Candidates are organized in alphabetical order.
Candidates running for multiple positions may only get elected into one position.
Endorsement submissions were optional.
Brenna Gourgeot ’18
Candidate for
Secretary, Alumni and Student Engagement Coordinator
My name is Brenna Gourgeot. I’m an ‘18, currently working in the arts and production. I’m from New Orleans and I am running for both the Secretary and the Alumni and Student Engagement Coordinator positions. Throughout the last year I have served on the interim communications team, and I want to continue this work through the Secretary position. In May 2021, I started the C&G Herald, our budding newsletter, which was read last month by more than half of all our current delegates and alumni. The consistency of the newsletter encourages sustained and lively engagement from our alumni, who have long wanted something more than just the Castlegram. The Secretary position requires me to attend Board Meetings, document meeting minutes, and keep all Board Members and alumni abreast of the calendar and events. I’ve already created a vehicle for disseminating this information, the C&G Herald, and I intend to continue to be volunteer Chief Editor of the Herald regardless of my nomination, if I’m allowed. As Secretary I’ll chair the Communications Team and work in tandem with the Historian, to create the most accurate, interesting, and exciting updates for our community. I believe that this newsletter, coupled with more frequent and transparent communications from the Secretary, have the power to unite our alumni in unprecedented ways.
The Alumni and Student Engagement Coordinator position also suits me for some conventional and unconventional reasons. The more conventional reasons being that I’m a young alumni, active on many social media platforms, with experience in event planning and management. As an undergraduate, I was the Events Chair, House Manager, and, later, Vice President of Panarchy. I was also on the student board of Friday Night Rock, a student led events and concert planning group that invited burgeoning artists to perform on campus. More recently, I’ve worked directly with alumni, 21s and 22s to reimagine what C&G can be during the “C&G Abstractions” Meeting. I even planned and orchestrated the “New Delegates Welcome + Sing Along” Event for the 22s. The less conventional goals I have for this position, is to create more digital and remote access to C&G’s most beloved events. Like most of our alumni, I do not live in the Upper Valley, so I am excited to discover ways to remotely engage distant C&G’s in Homecoming, Spring Feast, and Graduation events. I also want to strengthen relations between young alumni during my year as Engagement Coordinator through single class and decades events during my year tenure.
Doug Chia ’93
Candidate for
President
Douglas K. Chia (he, him, his)
Class of 1993
Dear fellow C&G alumni. I am honored to accept the nomination to serve as President of the Board of Directors of the Casque & Gauntlet Senior Society. Dartmouth was a transformative time and place for me, and C&G was a transformative time and place within my Dartmouth experience. As Board President, I will keep the focus of C&G on the students, empowering each new delegation by giving them the support and autonomy they need to create their own transformative experiences based how they interpret the Objects of C&G. While the words of the Objects remain fixed, the spirit is very much alive within each delegation that passes through The Castle as they apply the Objects to the challenges they face both on campus and in society at large. C&G has grown organically since 1887 guided by the words and spirit of the Objects, the concept of the Round Table and the traditions of C&G that have evolved and been passed down through all of us. I look forward to working with a diverse team of leaders to ensure that growth continues in a healthy and inclusive way.
A little bit about me. At Dartmouth, I was a Government major, lived in the Fayerweathers for my first three years and The Castle for senior year. The way I managed my D-plan, I was able to spend a fall term on a Foreign Study Program in Budapest and a winter term working as an intern at The White House under President George H.W. Bush. I served as junior and senior Class President, was active in the Student Assembly and played the bass clarinet in the Wind Symphony. In addition to C&G, I was a member of Palaeopitus and the Green Key Society and was named a Runner-Up for the Dean’s Prize on Class Day in 1993.
