As a First-Year Mentor, I spent most of Orientation Week teaching my mentees about the different aspects of Hopkins life. An activity I planned was taking my group to lunch at Ekiben, one of the restaurants I recommended in my Asian bites article. As a way to break the ice on the walk to Hampden (a nearby neighborhood), I asked my mentees why they chose Hopkins.
Here are some of their answers:
Alyssa P., Salinas, CA“My childhood friend is from Maryland and is going to college there too. I always told her I would one day return to Maryland and get to live close to her. This is what drew me to Hopkins at first. When I visited, I also really liked the campus. Along with the generous financial aid I was given, there was no question about choosing Hopkins.”
Kayla H., Staten Island, NY“I have a friend who graduated from Hopkins in 2020. I worked in a lab with her. She was really sweet and helped take care of me, and it made me appreciate her as a person. She told me a lot of good stories about Hopkins. She said the people were amazing and very wholesome, and the administration was helpful.”
Delisha P., Cyberabad, India“When I started considering colleges during the COVID-19 lockdown, Hopkins was one of the first ones I attended webinars for. When I got in, it felt full circle. Another full circle moment was that my parents are both doctors and they studied textbooks written by Hopkins graduates. Hopkins will be very rewarding, and I’ll be able to materialize some of the big things I want to do.”
Kaitlynne M., Spring, TX“I chose Hopkins because of the number of resources given to students. I also went to Senior Visit Day, and the Hopkins students talked about the university with a lot of pride and the amazing community here.”
Viswanath M., Bangalore, India“I chose Hopkins because the BME program here is very well regarded and there are more research opportunities here. The 3+1 BS/MSE degree program can also help me further my interests with graduate studies. The student body is also multi-talented. With Peabody as a performing arts institute, I can explore that interest at Hopkins as well.”
There are many paths that people take to Hopkins, some familiar and others unique. As I continued to chat with my mentees, I heard many mentions about the diverse research opportunities, special programs, and the welcoming student community. I found it moving that my mentees didn’t just receive this depiction of Hopkins from websites but from current and former students. Listening to their stories, I could see parts of my journey reflected. Though there are many paths to Hopkins, but once we’re here, we’re one community.
