Editors’ Note (and a thank you from The News-Letter)
Day in the life of a Hopkins-Peabody Double Degree student
The Hopkins sesquicentennial senior bucket list: 150 things to do before graduating
Congratulatory messages
You remind me of home
Letter to my freshman self
Rated R for Rocky Horror
Do hard things
Congratulatory messages
The life waiting for you
Finding a community through Hopkins Sport Taekwondo
Lessons from the classroom and beyond at Hopkins
The wildest stroke of luck
Congratulatory messages
An UN-expected experience: why I’m glad I joined HopMUN
Impostor syndrome as a chronic disease: from freshman year to graduation
Freshman year photo collage
Sophomore year photo collage
Junior year photo collage
Senior year photo collage
Congratulatory messages
Hopkins and the art of watching bad movies
Your masterpiece was always messy
From neuroscience to film: becoming me (again)
The parts of Hopkins outside a lecture hall
Congratulatory messages
A treatise on love
Bucket list advice to incoming seniors
Congratulatory messages
Four years of unforgettable memories: a list
My
Front and Back Cover Designs by Sydnor Duffy
Back Cover Photos by Kaiyuan Du, Joshua Lonstein and Eric Wang
Border Designs by Sydnor Duffy and Rui do Rosario
Editors’ Note (and a thank you from The News-Letter)
Dear Class of 2026,
You’ve likely heard this sentence a gazillion times this past year, but to reiterate: You did it! Congratulations! We are honored to celebrate this moment with you through our annual Commencement Magazine.
Your determination, passion and desire to seek perfection have led you to this moment, and you are only moments away from walking the stage and officially becoming a Hopkins graduate. You’ve witnessed and experienced a lot during the past four years: the changing political landscape, Hopkins’ free-tuition announcement, the closure of Milton S. Eisenhower Library followed by the opening of Bloomberg Student Center...
What you’ve achieved wasn’t easy, and as you are preparing to sign off, we hope that you are giving yourself the credit you deserve and a pat on your back. We couldn’t have been more grateful and proud to share your reflections, memories and congratulations — the opportunity to connect with you and join your celebrations is a privilege.
As the 2025–2026 academic year ends, we would like to extend our gratitude to everyone who supported The News-Letter. Amidst large federal changes and administrative projects, our comprehensive coverage would not have been possible without engagement from the Hopkins community. We would like to especially thank:
Brittini Brown, Angelique Williams Anderson, Laura Stott and Lacey Cohen for their support with the Gatehouse and distribution of our publications
J.B. Bird, Doug Donovan and Megan Christin for continuously connecting our staff with administrative comments
Louie DiBernardo Guzman for his guidance with reforming our technology, including purchasing new computers and InDesign licenses, and consistent support and enthusiasm for the paper
Hans from Epoch Printing for printing our newspapers and magazines after our previous printing company unexpectedly shut down
All The News-Letter alumni (especially Meagan Peoples, Jacob Took, Abigail Tuschman, Morgan Ome, Samhi Boppana, Shirlene John and Yana Mulani) for their consistent guidance and support through meetings, Alumni Panels and in-person visits to the Gatehouse
Michael J. Keeling for generously helping us bind and archive old newspapers
Our donors for their contributions, and especially Jess Bunshaft and his husband, Marc, for their $4,000 donation match, allowing us to renew our equipment and remain financially independent
Every student, staff, faculty and community member, who agreed to share their opinions, perspectives and thoughts in our articles
And, of course, our readers for motivating us to continue our coverage — we hope that our articles entertained, educated and informed you.
Last but certainly not least, we would like to applaud all of the time and effort that our dedicated editors, staff and contributing writers have put into the paper this year. The paper’s growth and quality is a direct result of their efforts and passion. We cannot thank them enough for their commitment to The News-Letter, and we know they’ll only continue the momentum from here onwards.
Linda Huang & Buse Koldas Magazine Editors 2026-2027
Day in the life of a Hopkins-Peabody Double Degree student
8 a.m. Choose a character. All charactersstartwith G =4.0, H =4.0, A =4.0.