After graduation, I spent a year teaching English in Beijing, where I also co-founded the Dartmouth Club of Beijing and served as DED for China. I then returned to the US to attend Georgetown University Law Center, where I met my wife, Jessica, and served on the Dartmouth Alumni Council. After receiving our JD degrees in 1997, Jessica and I moved to New York City, where we both practiced law and I also co-founded the Dartmouth Asian Pacific American Alumni Association. We then got married, spent three years practicing law in Hong Kong and another two in New York before settling in Princeton, NJ. Along the way, I was active in the Dartmouth Clubs of Washington, DC, Hong Kong and Princeton. Jessica and I still reside in Princeton with our two sets of twins: Brendan and Madeline (18), and Alexander and Jonas (13). Brendan and Madeline graduated from high school in June and will be headed to Hanover in September as members of the Dartmouth Class of 2025. I look forward to many visits in the coming years to see my ’25s as they create their own Dartmouth experiences and to interact with the next generation of members of C&G.
Eliza Rockefeller ’17
Candidate for
Historian
Hello and many fields everyone! My name is Eliza, I’m a ’17 and former Merlin, and I’d like to be our Historian. Casque & Gauntlet was one of my most meaningful experiences at Dartmouth, and I’d be honored to be able to serve as an alum. I’m passionate about CnG’s Objects and maintaining the organization so it can be passed down from delegation to delegation.
At Dartmouth I studied Religion and Studio Art and was involved with the DOC and the Tucker Center in addition to CnG. Since graduation, I’ve spent a short stint at Moosilauke and a longer stint in NYC working as an editor at a quarterly magazine, so I have experience with print and web publishing. As Merlin, I was closely involved with nearly all aspects of CnG: deliberations and tapping, induction, working with alums, the Castlegram, and events. As the historian, I would serve on the Communications Committee, responsible for newsletters and the website; I’d work to document the year and educate us all about CnG’s rich history.
Guillermo Karenina Rojas Hernandez ’14
Candidate for
Historian
I would like to serve in the role of Historian for Casque & Gauntlet Senior Society because I believe that by serving in this position, I can help illustrate the continuation of character, ability, and dedication that has persevered in each delegation of C&G from 1887 to 2022. My C&G experience meant being connected to student leaders on campus that I admired as freshman and in my Delegation, and also to the intriguing C&Gs who adorned the portraits of the walls of the Castle.
As a Dartmouth student, I was keenly interested in history, storytelling, and preserving the present. One of my capstone projects as a Film & Media Studies Major was being the cinematographer for a feature-length documentary on the thousand year history and contemporary revival of Jewish life in Poland, where I spent three months filming on location in Warsaw. This is where I learned how to begin reconstructing stories based on traces of the past.
I believe C&G has a treasure trove of stories because of its importance in Dartmouth and American history. The heart of the story is this: how did Casque & Gauntlet go from an all-male society in 1979 to a society led by all female and non-binary students in 2021? According to the 1987 Centennial book, Nelson P. Brown, who was part of the 1899 C&G Delegation, wrote in 1937 that “[C&G] was never intended to become a Valhalla for athletes only, or for those representing any other narrow phase of college activities, or a senior club for favored fraternities” (17). Even in 1899 and 1937 there was an understanding that C&G membership was based on merit and inclusivity–each Delegation chose the former based on achievement, character, and leadership.
My initiative for this position would be first and foremost to begin answering this question and telling this story. I would start by bringing a team together to create a new digital book, “135 Years at the Corner” for the 135th anniversary of C&G in 2022 and reaching out to members of all Delegations to request essays and perspectives on their time at C&G and since graduation. I began creating this book with the portraits of the Delegations from 2000 to 2017 after digitizing the Centennial book in May 2021, so that the 2022 Delegation could learn more about the history of C&G. Additionally, I would love to start an initiative where younger members of C&G formally interview the oldest members of C&G, including the member of the Delegation of 1943 who is still with us. Despite the fact that there have been immense cultural and technological changes in American society, I believe there’s valuable lessons for all of us from these oldest Delegations.
Outside of my interest in filmmaking, I work as a software engineer and am passionate about cutting edge technology, and I want to use these skills to make historical information accessible and available to all future delegations of C&G.
