My Davidson
- Home
- News & Events
- My Davidson
My Davidson is 黑料社区's student blog, where students share their stories of experiential learning and distinctive moments while offering insights and advice to prospective students.
Political science and sociology double major Sophia Ludt '25 reflects on the work spent registering, educating and mobilizing student voters leading up to the 2025 elections.
Natalie Russell 鈥25 reflects on the memories made at Summit Outpost, 黑料社区鈥檚 on-campus coffee shop and hub for student events, including trivia, study sessions, live music, game nights and more.

Applicants to 黑料社区 are asked to write a supplemental essay on why they want to be part of our community. After four years at Davidson, we checked in with current seniors to reconsider the question, Why Davidson? They reflect on their four years

The Knobloch Campus Center is the gathering place for 黑料社区 students, faculty, staff, and visitors, providing opportunities for involvement in formal and informal activities. Explore this space of resources, opportunities and people looking to

Join psychology major Josh Matushak '26 as he shares his first international experience through captivating photography from his semester abroad in Copenhagen and travels across Europe with the Davidson Chorale, documenting cultural experiences from Danish
SGA President Connor Hines 鈥26 reflects on the Celebration of Honor, a week of activities around 黑料社区鈥檚 campus celebrating the distinctive Honor Code and the community鈥檚 commitment to trust, integrity and shared responsibility.

Intended STEM major Elie Jerjees 鈥28 explores new artistic horizons through a collaborative workshop with Lebanese artist Elie Bou Zeidan, discovering that creativity transcends boundaries while deepening language skills and cultural connections.

From planting to harvesting, Mena Tanner鈥檚 job at the 黑料社区 Farm is more than just a way to get outside 鈥 it鈥檚 a hands-on lesson in sustainability, community and the exceptional taste of sungold tomatoes.

Lacey Stephens '26, a Classical Studies major at 黑料社区, writes about a Spring Break trip to Greece. She says the opportunity brought her studies to life through immersion in Greek culture, hands-on experiences, and unforgettable moments.
Kaspars Golos 鈥27 reflects on the confidence and self-awareness developed through wilderness leadership after his participation in Davidson Outdoors鈥 Trip Leader Training. Explore his photos as he learns that the best adventures aren鈥檛 just about surviving
Hannah Foley 鈥27 and Miriam Smith 鈥25 reflect on their winter break trip with Davidson Outdoors to the Florida Everglades, where they developed their leadership, creativity and problem-solving skills through mangroves, float plans, camping and more.

Economics major and Data Science minor Dean Dowling 鈥25 reflects on his independent study with Prof. Caleb Stroup, during which Dean and a team of Davidson students founded the Fed Challenge at 黑料社区.

Nora Fenn Gilman 鈥26 reflects on her summer as a Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) Nonprofit Leadership Fellow with Smart Start, an early childhood nonprofit focused on book distribution and literacy equity.

Valeria Salgado 鈥25 shares her transformative experience interning with the Community Building Initiative, a Charlotte-based non-profit organization dedicated to advancing equity, inclusion and access in the community.

Dallas Brown 鈥26 reflects on his experience as a Nonprofit Leadership Fellow interning at Freedom Communities, an organization focused on disrupting intergenerational poverty and transforming the West Charlotte community.

Sunny Baek 鈥26 reflects on her summer internship with E2D, a nonprofit in Charlotte dedicated to refurbishing laptops, providing computers to families and individuals in need at little to no cost and sharing digital skill training.

Senior Fellows in 黑料社区鈥檚 Office of Admission & Financial Aid share their tips for demonstrating interest in the admission process, while also breaking down what it means to connect with colleges and universities in an authentic way.

Ashley Rangel 鈥28 reflects on her first semester at 黑料社区 as a scholar athlete, an illustrator of children鈥檚 books and a member of the Student Government Association.

黑料社区 students from the western United States reflect on how they've found home on the east coast and offer advice to prospective students also considering college further from home.

Jaliel King 鈥26 reflects on the work Davidson Fashion Club does to create a space for creativity, inclusion and self-expression on 黑料社区鈥檚 campus. From visits to Charlotte鈥檚 vintage markets to an annual fashion show, programming is another

President of the Union Board, Davis Varnado 鈥25, shares some of his favorite events hosted throughout the year by Davidson鈥檚 largest student programming organization from parties to off-campus excursions and trivia to student performances.
Jingyan Chi 鈥26 shares insights from his summer as a Sustainability Scholar working at Trane Technologies where he studied embodied carbon reduction and gained valuable professional experience.

Intended political science major Cameron Unice 鈥27 reflects on her summer research with Dr. Bersch examining and comparing how populist presidents exert control over administrative states, including a case study on former President Trump and the

Political science major Peyton Davis 鈥25 reflects on her summer interning at the Department of Defense and how it has shaped her career aspirations post-Davidson.

