Senior Profile: Rose Song Wang '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 Rodrigo Ramirez Photography

"It is clear that Rocky has played an integral part in my Dartmouth career. Not only have I developed as a professional, but also as a considerate and empathetic individual. I gained a mentor who was honest and considerate, who clearly wanted nothing but success for me. My social circle is full of people I met through Rocky’s programs, and we are campus leaders who advocate and care for each other." --Rose Song Wang '14
When I decided to attend Dartmouth, I was not aware of the opportunities available to me through the Rockefeller Center. My first interaction with Rocky was through First Year Forum. I received a blitz titled, “How permeable is the Dartmouth Bubble?” I was intrigued. I didn’t know there was such a thing as the “Dartmouth Bubble.” I attended the dinner discussion to learn and explore the topic, and that started my journey with the Rockefeller Center. The conversations I had at First Year Forum were eye opening and passionate, and they instilled in me an interest in different perspectives.

During my freshman summer, I took on an internship in Washington D.C., and Rocky invited me to participate in the Civic Skills Training program. That week taught me how to be successful in a professional environment. Having never worked in a professional internship before, I’m grateful for the lessons I learned from my time in CST, both planned and unplanned. I remember one occasion when I scheduled myself for two conflicting events, one with CST and one with my internship group. Instead of informing both parties, I just planned to attend both by leaving halfway through to arrive at the other one halfway through. On my way sneaking out of the CST event room, Deputy Director of the Rockefeller Center Sadhana Hall caught up to me and gently explained why the way I acted was wrong, and how to prevent or address something like this in the future. From then on, I formed a close relationship with Sadhana, and I saw her as a mentor.

Sophomore year, I participated in the Management and Leadership Development Program. I enjoyed the different speakers who brought their spectrum of experiences to the sessions, and appreciated the skills I developed through the program. It was through the program that I met the people that I consider my closest friends at Dartmouth. Not only do we seek to better ourselves as leaders on campus, we also challenge each other intellectually and support each other emotionally.

I participated in an FSP to Hyderbad my junior winter, and Rocky created a program to help prepare everyone going for the transition to another culture. That was the start of the Rockefeller Global Leadership Program. We learned to be culturally sensitive, to be open-minded, in order to be a world leader. It made our trip to India much more comfortable than that of the students from other programs.

As a senior, I still attend various Rocky events, and I see the Center as a safe and comfortable space for me to learn, study, and hang out. It is clear that Rocky has played an integral part in my Dartmouth career. Not only have I developed as a professional, but also as a considerate and empathetic individual. I gained a mentor who was honest and considerate, who clearly wanted nothing but success for me. My social circle is full of people I met through Rocky’s programs, and we are campus leaders who advocate and care for each other. I hope that Rocky will continue to develop its programs and mentorship networks to better support students in their journeys on campus and in the workforce.

Rose Song Wang is an Economics major modified with Computer Science currently living in San Diego, California. She emigrated from China when she was nine, and her roots have inspired an interest in development and policy. Rose has been involved with the Rockefeller Center since her freshman year, attending many of the various events and taking Public Policy classes. At Rocky, Rose has participated in Civic Skills Training, Create Your Path, Management and Leadership Development Program, Rockefeller Global Leadership Program, and more. Aside from being passionate in advocacy, she also participates in performance arts and alternative programming. She is a member of X.ado a capella group and Ujima dance troupe. She has also served as an executive for NAACP, Aegis, First Year Mentorship Program, Green Team, and Collis Governing Board. Next year, she will be working as a consultant at Appian in Washington D.C.