Student Snapshot: Charlotte Goodman '23
Several internships with Dickinson’s House Divided Project have created exceptional opportunities for Charlotte Goodman ’23, a double major in international studies and Spanish. She's seeing the fruits of her work in the summer-learning experiences of local high school students, and in the ways Dickinson spaces and people are commemorated.
Hometown:
Collegeville, Pennsylvania.
Majors:
International studies and Spanish.
Clubs and organizations:
House Divided Project (research and summer intern), Pi Beta Phi Sorority (director of policy and prevention education), Asbell Center for Jewish Life (fall 2020 Pre-Orientation leader and Jewish Life Fellow), Spanish Major Committee and Alpha Lambda Delta.
Favorite book:
Rosaura a las Diez by Marco Denevi.
Favorite movie:
Sherlock Holmes movies.
Best thing about my Dickinson experience:
At Dickinson, I found my place both socially and intellectually. The people at Dickinson hold such a wide variety of views and interests, and I feel like I can learn something from everybody I meet.
Favorite place on campus:
The Waidner-Spahr Library.
Best thing about my majors:
International studies: The fact that it is interdisciplinary. While this makes it a challenging major, the exposure to different fields of study like political science, economics, history and foreign languages has helped give me a better understanding of how the world works.
Spanish: The relationships I have cultivated with the department faculty. This began the first week of my first year, when I took advanced grammar with Associate Professor of Spanish Eva Copeland. She and the other professors in the department have been nothing but welcoming and supportive, and have made me feel part of a special community. They even sent out motivational notes to all of the majors during the pandemic! I find the classes to be really engaging, and I’m looking forward to my class this fall in which we will examine Caribbean literary responses to natural disasters.
If I could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, it would be …
… Henry A. Wallace. In the fall of my sophomore year, I did a lot of research on his career in public office and how he has since been written out of history, and I even created a website about him! Analyzing historical figures who have been considered contrarians and the ways in which the public responds to them has been a particular interest of mine.
On choosing Dickinson:
Growing up, I spent a lot of time at a liberal-arts college, so from a young age I sensed that I would end up at one. I knew I would value the opportunity to have deep discussions with my peers in the classroom and develop relationships with my professors. I chose to attend a liberal-arts college, instead of a larger institution, because I felt that a liberal-arts education focuses on educating the whole person, and helps students figure out their responses to fundamental questions about life. I believe that this approach equips students with a certain set of skills that allow them to become informed citizens who think critically and work collaboratively with others. This is what I was looking for when I was applying to colleges, and Dickinson has more than fulfilled my expectations.
Post-Dickinson plans:
I plan to attend law school and either work as an immigration attorney or handle legal affairs for a nonprofit or NGO.
Favorite professor so far:
Professor of History [and House Divided Director] Matthew Pinsker. He continually pushes me out of my comfort zone and has shown me that I’m capable of more than I think I am. I’ve learned so much from him as a professor and a mentor, and I am honored to have the opportunity to work as an intern for the House Divided Project.
About my internship:
Last spring I interned with Dickinson’s House Divided Project under Professor Pinsker. We researched slave stampedes and the Underground Railroad. We also worked on the Dickinson & Slavery initiative, as wayside markers were installed around campus for the new Dickinson & Slavery historic walking tour. On April 7, we launched the tour during a public event. Community members, former President Ensign and other Dickinson administrators, current students and prospective students and the local press attended.
This past summer, I had the opportunity to continue my internship with Professor Pinsker, as we prepared for the college’s first Knowledge for Freedom seminar. This program, funded by the Teagle Foundation, is a free, three-week seminar for low-income high-school students across south central Pennsylvania that provides an introduction to the college experience and assistance with the admissions process. In addition to daily classes and presentations, we took the students on several field trips to explore museums, battlefields and monuments, where they were able to gain hands-on historical experience and see places and artifacts that they studied. We also worked closely with the students to develop their writing and critical thinking skills. Working with and getting to know the students, as well as the rest of the Teagle staff, truly was the highlight of my year.
I will be continuing another internship with Professor Pinsker this semester, working on a variety of projects for House Divided. One of these projects is particularly exciting, as it involves several places on campus: what will soon be known as the Spradley-Young Hall and the Pinkney Family Gate. This public ceremony will take place on Nov. 20.
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Published September 17, 2021