Rockefeller Leadership Fellow: Morgan Sandhu ’17

This series introduces the 2016-2017 Rockefeller Leadership Fellows. Each fellow reflects on why he or she wanted to be a part of the program and what aspects of leadership most interests them.

The RLF program functions dually as a capstone for my experience with leadership at Dartmouth while also helping to ensure that I am being an effective leader during my senior year. Learning how to adapt my leadership style and push myself beyond my leadership comfort zone is the next step in my leadership journey. I view RLF as the only campus leadership program that can provide this final stage for growth.

At Dartmouth, my most meaningful long term commitments have been Mock Trial, the Policy Research Shop, and my sorority, Chi Delta. I have also completed several programs to help me lead effectively, including Dartmouth Leadership Attitudes and Behaviors Program, Civic Skills Training, and the Management and Leadership Development Program.

I have learned the most about leadership in practice through Chi Delta. Being an executive of Chi Delta- Vice President of Chapter Development- has greatly defined my experience at Dartmouth, pushing me to define what I value in a community and forcing me to engage in difficult conversations. This summer a situation arose where a woman of color in our house felt unsupported and marginalized, which led to a greater fracture in the house between our sisters of color and the rest of the house. This situation had particular significance for me as a leader because I had never been in a position of healing a fractured organization, presiding over an issue so central to people’s identities, or creating a sustainable path forward that endeavors to create a radical break and substantial change within an organization.

I bring to RLF a willingness to participate in difficult and critical conversations. I am an open listener and a ready conversationalist. I am deeply committed to ensuring Dartmouth thrives as a community and think this is best achieved through effective leadership that reaches individuals. In addition to gaining a deeper understanding of leadership, I am gaining a network of peers across campus who are similarly committed to leadership.

Morgan Sandhu ’17 grew up in Ridgefield, Connecticut and graduated from Ridgefield High School. Morgan is a Government major and a Public Policy Minor. She is currently involved with the Dartmouth Mock Trial Society, an editor for Mouth, and is vice president of her sorority. Within the Rockefeller Center, Morgan was a First Year Fellow, both participated in and facilitated for Dartmouth Leadership Attitudes and Behaviors, graduated from MLDP, and has spent several terms researching for the Policy Research Shop. This summer, Morgan plans to travel to Kosovo where she will work on a policy research project through Dickey Center. Past off terms, she has interned on Capitol Hill for Senator Shaheen, at Fulbrook Management working in litigation finance, and at the National Disability Institute. After graduation, she hopes to (eventually) attend law school.

Edited by Rachel Favors '18, Rockefeller Center Student Program Assistant for Communications