Rockefeller Center Senior Profile: Dieynabou Barry '14

This past spring, The Rockefeller Center encouraged its outgoing seniors to reflect on their experiences at Dartmouth as part of a series called Rocky and Me.

 "When reflecting on my past fours year at Dartmouth, it is clear that Rocky has had an influential part in my experience. Through academic, personal, and professional endeavors, Rocky has provided me with many assets. I am better leader, a better thinker, and a better speaker." --Dieynabou Barry '14

Photo by Thanh V. Nguyen

For me, Dartmouth was not a college choice, but fate. Dartmouth was the first college I was introduced to that was not a New York state or city school and was not Harvard, Columbia, or Yale. Growing up in the Bronx, college was not at the center of conversation, and I only knew schools that I heard about on television or walked passed on my way to school. After exploring all of my options, I chose Dartmouth because of its warmth. The people that I met when I first visited Dartmouth and the alumni I had met were all wonderful people who were very open to having me be a part of the Dartmouth family.

Although, I did not know about The Rockefeller Center when I applied to Dartmouth, I have been involved with Rocky in multiple ways during my four years at Dartmouth. I first heard about Rocky through my friends who were considering applying to the First-Year Fellows program. Although I was not specifically interested in this program, the other opportunities that Rocky had to offer intrigued me. I first became involved with The Rockefeller Center during my sophomore year through the Management and Leadership Development Program (MLDP). MLDP introduced me to many skill sets that I had not thought I had the capability of attaining nor had I thought were very important in my future career path. Through MLDP, I was able to think more holistically about what my career path would look like and how I could prepare for the future. Because I had learned so much from the program, I continued to be involved in Rocky. Over the course of my time at Dartmouth, I took advantage of all the programs The Rockefeller Center had offer, whether they were one-part seminars or term-long programs. I participated in Create Your Path, Creating Your Personal Brand student workshop, and the Rockefeller Global Leadership Program. Like MLDP, these programs helped me develop my skills and opened doors to many opportunities outside of Dartmouth.

With the knowledge and experience I garnered through Rocky programs, I was able to find internships within my field and use the skills that I attained. Last summer, I interned at Conscience International, a human rights and development NGO in The Gambia. During my internship, I used a great proportion of the skills I learned from Rocky programs. From cultural awareness to strategic planning, I was able to complete my internship successfully because of the skills I had learned from participating in multiple Rocky programs.

When reflecting on my past fours year at Dartmouth, it is clear that Rocky has been an influential part of my experience. Through academic, personal, and professional endeavors, Rocky has provided me with many assets. I am better leader, a better thinker, and a better speaker.

Dieynabou Barry '14 graduated this past spring from Dartmouth College.