All,
I would like to endorse Guillermo Rojas Hernandez for the Historian position of the Casque & Gauntlet Senior Society. I believe that he would be a great addition to the Board of Directors because of his passion for the undergraduate C&G experience of current and recent delegations. He is someone who would take great care to make sure that the undergraduate C&G experience remains meaningful and that the alumni C&G experience is reinvigorated by the change in governance and leadership. I am excited for him to do this work as the Historian, as Guillermo has been driven by documenting the present and investigating the past since I met him when he was a sophomore. As a student, he documented student activist movements on campus by collecting and archiving materials during his time as an undergraduate. This work is now part of the Rauner Special Collections library, and current students and researchers have used it for projects on Dartmouth in the early 2010s. He has always had an eye for the type of materials that are important in the present and will be important for the future, and I look forward to him starting this work for Casque & Gauntlet as an organization. As a student, I knew him as a Film & Media Studies Major with a deep interest in documentary filmmaking, and I now also know him as a software engineer with experience in gathering hard to find information and making it accessible online. I have seen how his creativity has translated to technical projects, and I have no doubt that he has visionary ideas for how to make the history of Casque & Gauntlet relevant and exciting to past, present, and future members of C&G.
Kind regards,
Nathan Gusdorf
Sir Gareth, Class of 2012
Han Vale ’20
Candidate for
Alumni and Student Engagement Coordinator
Hi C&Gs, my name is Han Vale (Sir Bors/Arthur) ‘20 and I have spent the last year working with the Dartmouth Geography department as a teaching and research postbaccalaureate fellow. I am currently passionate about Geography, wellness and being active outside, and sharing food with friends. I believe I am well-positioned to serve on the Board of C&G as the Alumni and Student Engagement Coordinator as evidenced by my time serving as Arthur and work advocating for the ‘21s and future delegations.
During my time as a C&G, I shared my delegation’s experience and processes to the Board, advocated for C&G delegation projects, and communicated across generations during the closure of the Castle our spring term. After graduation, my service to C&G did not end as I strategized with members of the ‘21 delegation to navigate the challenges posed to the future of the organization. Together, we learned to communicate effectively to C&G alumni and the former Board of Trustees. I participated actively in conversations on and offline about proposals to restructure and organized recent alumni. I, like many of you, experienced a duality of feelings. I was torn and saddened about the closure of the Castle and what seemed like the imminent fracturing of the C&G community; but I was also deeply impressed and inspired by the level of alumni and student engagement – and realized truly for the first time how powerful C&Gs are when we can communicate with each other, listen, and work together – especially when strong arguments arise. Other experience and involvement with alumni organizations like Women of Dartmouth and DGALA I believe would translate directly to the role.
As Alumni and Student Engagement Coordinator, I would propose initiatives that fall under two categories: social and professional. Social initiatives would include organizing in person meet-ups in core cities (not unlike other alumni associations and previous Board events), host alumni-student virtual tea (I imagine conversations on specific topics/issues, or skill shares), work to plan our annual Spring Feast, contribute to/restart the Castlegram and listen intently to current delegation needs to advocate for their experiences as a Board member. To facilitate professional connections, I would continue the work of creating and updating the new alumni database and gather information about C&G job searches and career aspirations. While I made lifelong friends and grew in my role as a leader at C&G, I felt strongly that my C&G experience would have been stronger if there was more opportunity to connect directly with the broader alumni community. Serving in this role with the C&G board, I will aspire to build on the momentum we have currently to strengthen the society and enrich the experience for all.
Lena Martinez-Wolfinger ’08
Candidate for
Historian
I want to serve the Casque & Gauntlet community because I believe it has a unique capacity to create lasting, positive change in the world. I also believe that this capacity is stronger when we are intergenerationally connected.
For this reason, I served 6 years as a C&G student advisor working to bridge cultural and generational communication gaps between students and alumni. Most recently, I was also invited by current students to serve on C&G’s interim board where I worked on a weekly (and sometimes daily) basis to recruit volunteers, cast vision and provide institutional memory to our various startup teams and projects including: governance, communications, finance, alumni and student relations.
In all of this, intergenerational participation has been particularly important to me because as a student, I felt empowered not only by the support I received from my fellow delegates but also from those alumni who had graduated some 30, 40 and 50 years before me. The memories I have of being cheered for and celebrated by those alumni are among my most cherished and an integral part of my C&G experience.
As historian, I see myself continuing to support each of our teams while shifting my leadership focus to projects that encourage broad alumni participation and share knowledge of our rich history in order to foster the atmosphere of alumni enthusiasm for current delegates that was so important to my own experience.