1 Player(1):BachelorofSciencein Computer Science/Bachelor of Music in Composition. Youwere a National Young Composers Challenge Finalist in high school. Nowyouaretryingtofinishyour Computer Science degree with research in algorithmic music theory.You’reaco-founderofthe largest student group at Peabody Institute, a composer-performer collective. Coefficients: x = 0.7, y = 0.8, z =1.5.
2 Player (2): Bachelor of Arts in Biophysics/BachelorofMusicin Oboe. You were valedictorian in highschoolandplayedonastatechampionship-winning field hockey team. You are also a composer; now you go to lab at the Miller Research Building every day to maintain the health ofyourcells(ironicallysacrificing your own), alongside your 88credit Biophysics major.
Coefficients: x =2, y =.5, z =1.
3 Player (3): Bachelor of Arts in Public Health/Bachelor of Music in Violin. You played on NPR in high school. You are far too involved, as President or CoPresident of three or four clubs, including the Peabody General Assembly.You’vedoneresearchin neuroscience and performing arts health, and recently became an undergraduate researcher with the School of Public Health.
Coefficients: x =0.8, y =1.7, z =0.8.
4 Player (4): JHMI. You are a $1.6 million electric vehicle.
Coefficients: x =-2, y =4, z =-2.
This article is interactive. You will need a six-sided die (or random.org/dice). Try to maximize your GPA, Health and Artistry. Your final score is Gx + Hy + Az, withcoefficientsx,y,zbasedonthecharacteryouchoseatthebeginning.Make choices wisely. The author recommends procuring a pencil and printed copy beforetryingthis;tryplayingitwithotherplayers,too.
9 a.m. It’s time to ride the JHMI! Roll a die. If ≥ 5, then you have caught the JHMI. Otherwise, subtract 0.2 from your health and repeat the process until you catch the JHMI. If you have rolled at least four failed rolls, you can choose to (a) keep trying the JHMI or (b) take the Purple/51/Silver instead for a flat 0.6 penalty, distributed as you choose across GPA, Health and Artistry. Call this procedure Ride theJHMI
10 a.m. It’s time for Theory 5 with Kip Wile. Don’t be late! Subtract 0.3 from your GPA if you rolled the die morethanonceat 9 a.m.Otherwise, add 0.2 to your GPA. In class, you discuss Stravinsky’s block designs in Petrushka and tonal ambiguity in Symphony of Psalms. After class, youhavetocatchtheJHMItohead back to Homewood Campus. Ride theJHMI.Ifyourolledtwoorfewer times, skip to 11 a.m. Otherwise, Eat Lunch atPeabodyinstead:add0.3to your health and subtract 0.2 from yourGPA,thenskipto 12 p.m
11 a.m You have caught the bus... wait. Buses? Roll a die. If even, take the bus on the left. If odd, take the busontheright.
11 a.m. (Left). On the bus, you receive a message from Gradescope. Luckily, your Data Structures Course Assistant graded your work correctly rather than labeling your answer wrong just because it happens to be technically more correct(theprofessormentioned it in class) than the answer key. Not that that would happen at Hopkins! You breathe a sigh of relief knowing that you were actually wrong on the super simple question three about Maps. Add 0.2 to your GPA. Go to 12 p.m
11 a.m. (Right). Just as you begin to relax, you realize that it is Friday,April18,2025.Youlookto your right as you pass 25th Street and notice the building formerly housing Yum’s Asian Bistro. You decide to come back tomorrow and explore the area, which is almost certainly not foreshadowing. Anyway, you’ve foregonelunchtoday.Subtract0.4 fromyourhealth.Goto 12p.m.
12p.m Yourbestfriendsareperforming at the Friday 12:30 recital. Do you (a) attend in person, (b) catch it on the livestream or (c) disappoint them for workagain?Chooseone.
