This year, Katie Horner '11, Mayuka Kowaguchi '11 and Kalina Newmark '11 are serving as fellows, and Jennifer Murray '09 is serving as a senior fellow, in the President's Office, the Advancement Office and the Dartmouth Center for Health Care Delivery Science, according to Broadus.
Horner and Newmark both work for the President's Office. Their different interests and educational backgrounds allow them to focus on different aspects of the College.
"This opportunity really allows you to explore your passions," Horner said.
Horner, who is from Brooklyn Park, Minn., graduated as a history major and was a former member of the women's ice hockey team.
"As an undergraduate, I was heavily involved in the sports scene," she said. "Now I can work on athletic projects as an administrator instead of just as an undergraduate."
Horner also uses her academic background in history to conduct research about the historical context before major events or speaking engagements for Kim.
Newmark majored in Native American studies and anthropology modified with linguistics. Originally from Tuktoyaktuk in the Northwest Territories in Canada, Newmark was co-president of Native Americans at Dartmouth as an undergraduate.
Newmark's work primarily consists of briefing Kim about speaking engagements and helping in the office, she said.
Kowaguchi, an international student from Japan, graduated last year as an Asian and Middle Eastern studies major with minors in dance and digital arts. She works in the administration's Advancement Division an umbrella office for alumni relations, development and communication, according to Kowaguchi. She reports to Senior Vice President for Advancement Carolyn Pelzel.
"My position gives me some flexibility in experience because it's new and there wasn't a set agenda for me when I came in," Kowaguchi said. "It's great because whatever [Pelzel] sees as important projects, she'll assign them to me."
Kowaguchi also said she appreciates the educational resources of the presidential fellowship.
Fellows complete assignments that help them develop research, communication and administrative skills, while also participating in year-long seminars and workshops on project management, Excel and other professional skills, according to Kowaguchi.
The fellowship is typically one year long, but fellows can renew the position for a second year in the same or a different office, according to Broadus.
Murray, a sociology major, public policy minor and native of Abbotsford in British Columbia, Canada, served as a fellow during the 2010-2011 academic year in the President's Office, according to Dartmouth's website. The Dartmouth Center for Health Care Delivery Science interviewed Murray for a second-year position and now hosts her as a fellow, Broadus said.
The fellows agreed that the program broadened their professional perspectives and increased their appreciation for and connection to the College. They also said being alumni still living on campus is quite a departure from their undergraduate experiences.
"I do things I didn't really have time for as a student, like going to performances at the [Hopkins Center] or making time for the gym," Newmark said. "But whenever I see '15s on campus I feel so old."
Fellows said they no longer have the same social experience they once did as undergraduates.
"You go to Molly's and Murphy's instead of Webster Avenue," Horner said, laughing. "You find a new social scene for yourself but transitioning into the real world' has been gradual."
The fellows also have future professional and educational plans in sight Newmark said she hopes to attend law school to bring positive policy changes to small communities, and Kowaguchi said she plans to take her newfound skills to the business world.
"[Kim] went out, became a global leader, and now leads Dartmouth," Kowaguchi said. "I want to step away from the institution but continue to support Dartmouth after I gain more world experience."
Horner plans to pursue her interest in marketing, sports and public relations after her fellowship.
All four fellows were selected through a long and "highly selective" process of interviews, writing assignments and evaluation of the needs of different offices, according to Broadus.
Despite there being half as many fellows this year as there were in the previous academic year, the fellowship program is not deteriorating, according to Broadus. Nine recent graduates served as presidential fellows in the 2010-2011 academic year.
"Although it's a unique opportunity for new professionals, each of the offices needs to consider how to best get their work done," Broadus said. "Sometimes you just need a different staffing need one year."
Fellows receive a salary and staff benefits, while following the same rules and regulations as any other employee of the College, according to Broadus.
The selection process for the 2012-2013 academic year will begin in January 2012, according to the Dartmouth website.