On a small scale I would like to begin by gathering memories of traditions so that current students have a menu of ideas to inspire them as they create their own experience. On a much larger scale, I would also like to begin collecting the oral histories of our alumni on film- using technology to document these stories in a way that is accessible to our members and allows us to see the similarity of our motivations despite the differences of our time.
Broadly speaking, I believe that a large part of what makes C&G unique is that the student-driven tapping process has allowed us to regenerate, adapt and respond to Dartmouth’s changing needs more rapidly than other institutions of our same age. This youth-led regeneration is what will keep us relevant for many decades to come. At the same time, looking back with this same notion in mind, we see that each of our past delegations were the drivers, who responded to the College’s needs and challenges of their snapshot in time.
Capturing those stories, to show how these snapshots fit side-by-side and tracing our growth over time feels essential to our understanding of who we are as an institution that has displayed incredible seasons of activism, bridge-building and creativity.
Apart from C&G, some of my passions include decolonization and the arts. Practically this means that I participate in weekly language preservation classes and volunteer with the Ethnic Studies Network of Texas in addition to my work as the Director of Community Engagement for a non-profit community center in Austin, Texas.
(Submitted by Monique A. Roy ’00 on June 28, 2021)
I am writing to offer my strongest possible endorsement of Lena Martinez-Wolfinger ’08 for the inaugural term as Historian of the Casque and Gauntlet Senior Society Board of Directors. Lena has been an active and essential member of Casque and Gauntlet for many years now and is incredibly well-suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the Historian role. Lena embodies the spirit of C&G – she is an effective, yet humble leader who cares deeply about this organization and its members. Lena possesses a great deal of institutional knowledge and has also been actively involved in the transition we’ve experienced over the last year and a half. This positions her exceedingly well not only to document our history and preserve existing knowledge, but also to capture current stories and develop best practices to ensure this process continues into the future. Lena is fair-minded, thoughtful, and conscientious. She communicates clearly and effectively and is a gifted storyteller. I trust her implicitly to tell the C&G story, objectively, responsibly, and with the care and consideration this important task requires.
I, Maggie Flaherty ’21, would like to endorse Lena for the position of Historian of C&G. This past year I had the pleasure of working with Lena as we built a new path forward for our Society. Several things about Lena stand out to me: her extreme thoughtfulness, her ability to listen, and her dedication to understanding people’s perspectives. Throughout working together, Lena was a grounding presence. She always made sure that we started each and every meeting with a genuine check-in and responded to the going ons in my life with curiosity and compassion. When it came to the more serious talk of C&G’s future path, Lena gave each and every student (and alum) space to share our thoughts and how we were feeling, and dedicated herself to communicating that to the other C&Gs. She always approaches listening with curiosity, asking questions to ensure complete understanding. Her way of communicating with, listening to, and interacting with students and people more broadly would make her an incredible Historian. Lena is someone you want to share stories with, and someone I would trust to document them in their complete and honest form. Not to mention the fact that Lena seems to have been with C&G through many pivotal moments, I think she would make a fantastic Historian for C&G.
Monique A. Roy ’00
Candidate for
Vice President
I believe in Casque and Gauntlet. I believe in the idea of C&G – in an organization that has an ancient purpose – uniting in fellowship people who care about the world and about each other. This can only be achieved through constant renewal, finding strength in diversity, in youthful valor and energetic, compassionate leadership.
I have been involved with C&G for many years. I was a Student Advisor for a few years while I worked at Dartmouth and served on the Board of C&G Inc for several years after that. I was on the Board over the past year when the reorganization occurred and am proud of my contributions during that incredibly difficult period. Professionally I have worked in higher education for over 15 years and can draw on those years of experience when navigating C&G matters – working with students, alumni and college administrators. I have always been impressed by the passion and integrity that C&G leaders and volunteers have brought to the round table – it is a truly special organization. I have complete faith in the Casque and Gauntlet Senior Society and am committed to doing whatever I can to support this new organization while ensuring institutional integrity, encouraging a lifelong C&G experience and serving as a well-positioned, competent liaison between the Society and the Casque and Gauntlet Collaborative, the Casque and Gauntlet Trust and the College.
