Sarah Choi ’97 is a firm believer in the lifelong power of the Dartmouth community. But she didn’t always feel that way.
As many college students do, she felt a little out of place on campus as an undergraduate student. She had her activities, of course—the Korean American Student Association, the Dartmouth Asian Organization, a Spanish drill instructor—but never quite fully felt at home.
And as many alumni do, when she graduated, she lost touch. She raised her two children, Bella and Tristin. She built her career, now the Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer at CorePower Yoga, running marketing, digital, customer experience, and IT for the largest yoga studio brand in the U.S. She was busy, and her alma mater fell to the bottom of her priority list.
But something—maybe the granite in her veins—beckoned her back. A mere six years ago, she felt an inexplicable pull to reconnect with Dartmouth. “I decided, ‘you know what? It was such a big part of my life. I was so active, and there’s so much it did give me,’” Choi said. “I should just try to contribute or get involved.”
Already a member of the Dartmouth Asian Pacific American Alumni Association (DAPAAA), she investigated being the DAPAAA representative on the Alumni Council—the committee of elected councilors that reports alumni feedback to Dartmouth senior leadership and communicates crucial institutional updates back to the alumni body.
“They say that your relationship with Dartmouth is lifelong,” Choi said. “And I didn't quite understand what that meant until I started on the Alumni Council.”
From there, everything changed. Choi bonded with fellow councilors, people she never would’ve met in just her four years on campus and was suddenly swept up in the volunteer community.
After her time representing DAPAAA, she joined the Nominating and Alumni Trustee Search Committee (fondly referred to as NomCom), which is responsible for facilitating the nomination and selection of the Alumni Trustee seats. “I felt like I had a voice in the future of Dartmouth,” Choi said.
She worked her way up, from NomCom member to chair to president-elect and now president, making friends and memories along the way.
Through the Alumni Council, Choi feels her entire relationship to the institution has changed.
“I got to do my four years all over again,” she said. “I'm a testament to the fact that you can struggle during your four years to find your sense of belonging—and then you can find it 30+ years later.”
They say that your relationship with Dartmouth is lifelong. And I didn't quite understand what that meant until I started on the Alumni Council.
Now that she’s in a position of leadership on the Council, Choi feels it’s her responsibility to make people feel that same sense of connection to Dartmouth that she found all those years later. In fact, connection is one of the “three Cs” she coined as the most crucial parts of her job as president—communication, connection, and candidacy.
On communication, Choi said, “Our job is to represent and make sure the alumni feel heard and understand what’s going on at the College. We need all of our councilors to communicate back to their constituencies, make sure they’re informed, and then gather information to bring back to the Alumni Council. How do we get to 100%?”
That’s the foundation, she argues. Everything else stems from there.
As for connection, Choi wants to foster it on two fronts: within the alumni body and within Alumni Council. “I felt that sense of connection and belonging when I joined the Alumni Council. I want every alumni councilor to feel that—because if they feel that sense of belonging, like that they're having an impact, and they understand what's happening at the College, they're going to have a ripple effect on their own community.”
And finally, candidacy—the most granular of the three Cs, but by no means less important. “We are so powerful that we can nominate trustees,” Choi said. “So, we have this incredible vehicle.”
Through this triad, Choi aims to maximize the Alumni Council’s full potential and make everyone feel more a part of what’s happening at Dartmouth. And she views it as a personal responsibility to advocate for the entire alumni community, no matter her personal feelings. It’s a responsibility she doesn’t take lightly.
“My job is to represent the voices of all—not mine. And it may not necessarily reflect what I agree with, but my job is to make sure that all voices are heard.”
With her duties clearly defined, Choi is excited for the year of connection and camaraderie ahead. The Alumni Council will gather on campus this fall for their annual in-person meeting, and she hopes councilors, campus leaders, and alumni alike feel empowered by the exchange of information to come.
Most of all, Choi wants alums who feel disconnected, like she did, to recognize there is always a place for them at Dartmouth.
“There is so much about the Dartmouth experience as an alum that is so beautiful—and you don't even realize it. I didn't even realize that I could have these types of friendships with people from all different years and feel a sense of deeper connection with the College, and with other alumni, that I didn't get during my four years.”
“Don't write us off,” she urged. “Give us a second chance.”
I got to do my four years all over again. I'm a testament to the fact that you can struggle during your four years to find your sense of belonging—and then you can find it 30+ years later.
To learn more about the Alumni Council, its responsibilities, and its volunteer opportunities, visit the Alumni Council page.