Throughout my first year at Hopkins, I attended different meetings for many, many clubs: just about everything from HopAI (the Artificial Intelligence Society at Hopkins) to the HOP (the Hopkins Organization for Programming—the organization that puts on major campus events like Hoptoberfest). I was especially an active member of a lot of computer-science-related clubs. My friends and I would often attend these meetings together and then meet even more people with similar interests.
As a member, I realized I had many ideas for events and how the student organizations could be improved. For example, I wished we had more group projects, and the best way to make this a reality was to apply to be a board member. So, that’s exactly what I did. Many clubs open board applications in the middle and end of the spring semester with the application processes ranging from elections to interviews. The most fun process was the election for the WiCS (Women in Computer Science) board. We got to make campaign speeches, and WiCS members voted for all five elected positions.
As of writing this post and as a sophomore, I am Vice President of HopAI, Secretary of WiCS (Women in Computer Science), and Treasurer of SWE (Society of Women Engineers). I know that sounds like a lot, but in reality, I’m just working with my friends to organize events based on subjects I love, so it really does not feel like working. I am also currently starting the Data Science Chapter of HopAI (a subgroup that focuses on machine learning with big data applications).
I have gained so much from my roles and responsibilities in different organizations. As secretary, I send out emails and promotional materials to WiCS’ email list of 300+ members. As treasurer for SWE, I manage our budget and order food and supplies for our events (the accounting class I took in high school really came in handy with this!). For HopAI, I organize and host workshops. In preparing for these workshops, I go into a lot of detail on the topic and learnt plenty myself too. Here’s a picture from a recent workshop titled “Introduction to Machine Learning for Data Science.”
The most unexpected thing I gained was a lot of new friendships! Club board members meet 1–2 times every week for meetings and events. This means you grow close to the other board members and develop real friendships. I think these are a really nice kind of friendship because you get to bond over a shared interest and mission. Here’s a picture of a SWE board meeting at a cafe. What a lovely way to spend a Saturday afternoon!
Joining clubs is a great way to form community over a shared interest, and you can take that a step further by taking on a leadership position. Starting in the spring semester, I hope to make even more of my ideas a reality. For instance, with HopAI, I want to start “builder groups,” where students work together to make AI-based apps and websites. I hope to organize other events and learn more over the coming years as a club leader.