12 p.m. (a). This is strictly not possible if you are at Homewood Campus, but let’s pretend it is — RidetheJHMI.(Ifyouatelunchat Peabody, no need.) Your friends do great! Add 0.3 to your health and add0.3toyourartistry.Subtract0.2 from your GPA. Since you are at Peabody, Ride the JHMI again to gettoHomewood.Goto1p.m 12p.m. (b). Rolladie.If≥4,thenall goes smoothly; go to 12 p.m (a) Otherwise,theConcertOfficefailed to activate the livestream again; go to12p.m (c).
12 p.m (c). You miss the recital again. Add 0.4 to your GPA and subtract 0.3 from your health. You have the sneaking suspicion that thereisnowagroupchatwithout you and that even Player (4) was invited...IfyouareatPeabody, Ride the JHMI to get to Homewood Campus.Goto1p.m
1 p.m. It’s your last 25-credit semester oftheprogram,soyouchosetotakeit easy with your Homewood course selections. What was your 1 p.m again? Was it (a) Theory of Computation, (b) Biophysical Chemistryor(c)Genetics?
1p.m (a) YouareArthur.Merlin claims he is not colorblind, but youdon’tbelievehim.Youbakea green pie and a red pie on your waytopickupapubliccoinfrom ChaseBank.Add0.3toyourGPA and add 0.1 to your artistry. Subtract 0.2 from your health. Finally, RidetheJHMI andgoto
2 p.m
1 p.m (b) You are Merlin. You studied really hard, and on Midterm II, you remembered the details of the ChaperoneHydrophobic Collapse model for protein folding. You successfully complete the derivation for the slope of TΔS at the temperature Ts. Add 0.4 to your GPA and subtract 0.2 from your health. Finally, RidetheJHMI andgoto 2 p.m 1 p.m. (c). You are Arthur and Merlin. Your dominant alleles cover up your recessive alleles in the expressed phenotype on your way to jhu.instructure.com, remedying your genetic errors. Add 0.3 to your health. Finally, RidetheJHMI andgoto 2 p.m
2 p.m. You go to History of Music. Feeling emboldened, you raise your hand. Just as the professor calls on you, you realize you’ve forgotten which one you’re taking. Is it (a) HOM1, (b) HOM2 or (c) HOM3? Roll adie.Ifeven,goto 2 p.m (c).Ifodd,go to 2 p.m (b)
2 p.m (a) Renaissance Paleography was last week; transcriptions are due. How did youdo?Rolladie.Ifeven,add1.0 to your GPA. If odd, subtract 0.2 from your GPA and subtract 1.0 fromyourhealth.Goto 3 p.m
2 p.m (b) Choose to answer the following question right or wrong. If right, add 0.2 to your GPA, subtract 0.2 from your health, and go to 3 p.m. If wrong, subtract 0.3 from your GPA and go to 2 p.m (a). Who composed Vivaldi’s Four Seasons?
2 p.m. (c). As you finish speaking, you realize you’ve made a grave mistake. While you’ve sidestepped confusing John Adams, postminimalist, for John Adams, secondPOTUS,you’veunwittingly confused John Adams, postminimalist, for John Luther Adams, postminimalist. Unfortunate. Subtract 0.4 from your GPA and add 0.3 to your artistry.Goto3p.m
3 p.m. You need to go to Ensemble; missing the wrong rehearsal would be worse for your GPA than missing a homework assignment for your 1 p.m Ride the JHMI. If you rolled more than once, subtract 0.2 from your GPA. Otherwise,add0.5toyourartistry.
4 p.m You’re still in rehearsal. Roll a die. If even, add 0.6 distributed as you choose between health and artistry. If odd, subtract 0.6 distributed as you choosefromyourGPAandartistry.
5 p.m You’re still in rehearsal. Repeat theprocedurefrom4p.m
6 p.m It’s registration day! Peabody Double Degree students get priority registration, which allows time to sort out the inevitable lack of cross-campus communication.You’reabouttosubmit your SEAM case. Roll a die. If ≥ 2, you get Victoria Ritter and add 0.4 to your health. Otherwise, they’ve denied your request to enroll in Peabody courses because your primary registration is at Homewood. Subtract 0.3 from either yourhealthoryourGPAandrepeatthe processuntilyouroll≥2.
