“I wasn’t attending Dartmouth just for myself”

Mychaela Anderson ’20, an anthropology major and education and theater minor from Honolulu, is a Fulbright Scholar who will teach English in South Korea beginning in January. Mychaela’s Dartmouth experience was made possible by a scholarship fund established by the Class of 1958.

Financial aid was a crucial factor in deciding which school to attend. My family wanted to support my college choice, but financial aid was essential. I looked at several colleges, and if financial aid wasn’t available at one school, it went off the list.

I was the first Class of 1958 Scholarship recipient. I met with members of the class in my freshman and sophomore years when they were in Hanover for Homecoming. I enjoyed meeting and chatting with them—and many of them have stayed in touch. Just a couple of weeks ago I received a letter from a ’58 class member saying they were just thinking of me with graduation approaching. They really care about me.

I did a lot of theater in high school but came to Dartmouth thinking it wouldn’t make sense to continue with that. Then I had the opportunity to work in the costume shop as part of my work-study and I loved it, so I started taking theater classes. I have so many special memories, including our production of The Glass Menagerie, the first show that I costume-designed all by myself.

Every education professor I’ve had has been special, starting with my Writing 5 prof, Francine A’Ness. There was a week when I was struggling because I had made the foolish decision to take four classes in my freshman winter term. I was sitting with her, and she said, “Mychaela, I can tell that a light in you has gone out.” I was amazed that she could see that in me although she had known me for only a few weeks. From that moment on I would chat with her often, and she set me on my course toward studying education.

When I think of what I’m going to miss about Dartmouth, the costume shop is probably at the top of the list and also Collis, which was a great place to meet people from all classes. In my freshman year, I made a best friend with a ’17 who I still chat with all the time. And then there’s the food, particularly the Hop late-night specials. They do chocolate chip pancakes every Sunday. They’re so fluffy—I think they rival Lou’s.

Due to a miscommunication, I didn’t meet with the members of the Class of 1958 during Homecoming last year, and I was sad about that. I wanted to thank them again for being so encouraging. They were really invested in me. They helped me realize that I wasn’t attending Dartmouth just for myself but for other people, too.