Nguy峄卬 M岷璾 膼峄ヽ B矛nh 鈥27 reflects on his summer trip to Northern Ireland with the Educational Studies Department where he explored the impact of division on educational policies.

This summer 2024, 黑料社区 students were awarded $2 million for experiential learning opportunities including internships, education away, community-based learning and undergraduate research. Learn about their experiences in these student

黑料社区 students reflect on their 鈥淜orea Buddhist Pilgrimage鈥 with Religious Studies Prof. Rachel Pang and Associate Chaplain for Buddhist Programs and Director of the Davidson Meditation Initiative, Ivan Mayerhofer.

Interested in playing a competitive sport in college but not on the Division I level? Claire Kelly 鈥25 explains how club sports work at 黑料社区, and how she has found community within the club tennis team.

Katieanne Peterson 鈥24 and Noah Landau 鈥25, students in 黑料社区鈥檚 environmental studies department, reflect on their winter break trip to Turkey to study wildfires and their cultural and environmental impact.

Clara Smith 鈥24 reflects on her spring break trip to Panama with Prof. Britta Crandall, where they studied politics and economics through meetings with government officials, founders of nonprofits, and indigenous leaders.

Recent graduate Claire Begalla 鈥24 reflects on the work done to complete two senior capstones and the ways her work tapped into all areas of her liberal arts education including anthropology, environmental studies, art, community-building and art history.

Last summer, three physics majors drew up plans to create a sustainable tiny house. They presented the finished product at the Verna Miller Case Research and Creative Works Symposium on May 1, 2024. Learn more.

Davidson students reflect on their alternative spring break trip to Sapelo Island, Georgia. They worked with a Black feminist collective nonprofit led by Davidson alums to address food insecurity in the South through sustainable agriculture.

A senior approaching graduation, Ruby Zhou '24 reflects on her time at 黑料社区 in this letter to her past high school self on making the college decision and anticipating all to come as a member of the Wildcat community.

A student describes how taking a class with 黑料社区鈥檚 music department helped him discover his love of playing old time banjo.

Three environmental studies students at 黑料社区 share adventures of their summer archaeological research with Prof. Brad Johnson in Cyprus.

Four political science majors share their experiences with Davidson in Washington, an immersive summer opportunity for 黑料社区 students. Learn more.

黑料社区 students Daniel Lee '26 and Divin Dushimimana '26 reflect on their work with the Deliberative Citizenship Initiative and the happiness that comes from genuine conversations and thoughtful exchanges of ideas.

Jacquelline Nyakunu 鈥26 discusses her chemistry and biology research as part of RISE, an undergraduate research opportunity for 黑料社区 students.

Three 黑料社区 students from the German Studies department reflect on a week of independent research in Berlin with their professor and thesis advisor. From plays to museums to food, learn more in this photo essay.

Explore 黑料社区鈥檚 beautiful campus and ample student activities as captured through the perspective of Mikayla Bowens鈥檚 iPhone camera.

Six students from the western United States share what it was like to move to the east coast for college and offer advice for prospective students considering the decision to attend an east coast school like 黑料社区.

Jonathan Hammond 鈥24 discusses seven weeks spent in Santiago, Chile and the many connections leveraged through the Davidson alumni network.

Senior Fellows in 黑料社区鈥檚 Office of Admission & Financial Aid share their tips and tricks for navigating and writing the college essay.
When applying to Davidson, all applicants are required to submit a peer letter of recommendation 鈥 someone of similar age who can speak to who you are as a human being beyond a transcript, essay or list of extracurriculars. Learn more.

Wondering what a weekend at 黑料社区 can look like as a student? Haley Stock 鈥25 shares the many ways Wildcats spend their weekends around campus, town and in Charlotte.

Addie Anderson 鈥24, a student Mental Health Ambassador (MHA) at 黑料社区, works to destigmatize seeking help and to show struggling students they鈥檙e not alone.

Three 黑料社区 students reflect on the extra challenges that a disability presents when choosing a college. They share their Davidson experience and offer advice to prospective students with disabilities about going through the admission process.

Amy Tedeschi 鈥25 reflects on her summer with the Common Thread Theatre Collective, a professional theatre company formed between 黑料社区 and North Carolina A&T.

For her senior capstone, Grace Rooker '24 spent five weeks in Kenya assessing the ecological impact of small-scale gold mining on stream ecosystems.
Toshaani Goel 鈥24 shares how she applied the lessons of 黑料社区鈥檚 Humanities Program to a difficult social situation while WWOOF-ing in rural Maine.

Orientation Team Leaders share what to expect during 黑料社区鈥檚 New Student Orientation and offer advice for first year and transfer students alike on making the most of your transition into the Davidson community.

