Rockefeller Leadership Fellow: Anne Smith ’16

This series introduces the 2015-2016 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.

I became interested in the RLF Program because I think it is important to dedicate weekly time to improving your personal abilities and meeting new people. Most Dartmouth students are extremely busy juggling their schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and social life. Our term schedule makes it easy for students to get consumed in their work and forget the larger picture of life. The RLF Program offers a two-hour span every week to forget about the stresses of Dartmouth life and instead focus on being a good leader and citizen in the future.

In my opinion, the most interesting part of being a leader is working with people and the possibility of bringing different coalitions together for a mutually beneficial result. Leadership in politics requires working with people of all different viewpoints and backgrounds. In order to pass public policy, a political leader has to unite democrat and republican politicians, and show them how compromise is critical for progress.

This program will help me develop different ways to work in a team. I want to meet new people and get to know them better every week through constructive dialogue, activities, and dinner conversation. I hope to learn about different leadership styles and discover what each of us may bring to the team dynamic.

Anne Smith '16 graduated from the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in Bronx, NY, where she was captain of the women's soccer, swim, and lacrosse teams during her senior year. At Dartmouth, Anne enjoys leading first year orientation trips, exploring the Upper Valley, and keeping up with national politics. Anne plans to complete a government major and a french minor. She studied abroad in Paris her sophomore year and interviewed Parisians on their views of reproductive rights for her final project. Anne is a research assistant for Professor Nelson Kasfir in the Government Department, who is researching how different rebel groups treat the civilians they govern. After graduating, Anne hopes to become a public interest lawyer.