Senior Profile: Nicholas Judson '14

The Rockefeller Center encourages its outgoing seniors to reflect on their experiences at Dartmouth as part of a series called Rocky and Me.

Photo by Courtney Cania

"The Rockefeller Center occupies an important niche on campus, forging a bridge between college life and pursuits after graduation by training and mentoring the next generation of leaders. Through programs at Rocky, I have built on my competencies and capabilities as a leader, and I am confident that these skills will help me succeed in the post-college years." --Nicholas Judson '14

When I visited Dartmouth as a high school junior, the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center stood out as a unique resource on campus. In particular, I remember stopping under the “Rocky Overhang” as my tour guide explained the public policy and leadership opportunities provided by the Center. In deciding where to attend college, Rocky was a factor in my decision to come to Dartmouth. Before even stepping foot on campus, I was excited to explore the curricular and co-curricular offerings of the Rockefeller Center.

My freshman fall, I had the pleasure of taking a public policy course titled, “Foundations of Leadership and Followership,” taught by Barbara Kellerman, a visiting professor from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and a leading scholar on the study of leadership. The class was stimulating and valuable, as we read and discussed the lessons of Niccolo Machiavelli, John Stuart Mill, and Betty Friedan.

In my sophomore year, I took part in Rocky’s Management and Leadership Development Program, where I had the opportunity to work on useful skills such as workplace communication, presentation design, and strategic planning. After completing the program, I began working for Rocky during my sophomore summer as the student assistant working on the Center’s relational database. Since this time, I have thoroughly enjoyed my work at Rocky and most notably, the relationships that I have cultivated with the staff members. The staff members at Rocky are truly a unique and passionate group of individuals who care deeply about their work and the development of our students. Dartmouth is lucky to have them!

Towards the end of my junior year, I was honored to be chosen as a Rockefeller Leadership Fellow. In the past year, I have gained a tremendous amount from this experience. In particular, I really enjoyed the session with Nate Fick, former Marine and current Trustee of Dartmouth. In this session, Fick led us through scenarios he had been faced with during his military service, prompting us to practice making quick decisions. To give another example, Government Professor Sonu Bedi taught the fellows how to frame politically challenging issues, such as affirmative action and same-sex marriage, by avoiding the “language of rights.” Last, the fall retreat was an incredible learning experience, during which the fellows had the opportunity to learn through several workshops with Brian Mandell, Director of the Kennedy School Negotiation Project at Harvard University. In these workshops, I notably improved my skills in negotiation and interviewing. All together, these experiences provided me with the opportunity to learn about my own leadership style, as well as the style of others, and to build on my skills and capabilities, while surrounded by an incredible and supportive group of twenty fellows.

The Rockefeller Center occupies an important niche on campus, forging a bridge between college life and pursuits after graduation by training and mentoring the next generation of leaders. Through programs at Rocky, I have built on my competencies and capabilities as a leader, and I am confident that these skills will help me succeed in the post-college years. I am grateful to Rocky for the work they do and am thankful for the guidance that they have provided over the past four years.

Nick Judson ‘14 grew up in the small town of Suffield, CT and graduated from the Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, CT. At Loomis Chaffee, he served as Student Council President, Editor-in-Chief of the school paper, and Co-Captain of the track and field team. At Dartmouth College, Nick is pursuing a major in economics and a minor in markets, management, and the economy. He concentrates in public economics and is currently researching the association of electronic health record systems with health care costs and quality. Outside of classes, Nick is a Rockefeller Leadership Fellow and a student staffer at the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center, where he helps manage the center’s relational database and a variety of special projects. During his time at Dartmouth, Nick served in a number of leadership roles at The Dartmouth, most recently as the Finance & Strategy Director. He also served as President of The Ivy Council, the student consortium of the Ivy League, and now acts as an advisor to the group. Aside from these involvements, Nick is a member of Psi Upsilon fraternity and enjoys running and skiing. After graduation, Nick is heading to Boston to work in management consulting for Bain & Company.