After spending nearly two months together, meeting back up with my Hop-In cohort during orientation week felt like a homecoming. The best part was we hadn’t planned to meet on the beach that day, we just happened to all see each other as we were getting our class shirts. As the circle grew, more and more of us came over until we had 26 of the 48 of us there. We decided to take a photo to commemorate the moment.
During the Kessler Scholars New York City Trek, we visited the Bloomberg headquarters to attend a panel of Hopkins alumni working at the company. We were so engaged in the panel and amazed at the building, we completely forgot to take a picture while we were inside! Rather than pass back through security, we opted for the next best thing, a picture right outside.
During the Black Women’s Collective escape room bonding night, my friend, Atarah, and I took pictures as we waited for the group to be seated at a restaurant following our escapes. Atarah is one of my best friends, my equally (?) chaotic other half!
This was my first and only time coming back home following the beginning of the semester. I went back for my little brother’s birthday, only to find him towering over me! Time really flies, but we fell right back in sync as if I had never left.
I decided to stay at Hopkins over winter break. While I was here, I took a trip down to the harbor, and I also visited 34th Street where the homeowners decorate their units for the holiday. It was a lot of fun, beautiful, and sometimes moving decorations. Like something out of a fairytale!
Every year Hopkins erects a temporary ice-skating rink on campus every winter. Earlier this year, I attended the First-Generation, Limited-Income welcome back skate. It was—at most—my fifth time ever skating in my life but thanks to everyone’s help, I was able to get the hang of it. I had a great time, and I can’t wait for next year!
Coming from Georgia, I had never seen so much snow in my life before coming to Baltimore. The snow was as beautiful as it was bitterly cold. Can’t say I loved all the snow, but I definitely appreciated the aesthetic!
Fun fact: I only tripped three times during the winter, all in succession, and I was unharmed.
Tip: Invest in snow boots.
Another moment from the Kessler Scholars New York Trek, we visited a contemporary art museum in New York. Seeing as I was wearing a similar outfit as the individual in this painting, I knew I had to get a picture taken beside it.
During Tutorial Project, the tutees enjoyed playing with the chalk. On this day, the kids had a lot of fun and put in a bunch of effort. Unfortunately, it was going to rain later that day, so I reassured my tutee I would take a picture to document everyone’s effort.
Entering college, I didn’t expect to have such a holistic, joy-filled experience of exposure and growth that had as much to do with academics as it had to do with community-building, exploration, and discovery. In hindsight, Hopkins was the perfect school for me. I can’t wait for next semester!
