Rocky and Me: Nikita Bakhru '17 Senior Reflection

In our Rocky & Me series, Seniors reflect on their experiences during their time at Dartmouth.

While at Dartmouth, I was fortunate to receive an interdisciplinary education, exploring classes in departments and ultimately deciding to major in Government. Outside of class, I spent much of my time choreographing, dancing, and performing with Raaz, Dartmouth’s South Asian fusion dance team, which I became captain of during my senior year. I have also served as Director of Parent Alumni Relations for my sorority, Alpha Phi, and as a member of women leadership organizations, such as Women in Science and Women in Business.

I first became involved with Rocky my sophomore year as a Student Program Assistant for Communications. My responsibilities included independently managing the writing, editing, and publication of articles for the Rockefeller Center website. This position afforded me the opportunity to conduct multiple interviews with inspiring figures – ranging from students and staff to faculty members and distinquished visitors to campus.

After learning more about the vast range of opportunities Rocky provides, I decided to become involved with a Rocky program myself and participated in the Management and Leadership Development Program (MLDP) during the fall of my junior year. Many of the program’s sessions resonated with me, and I found myself implementing management tactics from it, while off campus leading work streams during my internships and on campus running practices during my time as a dance team captain.        

Throughout my time at Rocky, I have developed a variety of leadership capacities, including but not limited to team management, public speaking, task coordination, and networking. Rocky’s mentorship, in particular, has aided me in preparing for my post-graduation plans, both personally and professionally. My supervisor, Elizabeth Celtrick, Assistant Director at the Rockefeller Center, has been an inspiring mentor to me over the past three years. In each of our meetings, she has made it a point to treat me as a professional, not a student. She has encouraged me to harness my own creativity and turn my ideas into a reality; for instance, with Elizabeth’s guidance, I was able to independently create new interview series, such as a podcast which focused on the accomplishments of seniors involved with Rocky. Elizabeth has been a constant source of guidance to me as I have adopted more responsibilities in and outside of Dartmouth, as I prepare to enter the professional world.

After graduating this June, I plan to join Putnam Associates, a healthcare management consulting firm located in Boston, as an Associate Consultant and ultimately aspire to attend graduate school. Moving forward, I hope to take all I have learned at Rocky and apply it in my future endeavors.

Written by Nikita Bakhru, member of the Dartmouth Class of 2017.