Four valedictorians and six salutatorians have been named by the College this year. ... Salutatorians, earning no less than a 3.99 grade point average, are Julie Becher ’18, Caterina Florissi ’18, Arielle Isaacson ’18, Kevin Kang ’18, Hung Duy Nguyen ’18, and Jonathan Rost ’18.

Kevin Kang ’18

Hometown: Erie, Pa.

Major: Biomedical Engineering

Post-graduate plans: Enroll in the Geisel School of Medicine in fall 2018

“Even before starting college, I knew I wanted to go into medicine. What excited me was the chance to gain a better understanding of how my passions for technology and medicine could be integrated in a career. Being admitted to the Geisel School of Medicine early, through the Biomedical Engineering Early Assurance Program, has been challenging, but the time doing research into cancer therapy at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center has offered an invaluable real-world perspective on the world of biomedicine. Receiving the 2017 Goldwater Scholarship also helped solidify my decision to become a research physician. I plan to pursue some type of surgical specialty, which would allow me to incorporate medical device design into my medical practice. Extracurricular opportunities have also shaped my education. I was editor-in-chief of the Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science and, all four years, a tutor for the Tutor Clearinghouse in math, engineering, biology, chemistry, and physics. I also helped lead Dartmouth’s Pre-Health Society and the Nathan Smith Society, which serves students in health professions. Leadership and teaching skills are important to a medical career, and I am fortunate to have had those opportunities both inside and outside the classroom.”