Rocky and Me: Rachel Inman ’19 Senior Reflection

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

Rachel Inman graduates from Dartmouth College with a major in government and a minor in public policy. Rachel first heard about the Rockefeller Center because of her interest in public policy as an interdisciplinary study, as well as her desire to learn more about leadership. As a first year, she participated in the six-week Dartmouth Leadership Attitudes and Behaviors program, known as D-LAB, offered during the winter term. Little did she know at the time, she would stay involved with the program all four of her undergraduate years. 

What stands out about Rachel’s experience as a participant in D-LAB was the opportunity to learn and connect through small groups and have genuine conversations about life at Dartmouth. This was one of Rachel’s first chances as a Dartmouth student to think about her values and how they would help guide the rest of her time at college. 

D-LAB has always stood out to Rachel as an important experience for her as a freshman, and she knew wanted to continue making an impact through this program. As a sophomore, she became a D-LAB facilitator, where she was able to go behind the scenes and be a mentor to the next class of fresh-year leaders. She enjoyed this experience mainly because was able to find time to reflect and see where her strengths and weaknesses lie. As a student athlete, which carries with it a demanding scheduled, Rachel liked having the ability to connect with underclassmen outside of sports and meet people from across campus.

Rachel then worked a Student Program Assistant for D-LAB her junior and senior years, where she led the implementation and training that goes into the program. Leading both upperclassmen facilitators and first-year participants helped Rachel find her voice in a professional setting on campus and master the art of the elevator pitch for a program she has dedicated a lot of her undergraduate time to. With this role, Rachel spent more time in Rocky’s space apart from taking public policy classes and became more engaged with the center. She participated in the Management and Leadership Development Program (MLDP), which expanded her skills in public speaking, communication, and situational leadership. 

“I have grown to become more confident in myself and my academic and professional skills throughout my two years in working as a student assistant for D-LAB, as one of the many benefits of a two-year job is that personal development and growth naturally occur,” says Rachel. 

Through both her public policy courses and experiences with the leadership programming, Rachel credits the Center with helping shape her interests in pursuing a career in law. She would encourage any first-year student “to try new things and be flexible. It is okay to change your path and modify your plans as you go through your four years. Do not panic if you don't have everything figured out right away, and don't feel pressure to follow a traditional path.”

As told to Bethany Malzman '19, Rockefeller Center Student Program Assistant for Communications