My C&G experience is ongoing! It has been an honor and a privilege all along. Starting my senior year – I was so grateful to have this unexpected opportunity to form new and meaningful friendships. I remember feeling like it was no longer possible to make new friends at that point in my Dartmouth career. C&G quickly proved that wrong. And to have it all happen within this kind of magical context, in an organization with such a noble purpose – it was a gift. I still feel the same way. I am grateful for the opportunities I have had to learn from Casque and Gauntlet members throughout the decades. That is true to this day – from those with decades of experience on me to the newest members each and every year.
I am passionate about: family, Franco-American history and literature (my academic area of interest) and fermentation. Regarding the last item, recent experiments include sourdough bread (even before the pandemic!), hard apple cider (jury’s still out on how it has turned out) and kimchee (delicious).
I am constantly and consistently blown away by the leadership and integrity demonstrated by our current student and young alumni leaders. The interim Board has been indefatigable, and the energy at this moment in C&G’s history is palpable. I am ready to do whatever I can to continue the momentum and to support the best interests of this corporation. My goal is for all of us to experience C&G as a lifelong, inclusive, and vitalizing experience.
Ned Ward ’89
Candidate for
Secretary, Vice President, Historian
I’m Ned Ward ’89 (Sir Gawain), and I’m a connector. I enjoy getting people together and reconnecting people – whether it’s been my class at Dartmouth, where I’ve been Class Secretary since 2014 and holding weekly Zoom meetings for our class, or organizing Reunion attendance for both Dartmouth and business school. I enjoy bringing people together. C&G was a great experience for me – it was an opportunity to have great discussions with a group of people that some of whom I might not have crossed paths with my previous 2 ½ years at Dartmouth, and I feel my college experience was richer for it.
For me, The C&G Society represents an incredible opportunity to bring back together current delegates and alums and share information, news, updates so that we can enjoy those differences between us and also the things that are similar with us.
In terms of qualifications, my superpower is I don’t have a problem reaching out to strangers, although being C&G alums there’s already a common bond. I also find myself able to listen to people with differing viewpoints to understand where they are coming from; I may not always agree with them (and vice versa) but at least I have a better understanding at the end on their position.
Other passions – time with family with my wife and two daughters (one’s a Dartmouth ’23); finding good eats in whatever town I’m in (#nedsgoodeats on Instagram); playing guitar and leading several bands as my creative outlet, and enjoying car shows in a ’67 Pontiac convertible I restored and drive whenever I can.
My initiatives for the position would be to continue to reach out to alums to connect them in multiple ways:
- Continuously improving the database – both for emails, but also for other opportunities – the ability to have regional Spring/Summer Feeds; mentorship, and when the time comes, to be able to fundraise to save the Castle.
- Newsletters – I’d want to have a volunteer group that could schedule newsletters quarterly and help gather news from alumni to put in it to make it even richer, and also to share stories about alumni and students to help us know each other better. Storytelling is a powerful tool.
- Website – would definitely want volunteers to help continually fleshing out the website sections, including full delegation lists for each class with obituaries for knights no longer with us.
- Working Together – at some point, I’d want our group to be able to work with the Trust and the Collective to help mount the Capital Campaign required to fix the structural issues of the Castle and work out a financial plan to allow C&G to keep the Castle, but also ensure all understand what’s required in terms of costs, room capacity, etc. I don’t know what the timeline is for us to work together, but I think under the common goal of saving the Castle for all of us we can come together again for this lofty endeavor.