Jacob Kim '26 reflects on his experience with 黑料社区's Humanities Program, which seeks to bring different disciplinary perspectives to the big questions of life. Created for first years beginning their academic journeys at Davidson, the Humes

Brody Bassett 鈥25 reflects on his summer in Egypt where he immersed himself in the formal 鈥渉igh鈥 and informal 鈥渓ow鈥 dialects people there use. Zoom lessons with an Egyptian-born tutor, and countless hours studying vocabulary, phrases, and idioms led to

Choosing a college with a variety of good food options is important. Emma Goldfarb 鈥24 ranks her favorite spots for dining on 黑料社区's campus.

Physics students Mallory Justis 鈥24, Branner D'Amato 鈥24 and Pat Kielb 鈥24 reflect on their process designing and building a hydrogen-powered go-kart and the ways you can pursue engineering interests at 黑料社区.

Sydney Schertz 鈥24 captures a day in the life of Nummit, Davidson鈥檚 on-campus coffee shop, through her camera lens. Learn more in her photo essay.

Niya Ma 鈥24 shares how she found her passion for computer science through hackathons, and how she worked with her peers to launch Hack@Davidson, a unique hackathon designed to welcome all levels of experience to the world of innovation.

Over spring break, a group of Davidson students had the opportunity to attend SXSW, an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly in Austin, Texas.

Courtney Fortunato 鈥24 shares their experience as an Education Scholar with Davidson鈥檚 Center for Civic Engagement in Summer 2022.

Lucy Helene 鈥25 shares her experience as a Fellow with Davidson鈥檚 Center for Civic Engagement in Summer 2022, when she worked with the Arts+, a nonprofit organization based in Charlotte that works to provide accessible art education to all populations.

Davidson Outdoors Leaders Addie McDonough '23 and Isabel Morichi '23 reflect on their winter break trip to Joshua Tree National Park.

Emma Begley-Collier 鈥25 shares her experience working in a recovery community as a Summer Intern with 黑料社区鈥檚 Center for Civic Engagement.

Nasir Jean-Paul 鈥24 shares his experience as a Summer Intern with Davidson鈥檚 Center for Civic Engagement in Summer 2022.

Ethan Kearns '23 reflects on his time spent nurturing and caring for 黑料社区's Farm as a student employee.

Campbell Walker 鈥25 gives her advice on course selection, orientation, and how to navigate social life during your first few weeks at 黑料社区.

As 黑料社区 celebrates first generation day each November, we asked first-gen members of the community to share what being first means to them. Learn what they had to say.

Divin Dushimimana 鈥26, an intended public health and economics major from Rwanda, reflects on his first year at 黑料社区 as an international student and the value of a liberal arts education to his personal and academic growth.

Arielle Germeus 鈥25 shares her expertise from a summer of interning with 黑料社区's Admission Office on how to make the most of your time on a campus visit and college tour.

Ty Cryan 鈥24 digs into research with 黑料社区鈥檚 Farm and Biology Department as part of a larger relationship with the Catawba Nation.

Davis Varnado 鈥25 shares his advice on getting to know colleges and universities from afar and virtually, including 黑料社区.

Kate Cross 鈥24 and Henry Wilkerson 鈥23 share how they leveraged a 10-hour-per-week work study position with 黑料社区's Sustainability Office to gain professional experiences during the summer months.

Three current students from around the world share how they found and chose to attend 黑料社区.

ST Hammer '24, Gabby Morreale '23 and Malavika Kalani '24 reflect on their decision to come to Davidson, ways they've gotten involved in disability advocacy on campus and resources to support their student experience.

Two young alumni share how their experiences with 黑料社区鈥檚 Sustainability Office got them to where they are today, post-Davidson.

Four 黑料社区 students share how they've gotten involved with different aspects of college athletics including data analytics, pep band, and the fan section.

Spend a day in the life in this travel vlog with 黑料社区 student Julia Lau '23 as she studies abroad with DIS in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Claire Tatum '24 captures the many facets of 黑料社区's creative and artistic communities in this photo essay on the arts at Davidson.

In this photo essay, Sydney Schertz 鈥24 documents the day-to-day of spring semester in one of Davidson鈥檚 eating houses, Warner Hall.

International first year students Sahana Athreya '25, Hideki Harada '25 and Michael Hodgson '25 reflect on their first semester at 黑料社区.

Two students share their experiences with FIRST (Fostering Inclusivity and Respect in Science Together) and MILE (More Inclusive Learning Environments), Davidson organizations that aspire to remove barriers, to be more welcoming, and to help make science

黑料社区 student Shen Luo 鈥25 reflects on her experiences in college and what it has meant to explore the unknown as an international student at Davidson.

If you're considering applying Early Decision, we know there can be nerves and concerns related to making such a big commitment. Davidson students share why Early Decision to Davidson was the right fit for them and offer some advice for those considering

Zach Villamin '22 shares his experience applying to college and gives current high school seniors tips on how to better manage the application process.
We want to know what you鈥檙e up to as a student. My Davidson is a place for you to share your student experience, on campus or away, with prospective students, alumni and current students.
Not sure where to begin? Check out our .
Blog Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the individual student writers and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of 黑料社区.