speaks to the students at Dartmouth, the impact of the institution, people come to see Dartmouth as having high-quality, motivated, interested students."