7 p.m You’re famished. More importantly, your health may be in shambles.
Ifyourhealthis≤2.0,youarenow sick. You may choose to Rest (you are out of the game, your current score becomes final) or Keep Working (ateveryrollofthedie,if you rolled N, you’re only counted ashavingrolledN-1;goto8p.m.). If your health is > 2.0, roll a die. If even, you Eat Dinner at the Peabody cafeteria, adding 0.3 to your health; go to 8 p.m. If odd, you Ride the JHMI and Eat Dinner at home, adding 0.5 to yourhealth;goto10p.m
8p.m. YouwereworkingintheArthur Friedheim Library when you overhear a friend, acquaintance or stranger disparagingtheworkthatgoesintothe other degree or otherwise misunderstanding the subject and its practitioners.Doyou(a)trytoexplainor (b)realizeitisfutileandcontinuetobe misunderstood?
8p.m. (a). Rolladie.If≥5,theyare receptive.Add0.8toyourhealth.If ≤ 4, subtract 0.4 from your health and0.3fromyourartistry.
8 p.m. (b). Good. Add 0.3 to your health. Subtract 0.3 from your artistry.
Finally, Ride the JHMI back to HomewoodCampus.
9p.m Chooseoneofthefollowing. Study.Rolladie.Ifyourolleda1,do nothing. Otherwise, add .X to your GPA,whereXisthedie’sresult.
Visit Uni Mini for Snacks. Roll a die. If you rolled a 1, do nothing. Otherwise, add .X to your health, whereXisthedie’sresult. Practice/Compose.Rolladie.Ifyou rolled a 1, do nothing. Otherwise, add0.Xtoyourartistry,whereXis thedie’sresult.
Sleep. Roll a die. Sleep for the next X hours, where X is the die’s result or the number of hours remaining, whicheverissmaller.Youcannotdo anythingelseforthenextXhours. Subtract0.35XfromyourGPA.Add 0.35Xtoyourhealthandadd0.35X toyourartistry.
10 p.m. Choose another choice from 9 p.m.,unlessyouaresleepingrightnow. 11 p.m. Repeat the procedure from 10 p.m.twice 1a.m.Repeattheprocedurefrom10p.m. If you are not sleeping and did not choosetosleep,subtract0.35Xfromyour health,whereXisthecurrenthour.
2-5 a.m. Repeat the procedure from 1 a.m.fourtimes.
THE END. Tally up your scores and compare.
This article is abridged. The complete version(andscoresheet)isonline.
Alex Ma is graduating with degrees in Composition and Computer Science andisfromCincinnati,Ohio.
The Hopkins sesquicentennial senior bucket list: 150 things to do before graduating
17.Watch fireworks at Lighting of theQuads
18 PlaycarnivalgamesatSpringFair
19.Go to the petting zoo at Spring Fair
20 AttendtheSpringFairConcert
D. Hopkins traditions (niche edition)
21 Run (or cheer) in the Annual HomewoodHoliday5K
22 IceskateattheHopkinsicerink
23 Eat cake during the Edible Book Festival
Elizabeth Deng
In celebration of the Hopkins Sesquicentennial Celebration, here are 150 things you should do before you graduate!
A. The basics
1 Wear blue on Blue Jay Tuesday
2 Join a new club at the Student Involvement Fair (or show up to the last General Body Meeting!)
3 Go to class beyond the first week
4 Take a writing intensive course that is not Introduction to Fiction and Poetry I
B. Hopkins core
5 Have a picnic on the Beach
6.Study in Brody Cafe till it closes at 2 a.m.
