Alums Meet This Year’s DGALA Scholars

For the second consecutive year, DGALA alums got to meet and chat with members of the current crop of DGALA/DCF Scholars, at a Zoom event on May 11. Two of this year’s six Scholars participated, a senior, Awo Adu ’22, and a first-year, Dafne Valenciano-Coronado ’25. Awo hails from eastern Massachusetts and Dafne from southern California. DGALA VP Amanda Rosenblum ’07 moderated the event, beginning with from questions from her and followed by discussion with the alums present.

Awo described how she, a member of Dartmouth’s FGLI (first generation, low income) student community, learned of Dartmouth through the Dartmouth Bound summer program, a program in which Dafne also participated. In both cases the Scholars had very positive experiences, and they were thrilled later to be accepted to join their respective classes at the College.

Awo, who is majoring in Film and Media Studies, modified with African and African American Studies, presented about her senior thesis, which is an interactive art project to create a healing space for dark-skinned women. Awo played for the event some of the audio that will be part of her thesis presentation.

The event offered a wide perspective of student experiences: Awo, being about to graduate, reflected on how she realizes that this term is “the last time I’ll be five minutes away from all of my friends.” Dafne is just embarking on her Dartmouth journey. She has yet to choose a major but is interested in activism and as a result is considering Dartmouth Public Policy programs.

DGALA is thrilled to be part of a joint venture with the Dartmouth College Fund that enables DGALA alums to support need-based scholarships for LGBTQIA+ students like Awo and Dafne. The program is set up so that all gifts to the DCF by DGALA members go towards the DGALA Scholars program. If you would like to help to fund more Scholars for the next school year, please go to dartgo.org/dgala and give what you can. You can watch this year’s event below.