Rocky and Me: Bethany Malzman '19 Senior Reflection

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

Coming to Dartmouth, I was not sure about what I wanted to study specifically, but I knew that I wanted to take time to explore different centers and departments on campus. The Rockefeller Center drew my attention the beginning of my freshmen year, because it offered something unique that I wanted to pursue – practicing leadership and learning more about the social sciences.

During my freshmen winter, I took Public Policy 5, an introduction public policy course that opened my eyes to the variety of levels and factors of U.S. public policy. After taking this class, I wanted to gain practical experience in this field. The summer following my first year, I interned in the U.S. House of Representatives with funding from the Rockefeller Center. Not only was living in Washington, D.C. a learning experience itself, I went to the Hill every day with a passion to learn more about the issues on hand for our district. I grew as a writer, improved my public speaking, gained first-hand knowledge of the legislative process, and came back to campus with a desire to continue my involvement with the Rockefeller Center.

Growing my leadership skills is something I have worked on while at Dartmouth, especially at Rocky where the Management and Leadership Development Program (MLDP) first introduced me to formal leadership training and application. During my junior year I decided to combine my passion for education with leadership and pursued the opportunity to teach English abroad in Spain. This opportunity stands out as one where I was able to apply leadership in a classroom setting, as well as better understand the role of culture and language in leadership and communication.

One of my major commitments at Rocky since my sophomore year has been my role as Student Program Assistant for Communications. This position helped me gain a deeper understanding of the Center’s mission, while providing me work experience in the area of communications. My responsibilities with the Center’s web and social media marketing, as well as interviewing people and writing articles for the website brought to light for me how much I enjoy learning and writing about people’s experiences. The position taught me the importance of challenging myself and continuing to ask for feedback in all types of professional and academic settings.

At the Rockefeller Center I worked with Elizabeth Celtrick, Senior Assistant Director. I consider Elizabeth one of my truest mentors on campus. She genuinely cares about the students who work for her and strives to help them grow personally and professionally. As a mentor and supervisor, Elizabeth has had an important influence on my writing and communications skills as well as always challenging me to pursue my goals and helped shape my trajectory at Dartmouth.

I would encourage any first-year student to step out their comfort zone and do something non-traditional. Everyone deserves to be here. College is a continuous learning process. Take full advantage of the resources and time to explore and learn during these four years.

Bethany Malzman, Class of 2019, studied Government and Spanish while at Dartmouth. Following graduation, she will complete a Fulbright English Teaching Fellowship in Spain.