7 Take a golden hour photo with the Hopkins sign
8 Pet Tillie on Tillie Tuesday
9 Bond over the universal experience of Hopkins Groups crashing
10 Wait in line for free food and shirts
C. Hopkins traditions
11 Pick a pumpkin at Hoptoberfest
12.Ride the mechanical bull at Hoptoberfest
13 Get some apple cider and donuts at Hoptoberfest
14 Attend Hoptoberfest concert
15 Enjoy hot chocolate during Lighting of the Quads
16 Collect all four Lighting of the Quads mugs
24 AttendEarthMonthBash
25 Lie on a blanket during Picnic Day
26 Attend spirit brunch at Hopkins Cafe
27.ScreamontheBeachbeforefinals
E.Hopkinstraditions(culturaled.)
28 AttendBarriobyFSA
29 Attend Lunar New Year Banquet byCSA
30 AttendTasteofTaiwanbyTASA
31 AttendPochaNightbyKASA
32 AttendSpringMatsuribyJASA
F.Hopkinsstudentsgottalent
33 AttendO-Show!
34 Attendanacappellashowcase
35.Attendadanceshowcase
36 Attendafirespinningshow
37 Watch a musical in the Merrick Barn
38 WatchaplayintheMerrickBarn
39 AttendaPeabodyperformance
40 Attend praise night on Keyser quad
41 Attend a Hopkins Symphony Orchestraconcert
G. Hopkins students have school spirit
42.AttendaMen’sLacrossegame
43 AttendaWomen’sLacrossegame
44 Do the crab wave at a lacrosse game
45 Figureouthowlacrosseworks
46 Attend a sports game that is not lacrosse
47 Attendatailgatebeforeagame
48 High-five the Blue Jay mascot at agame
49 Wear a ridiculous amount of Hopkinsmerchatagame
H.Lockedin
50 Gotoofficehours
51 StudyinBrodyCafeorGilman
52.StudyatthePeabodyLibrary
53 Lock in during the Long Night Against Procrastination at the WritingCenter
I.Hopkinsstudentstouchgrass!
54 SitinahammockonKeyserQuad
55 VisittheplantsinOlinHall
56 SpottheHopFox
57 Have a picnic at Sherwood Gardensduringthespring
58 Get groceries and breakfast at the 32ndStreetFarmersMarket
59.Visit the Howard Peters Rawlings ConservatoryandBotanicGardens
60 Run a 5K, half marathon or marathon during the Baltimore RunningFestival
61 HikeatJonesFallsTrail
62 JointheBaltimoreBikeParty
63 Drive a golf cart during Alumni Weekend
J.Thingstodobesidesdoomscrolling
64 VisitSpecialCollections
65 Print a trinket at the Makerspace inthePavaCenter
66 Try all the fancy machines in the Rec
67.Bring a friend to a group workout class at the Ralph S. O’Connor RecreationCenter
68.DoaNews-Lettercrosswordpuzzle
69 Attendaneventorseminaroutside yourmajorforfun
70 VolunteerataBaltimorecharity
71 GoswingdancingatMobtown
72 Go sledding down the Beach in winter
K. Museum marathon (in order of distancefromHomewoodcampus)
73.Visit the Archaeological Museum inGilman
74 VisittheHomewoodMuseum
75.VisittheBaltimoreMuseumofArt (BMA)
76 Cut through the BMA sculpture gardenduringthespring
77 VisittheEvergreenLibrary
78 VisittheWaltersArtsMuseum
79 Visit the American Visionary Art Museum
80 VisittheB&ORailroadMuseum
L. Friday night vibes
81 View the stars through the telescope in the Bloomberg Center for Physics and Astronomy
82 Go to an Orioles Game at Camden Yards
83 Cheer at a Ravens game
84 Attend a concert at the Lyric
85 Attend a jazz concert at Bluebird Cocktail Bar
86.Attend a Baltimore Symphony Orchestra concert
87 Attend a performance at Baltimore Center Stage
88 Go duckpin bowling
M. Hampden circuit
89 Get coffee from Artifact
90 Visit the local boutiques and book stores
91.Go thrifting
92 Visit the Rotunda Farmers Market
93.Watch a movie at Rotunda
94 Get the Neighborhood Bird Bowl from Ekiben
95 Go to Urban Oyster during happy hour
96 Get comfort food from The Food Market
97 Try new ice cream flavors at The Charmery
98 Eat a slice of pie from Dangerously Delicious Pies
N. Peabody circuit
99.Visit the Peabody Library
100 Climb the stairs of the Washington Monument
101.Get a drink at Ceremony
102 Get brunch at Dooby’s
103 Visit the Enoch Pratt Free Library
104 Visit the Enoch Pratt House
O. Inner Harbor circuit
105 Take the Purple Circulator to Inner Harbor
106 Try the dragon boats or water taxi
107 Watch the sunrise or sunset at inner Harbor
108.Visit the National Aquarium
109 Climb up Federal Hill to enjoy the waterfront views
110.Eat some Italian food in Little Italy
111 Get a boot-shaped mug at Christmas Village
P.ThingstodoinD.C.
