Class of 2017
Class Notes
View All Notes for Class of 2017Ekene Okonkwoaguolu is seeking the help of the Dartmouth community. After carving out a promising future for himself, he is now on dialysis due to Alport’s syndrome. This autoimmune disease rapidly deteriorates kidney function. With a seven-year waiting time for a deceased donor, Ekene faces a dire situation where his body may not hold out for the organ he desperately needs.
Ekene is seeking a living kidney donor, someone willing to give the gift of life and hope. A living donation carries numerous advantages, including the ability to proceed quickly, higher survival rates for the recipient, and a safe, minimally invasive surgical procedure for the donor. Rigorous medical testing ensures the donor’s fitness and overall health for the donation, and all related medical expenses, travel, and time lost at work are covered.
Ekene and his family ask the Dartmouth community to share his story and, if possible, explore the possibility of becoming a living kidney donor. More information can be found on the “Ekene Needs a Kidney” page on Facebook.
Joby Bernstein is running for U.S. Congress to represent California’s 16th District. This district includes parts of the South Bay region of northern California, including Palo Alto, Mountain View, and parts of San Jose. Joby is running his campaign while pursuing a joint M.B.A. and master’s in climate science at Stanford.
Joby decided to run because he realized government policies need the most work to tackle climate change quickly. He explored climate investing but concluded that investing was not moving the needle fast enough.
Joby feels his platform will particularly resonate with constituents of his district. Even though his district is one of the most climate-interested in the whole country, the other candidates are not strong advocates for solving climate change. Joby’s other priorities are improving America’s education and immigration systems.
Joby has experience with politics. He spent freshman summer in Washington, D.C., as part of the Rockefeller Center first-year fellows program. He also volunteered in state policy while living in Utah and San Francisco. At this point Joby is campaigning full time and has a full campaign staff. California will hold a “jungle” primary on March 5, when all candidates will be on the ballot and the top two candidates will move on to the general election. Joby welcomes your help. Reach out to him via his website if you would like to share your support.
In terms of lighter Dartmouth interests, Joby happened to be my freshman year roommate in the Fahey dorm. Looking back on Dartmouth, Joby misses the friends, swim team, DOC and outdoor activities, and academic opportunities. Joby also caught up with our freshman floormate Spencer Blair in Budapest.
—Eric Chen, 24036 Wintergreen Circle, Novi, MI 48374; echen027@gmail.com