Donovan Dennis

You might know me as…Grammar Guy, the BURP guy, Mister Pawtucket or the most eligible snakecharmer in all of Brunonia.When I’m at Brown, you can find me...Running slightly late to X meeting at Y location, or watching reality trash in my room.My Brown experience in six words. Self-reflection, Growth, Stress, Patience, Advocacy, Intersectionality.Favorite class/professor at Brown.Intensive Portuguese POBS0110 with Professor Patricia Sobral. Hands down. Two thumbs up (is that a contradiction together?) Learning Portuguese, and in such an intimate and engaging setting was one of my favorite examples of what a collaborative, fun, and memorable classroom experience should be like. Professor Sobral has a particular warmth about her that made me want to be a better student.Things I wish I knew when I came to BrownThat I was never passionate about engineering from the start, the importance of asking for help — especially before it is needed — go to office hours early on (like in my first to years) to establish better, longer relationships with faculty for the future AND to talk with more grad students, as friends and as resources!My favorite Brown memory is… Being a facilitator this past summer for Excellence at Brown, the same pre-orientation program that I participated in as a rising first-year. One of the best times to be at Brown is right before the school year starts, when it's still sunny and warm outside, before everyone else moves in. Campus is a bit more quiet, and carefree, which I really like. It reminded me how happy and excited I felt, along with my new classmates at the time, when I first got to Brown with Excellence at Brown.My most embarrassing Brown memory is… Being the only one out of more than 200 student members to wake up early and show up Booty Boot Camp Practice (Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. and Monday nights at 10:30 p.m. at the Nelson Fitness Center) #teamtwirlWhat I will miss most here next year is… Staying up late at the BCSC and at Jo's hanging with and catching up with friends, people-watching, and gossiping. More specifically, I will miss having immediate access to friends and mentors I have made in these past four years that have support me, shared laughs with me, watched me grow, let me cry, kept me in check, and ate fries with spicy Sriracha mayo on the side together with me.My go-to order in the Blue Room is..A Blue Room sandwich, a butter rum muffin, two bags of sweet potato chips, and a Kiwi-Berry Nantucket Nectar juice.In my time at Brown, I am most proud of… Learning to prioritize my own health and well-being over an exam, or an unfulfilling relationship, and my initial, misguided dreams of success. I am much more content in my current path of studying public health and analyzing the structures and social determinants of health under the current US medical system.Brown’s best kept secret? Free rental laptops, cameras, projectors, etc. at the CIT. LIFECHANGING! Did I say free? Just don't turn it back in late...or lose it.My post-graduation plans are to...Take 2 gap years before matriculating to medical school where I plan to study pediatrics. In my first gap year, I plan to pursue a post-bacc medical program (location TBD) and study for the MCAT right after that.By your ten year reunion, what do you hope Brown will have changed or accomplished? (Jessica's question)One thing I hope Brown will have accomplished is a switch to mandatory diversity training for all faculty and administration, along with more hired faculty of color present and working over the--hopefully already well-implemented--departmental diversity and inclusion action plans.Up next: Alexandra SepolenDonovan's question for Alex: Is there a class or a department that you think all students should engage with, take, or visit during their time at Brown?