112 Visit the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center at 555 Pennsylvania Avenue (not to be confused with the Bloomberg Student Center)
113.Get breakfast at the Dupont Circle Farmers Market
114 Do a museum marathon
115.Attend the Cherry Blossom Festival
Q.Journeyingoffcampus
116 Take the Baltimore College Town Shuttle to Towson
117 Go on a Johns Hopkins Outdoor Club trip
118 Visit the Maryland Zoo
119 Go apple picking in the fall
120 Visit Ellicott City, Md.
121 Visit Annapolis, Md.
R. Eat your way through senior year (ordered breakfast, dinner anddessert)
122.Get a crab dip bagel from La Maison by Cafe Dear Leon in Remington, Md.
123 Get the Berkeley sandwich and Breakfast at Tiffany’s from Kitsch
124 Get a matcha from Equitea
125 Get a lamb gyro bowl from the Jordanian food truck
126 Get fried chicken from BRD at R. House
127 Get a fancy smashburger from Mo’s
128.Get fried chicken and waffles from Connie’s
129 Get pasta from Grano’s
130.Get fried chicken and sing karaoke at Kong Pocha
131 Get oysters from Thames Street Oyster House
132 Try a crab cake from Koco’s Pub
133 Get Tia’s Italian Ice (with ice cream on top)
134 Try seasonal ice cream flavors from Taharka Brothers
135 Try Old Bay kombucha
136 Go to Clavel for Margs Monday
137.Try a can of Baltimore lager National Bohemian
138 Try a local beer from Peabody Heights Brewery
139 Go to Asia in a Bite Food Festival
S. Almost Done with Senior Year
140 Actually remember to register for graduation
141 Fix your sleep schedule (briefly)
142 Submit your final final paper
143 Ace your final final exam
144.Recreate a freshman-year photo as a senior
145 Reconnect with a professor from your freshman year
146 Thank someone you are grateful for meeting at Hopkins
T. Finally done!
147 Make your Senior Class Gift
148 See people you have not seen since freshman year during the Senior Class Celebration
149.Enjoy desserts and champagne during Senior Toast
150 Walk the stage during Commencement!
Elizabeth Deng is graduating with a degree in Neuroscience and EconomicsandisfromSingapore.
Congratulations,
Congratulations, Weston Wilmot! You inspire us daily... we're in awe of your steadfast commitment to becoming an MD at such an early age. Enjoy that Gap Year Weston!!! Love, The Fam
What an accomplishment! Your hard work and dedication have truly paid off, and we couldn't be prouder of you. This is just the beginning of an exciting journey ahead. Celebrate your achievements and embrace the future! Love- Benett, Mom, Dad, Sarge
Congratulations, Max and Tessa!We'veloved watchingyou onstage& can'twaitto seewherelife takesyou.The HsuFamily
Congratulations, Sophie Patrick!
Congratulations Sophie Patrick on your BS and MSE in Applied Mathematics and Statistics! We are so proud of you and are looking forward to welcoming you home to NYC to kick off your career in finance! Love, Mommy, Daddy, Maggie and Wyatt Binx
bright future. You deserve this, enjoy the moment to the fullest.
dreams,believeinyourself,andbeawesome!