Sasha Gilmore ’21
Candidate for
Treasurer
When joining C&G Spring 2020, I had very different expectations of what role I would play as treasurer for the ‘21s and had no idea of the reorganization that was to come soon after. However, after going through this year-long process with everyone, I see how important C&G is not only to me, but to all those alumni who stuck with us to make this senior society a space that reflected and catered to current students’ needs. Now as an alumni, I would love to do the same for the delegations to come, providing the transparency and trust that they need. I will be running for the treasurer position which is the position that I held while I was a senior at Dartmouth. I believe this has given me insight into what to expect over these next two years, as well as already having existing connections with Tracy Walsh who I worked with throughout the 2020-2021 school year and the rest of the finance team that caught me up on how everything would be run from this side moving forward. Although there might be more I need to learn, I am confident it will be a smooth transition following the one we had to endure last year. My C&G experience, although different than in the past given the global circumstances, still meant a lot to me. It has given me a community I wish I had throughout all four years at Dartmouth and one that I will always treasure. Those in my delegation made it fun and enjoyable to interact in a virtual space and helped me then take on a leadership role throughout the year that brought me to where I am today. Although I won’t be on campus and will be moving forward somewhere else, I’m still passionate about making C&G a similar space for those after me as I want them to enjoy what I was able to enjoy. Therefore, my initiatives for this position is to be present in the decision-making regarding the finances of C&G as well as including as many people as possible to ensure that all voices and opinions are heard in all future resolutions. I have already spoken with the Class of 2022 delegation’s treasurer and have caught them up on my responsibilities as previous treasurer as well as what to expect in the year to come. Furthermore, I would try to learn the ropes as soon as possible, as well as to create new strategies and methods to boost and anchor our finances. Overall, the most important aspects are transparency and honesty.
Although I only have one year of experience, I have confidence in my abilities to rise to the roles and responsibilities as treasurer. Thank you all!
Steven Tseng ’95
Candidate for
Treasurer
It will be an honor and privilege to serve the C&G community as treasurer. Since graduation 26 years ago, C&G continues to make lasting impact on me. Whether working in DC, studying at Tuck; living in Tokyo, Helsinki, and Shanghai; or moving back to New York, I can always count on fellow C&G alums for their friendship, support, and inspiration. I spent most of my career in finance and built practice groups for the largest professional services firms in Europe, Asia and Americas. I advised Fortune 500 multinationals on business transformation, globalization and other tax and financial advisory issues.
I serve on the board of Tuck Business School as well as chairs Tuck’s Asia Pacific Board. I also co-chair the Asia Pacific regional committee for Dartmouth College’s Capital Campaign and is a member of its New York regional committee. I am on the Museum Advisory Council of the American Museum of Natural History in New York and serve on the board of the Hood Museum at Dartmouth.
I serve on the board of Finnish American Chamber of Commerce. I also chaired the Tax Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai and served as a member of its annual delegations to the U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C. from 2009 to 2013. While living in Tokyo, I served on the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan.
C&G taught me to appreciate rich cultural heritages, seek differences in opinions as well as explore opportunities to give back. I am passionate about intercultural exchange and have sponsored museums around the world. I continue to be grateful to Dartmouth and have been active in supporting the College as a basecamp to the world. I hope to leverage my experience serving on other relevant boards as well as my skillset in finance to serve C&G as treasurer.
I am eager to work with the Trustees, current students, alums as well as the College to explore sustainable financial structures for C&G. We will need an agile and resilient revenue model to meet ongoing operating costs. We will also need to explore a capital campaign to meet the maintenance and renovation needs of our beloved house. Finally, we should aim to build a healthy endowment to weather operating shortfalls and emergency capital improvements. Working together, let us make C&C financially sound for another 135 years!
It is with great pleasure that I write this recommendation for Steven Tseng as he seeks to serve as Treasurer. I have had the pleasure to serve alongside Steven for over three years on the Alumni Council’s Nomination Committee (Nom Com). During my tenure as Alumni Council President, he was one of my closest allies, confidantes and strategists.
Steven is committed to requiring Dartmouth to become an inclusive environment that listens to all of its constituents. From the start of his tenure, Steven fought for student voices to be heard by the Administration. This was particularly true of Asian American/Pacific Islander voices. He was never one to speak on behalf of others, but rather was one who amplified voices that were being silenced.
In addition, Steven shows his commitment to inclusivity financially. His family has used their resources to make sure the stories of marginalized communities have a place in the academic life of the Hood Museum. He has an outstanding financial background, having brokered mega-deals on a global basis.
I have no doubts that Steven would do a great job as Treasurer. He is well respected by students and alumni alike. He has his finger on the pulse of the global Dartmouth community. He is a joy to work with and a keen mind to bounce off ideas. What he commits to, he excels at. He represents the best of C&G!!
I hope you take the opportunity to meet him before the Board meeting.
I give him my highest recommendation without reservations.
