Correction appended
As sophomores, most of us have no idea exactly what to expect after leaving the Dartmouth bubble. When I think about my long-term goals in life, I see a big hole to be filled by medicine, or maybe journalism, or maybe finance or hopefully by marrying super wealthy (sue me, I'm lazy). So instead of making incorrect assumptions, I decided to check in with some Mirror alumni to see how they have adjusted to life post-Dartmouth.
Amita Kulkarni '10, a former editor of The Mirror, came to Dartmouth knowing she wanted to be a doctor. Kulkarni now works in global health at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, but plans to go to medical school in the near future.
Taking a year off between her undergraduate years and med school wasn't "exactly what my plans were when I first arrived here," Kulkarni said.
"I am working towards them," she said regarding her overall goals. "I've had some bumps in the road, but I'm still on the same path. Just going to Dartmouth isn't enough,. You need to have some goals in mind when you're there."
Jennifer Argote '10, another former Mirror editor, had the opposite experience of Kulkarni's, entering Dartmouth with medical aspirations that quickly changed.
"I dropped pre-med very quickly, so I wound up as an environmental studies major," she said.
Argote now intends to apply to law school, but like Kulkarni, she has chosen to take several years off before going to graduate school. Down the line, she hopes to return to her home state of Louisiana to pursue an interest in environmental issues there.
"But who knows where that will take me," she said.
Argote, who now lives in Boston, said that her current living situation is just "a holding period" for her, adding that she is "in no way trying to put roots down."
"I think it's nice to have something to look ahead to, but everyone's goals change," she said. "If you don't get the big corporate job or get into the top three law schools, then that sucks, and you're going to feel really bad about yourself, but no one really cares."
Matt Scott '11, a co-writer of the Mirror column, "The Drunkest Girls at the Party," also had the fairly common aspiration of being a doctor, but cited an early failure in a math class that "squashed" these dreams.
"After my Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman slash Grey's Anatomy dreams got shit on, I basically just floated, and really didn't have any concrete goals aside from remembering to get my P.E. and swimming requirement completed," Scott said, adding, "Oops."
His goals now include law school, a reality show on VH1, a "bougie apartment with two cats" and, if all else fails, he might start "a line of kitty couture."
"Having goals also is pretty difficult when you base your life decisions off of Karen Walker or Patsy Stone," he added.
Kathleen Mayer '11, a former Mirror columnist, has a very different view. She said she does not generally set goals, though she does still want to succeed in life.
"I don't think that's necessarily an admirable outlook on life, but it's hard for me to force myself to focus on the future when it just doesn't exist yet," she said.
Her eventual plan to go to law school "a last resort to stave off adulthood" has been her goal for a long time.
"I don't feel ashamed of currently being jobless," she added.
Matthew Ritger '10, of "The Gospel According to Matthew," said his goal has always been to become a writer.
"Most of all a poet, or a reporter," he said. "Maybe an editor, in publishing or at a newspaper or magazine."
Although he hasn't yet achieved any of those goals, Ritger is currently studying to receive a master's degree in poetry at Cornell University, and hopes to eventually teach creative writing "at a small college in New England."
"I think what's important is knowing or being brutally honest about what's actually important to you," Ritger said of having goals, which he called "useful motivators."
Victoria Boggiano '10, a former day managing editor and contributor to the Mirror, is working for Save the Children on an HIV/AIDS stigma reduction project in Hanoi, Vietnam.
"By the end of college, I knew that I wanted a career that combined science and politics," she said, adding that she knew she wanted to live abroad for "at least part" of her life.
Boggiano eventually wishes to return to school, but now is considering returning to Vietnam or another Southeast Asian country to work.
"If I'd been rigid about what I thought I wanted after college, I would have missed out on so many wonderful experiences," she said. "I try to remember that it's okay if I have a change of heart and decide I want to do something different than what I originally planned."
Eve Ahearn '11, another former editor of the Mirror, could not be reached by press time, as she is in Panama pursuing some sort of dream.
