In the Spotlight
Graduating Senior
Hey everyone! My name is Evan Barton, and I am Cherokee and Choctaw from Oklahoma. Being from Oklahoma has not always given me a sense of pride, but throughout college, I learned how much I appreciate and love the place I call home. Luckily enough, I found a community at Dartmouth that I also learned to appreciate over time. I entered Dartmouth with the intention to major in Native American Studies while pursuing a pre-med track, and I am happy to report I stuck to at least one of those goals! In all seriousness, my goal in life has never changed despite my path winding a little. I want to have a big impact in whatever community I choose to serve whether it be my own back in Oklahoma or somewhere I find along the way. I am extremely passionate about Education and Community Improvement, and I hope that my future holds a career that involves these passions. Throughout my time at Dartmouth, I have served on the NAD Executive Board during my freshman and sophomore year, co-chaired the Powwow Committee in 2018, and served as an Indigenous Student Peer Advisor my senior year. Being an ISPA has fulfilled me in so many ways, and I am so honored to have served the Indigenous Community, and specifically, the class of 2023. I really hope that I imparted some wisdom and knowledge to my peers. I hope others feel inspired to be mentors and to seek mentorship in the future because it has been such a rewarding experience to me.
If you have spoken to me during this remote term, you may know that I could not be more upset about the circumstances we find ourselves in now that we are not on campus. Dartmouth as a place does not necessarily give me life, but the people I met there definitely do. I miss you all deeply and genuinely. I think this time at home has shown me how important expressing gratitude for others is to me. I am so grateful for the time I spent serving and being a part of this community, and I can't express that enough. Please do not be a stranger! I hope to stay connected with you all in some way, shape or form. Thanks for everything.