Many fields,
Lady Amante ’82 Delegation
Adrienne (Tee) Lotson, Alumni Council President 2018-2019
Greetings! I am a knight of Casque & Gauntlet from the class of 1995, and I am writing to endorse the nomination of Steven Tseng as treasurer for the C&G board.
Steve and I were both members of the ’95 class, and over the years we’ve managed to live in the same cities at the same time, mainly Washington, D.C. and Shanghai, China. There are several reasons why I support Steve’s nomination. First, his professional background working in challenging positions at some of the world’s largest accounting firms makes him well qualified to serve as treasurer. Second, as a long-time friend, I know Steve to be very honest and straightforward, as well as holding personal and professional ethics to a high standard.
But perhaps the most important reason Steve has my support is his long-standing relationship with Dartmouth College and its institutions. He has continued to serve the College from afar in several different capacities, and both of us have been active in our class council as well as the Dartmouth Club of China. There are few people I know that love Dartmouth as much as Steve, and while he knows and respects its history and traditions, he also knows that things continually do (and should) change.
Certainly C&G is at a challenging crossroads, and I strongly feel that having Steve on the board will be a tremendous asset for the C&G community.
Best,
Peter A. Jolicoeur
Yaritza Gonzalez ’15
Candidate for
Alumni and Student Engagement Coordinator
Dear C&G Community,
My name is Yaritza Gonzalez ‘15 and I am interested in becoming the Alumni and Student Engagement Coordinator of Casque and Gauntlet Senior Society, Inc. (C&G). C&G was one of the communities that I felt the most connected to at Dartmouth College, and I would love to be able to continue to contribute and serve the C&G community by overseeing the programming for the organization.
My prior volunteer experience with Dartmouth alumni clubs make me an ideal candidate. Over the past three years, I have served as Secretary of the Dartmouth Club of Los Angeles
(DCLA) and the Dartmouth Association of Latino Alumni Rep of Los Angeles (DALA). Through these positions, I have gained experience in navigating Dartmouth alumni clubs by working closely with the College to execute successful programming. For example, we initiated an annual student send-off event for incoming first years called the Tardeada, as well as an annual alumni panel event for students during Homecoming Weekend. Moreover, we established a Latinx Inter-Ivy Committee to host events throughout Los Angeles, CA. Overall, these experiences will allow me to have better insight on how to host engaging events.
My vision for C&G is that it continues to expand its outreach to alumni all over the world so that we can be a more diverse and inclusive organization that serves both alumni and students. It is also to offer engaging virtual social events, panels, and workshops that highlight our C&G alumni and students. In addition, one of my main priorities will be to ensure that C&G maintains strong connections between alumni and students through programming. Now more than ever, we need to come together as a community and support students and recent graduates so that they are able to have successful transitions into post-college life. This is one of my main priorities because as an active young alumni I have benefited greatly from the support of Dartmouth alumni I have met throughout the past five years.
In conclusion, I am mission driven and have a passion for giving back to my communities, and for these reasons, I have been successful in my volunteer positions. I strongly believe in the mission of C&G and I am committed and dedicated to ensuring that we continue to build a sustainable and successful organization, so that the future generations of C&G alumni and students can benefit from this community of leaders. Finally, my experience with C&G made me a better activist and leader because I learned to value the power of people’s stories, including my own; and now, I am excited to become the Alumni and Student Engagement Coordinator of C&G to ensure that this continues to be valued within the C&G community, so that we can continue to build strong movements across generations.
Sincerely,
Yaritza Gonzalez ‘15
Yaritza Gonzalez has demonstrable success in facilitating community and fostering supportive relationships between students and alumni. In her community activism she founded the ING Fellowship and mentored multiple cohorts to promote the interests of those born and raised in Inglewood, and develop civic engagement leaders in the community. In her service to the Dartmouth Association of Latino Alumni (DALA) she has facilitated events both on campus, regionally, and remotely to benefit current students and to open new avenues for alumni support. She is now the President of DALA. This experience gives her unique insight into fostering the kinds of support and open communication that C&G needs. Yaritza is dedicated to the objectives of the role of the Alumni and Student Engagement Coordinator, and I am confident that our organization will benefit from her experience.
Bobby Esnard ’14