Greetings, ’07s! Hope all is well as winter rounds out. For this column, in search of some nostalgia and community, I decided to ask some classmates, “What’s one class that you took as an undergrad that has had an impact on your life after Dartmouth?” Some lovely responses are below.

Christine Abely,our class’ most recently published author, shared “I took so many wonderful classes at Dartmouth, but I particularly remember ‘International Trade’ with Professor Irwin. It introduced me to the trade policy concepts my research focuses on now. (I’m an assistant professor of law and my book The Russia Sanctions was just released). Professor Irwin presented the material in a really engaging way. I’m grateful to have had the chance to take the class!” Congratulations, Christine!

Class president Anoop Rathod shared, “ ‘Dinosaurs!’ has had a lasting impact and is one I talk of often. The class increased my appreciation of science’s investigative powers and the role of evolution in natural history. For a non-science major, the class was eye-opening, and it was incredible to think these towering creatures roamed the earth at one time.”

Kelley Durkin chimed in, “Professor Jernstedt’s ‘Psychology 22: Learning’ course changed my life forever! I became absolutely fascinated with how people learn, what happens when people struggle to learn something, and how we can support better teaching and learning. I’m now a research assistant professor at Vanderbilt University leading projects to try and improve teaching and learning, particularly in mathematics. I don’t know that I would have found this path without ‘Psych 22’!”

Chiming in from Kentucky, Preston Copley wrote, “The magnificent Carol Dunne’s ‘Theater 30: Acting I’ without question changed the course of my life. It represented for me a foray back into the arts. I’d grown up deeply committed to theater, but in matriculating at Dartmouth as a football player, I was unsure how I might participate in both and reconcile what felt like two incongruous identities. Carol made me feel not just welcome but taken seriously. In turn, this allowed me to take the development of the artistic part myself more seriously.

“Not only willing to invest her energy into teaching me, Carol also was my advocate to her colleagues, allowing for the department to become a place where I could feel comfortable. She encouraged other professors, such as the extraordinary Jamie Horton, to become my great champions—giving me my first professional opportunities after College. I adore them all to this day, with particular love and gratitude reserved for Carol.”

And from Los Angeles, Clara Aranovich shared, “Every Native American and Indigenous studies (NAS) course I took with professor Dale Turner was deeply formative. Not only is Professor Turner a gifted pedagogue, his humor and wisdom were wildly impactful. While I didn’t pursue the field professionally, I continue to educate myself and often think of Professor Turner as I do.”

All the way from Redwood City, California, Chris Cahill shared, “ ‘Education 55,’ the teacher prep course with Jay Davis, was influential for me. Sixteen years later I’m teaching pediatric resident doctors using lesson planning and teaching techniques I learned in his class and a practicum at Richmond Middle School in Hanover. You can bet that my residents do more ‘chalk talks,’ ‘share outs,’ ‘partner shares,’ and ‘Antonio, what do you think about what Olivia said?’ when they’re working with me, and I picked up all of those techniques in Professor Davis’ class.”

—Sam Routhier, 543 W 122nd St., Apt. 25B, New York, NY 10027; samrouthier@gmail.com