Lovealways,Mom,DadandJonathan
Lots of luv, Mommy, Daddy, Gaurav, Nannama,
Congratulations, Gloria!
Watching you grow, work hard, and reach this milestone fills our hearts with so much pride. Congratulations, Blue Jay! This is just the beginning of an amazing journey! We love you. Mom, Dad, Grandma, Artur, Pumba, Nala
Isabella, congratulations on your graduation from Johns Hopkins! We’re so proud of all you’ve achieved, and even more in awe of your humor, your deep love for humanity, and your beautiful, generous heart. You inspire us every day. We love you with all our heart and soul. Love, Mom, Dad, and Sebastian
Congratulations Alex! We are so proud of you and love you so much! You have always led with both your head and your heart and we can't wait to see how your future unfolds. Love, Mom, Dad, Cole and Clara.
Congratulations,AlanaYee!
Angels charmed to grow side by side with doting eyes rise to skies unnamed. Love, Mom & Family
You remind me of
home
My first big move was from Taiwan to Baltimore for college.
Having grown up between Kaohsiung and Tainan throughout the first 18 years of my life, I missed the bike rides along Pier-2, the douhua bowls from Anping, the pebble trails at Meishu Park, the chicken noodle soup at Din Tai Fung, the monkeys on Monkey Mountain and all the familiarities of home. At any and every inconvenience I experienced during my day, I always had the comfort of going home to tell my mom. Whenever I needed a bellyful of laughs, my brother’s bedroom was only two steps away from mine. If I felt any cravings for my grandmother’s home-cooked meals, I could hop on a three-dollar train ride anytime I wanted. It is thus an understatement to say that I found adjustment to Hopkins challenging. I cried on every plane ride back to Baltimore whenever I had to go back to school from break.
Then, during the winter break of my junior year, I was flying back to school, and I realized that I did not cry. In fact, I felt so excited to see my friends after four weeks away from them. My best friends became my family, and Baltimore became my home. I felt proud of myself for growingup.Itisperhapsthefirsttime I realized that I had found a second home, one I could return to through thepeopleIhadfoundinBaltimore.
When I first came to Hopkins as a freshman, I constantly felt an ache in my heart. Most of my sources of safety and love were now a 24-hour travel time away. Snow is cute, but only on the first day. The cold weather is sometimes unbearable. The sun sets at 4 p.m., and the gloom constantly hangs over your head. I missed Christmas for the first time in my life.
To cope with homesickness, my boyfriend Enoch and I dug through old recipes from our families and tried to recreate flavors that remind us of home. There is no meal more hearty than a warm bowl of Bak kut teh, or my dad’s signature kimchi stew. On slower weekends, we watch Taiwanese films like Man in Love and Someday or One Day. Through staying in touch with food and culture from Taiwan, I found that home was something I could carry with me.
My friends were also very much my home. I grounded myself in them as they carried me through my lows, homesickness and all the messy feelings in between. Through them, I learned that friendships can take shape in many different ways. It can be wholesome, like splitting Oreos with Mia and celebrating birthdays at Dua’s. It can be on the floor of my tiny studio at Jefferson, scattered with Goldfish, Quadratini’s, Chips Ahoy; you name them. Nay’s glasses might be fogged up, and chances are
Ru lost her contacts again. Naomi might have also spilled some milk on my floor. Friendship can also be a bit chaotic, like waxing Shreeram’s arm hair at Nina’s, or Ayan and Ramya bouncing around the biomedical engineering design studio with a mannequin and fake arm, or Gloria carrying a panda and me smooching a photo of Samantha. Friendship sounds like Adarsh’s cackle and Momo’s giggle.
That is the thing about friendship and people. When you click, you click. You do not need to explain why or how you get along or why you choose to keep them. As I close this chapter of my life, I believe that the intensity of my friendships in the short time that we spent together is just a glimpse of the lifetime we will have together. I feel so lucky to have found people that I love. People with whom I laugh until I have tears in my eyes. People who challenge my opinions and thoughts. People who love unconditionally.
If you are reading this, thank you for always embracing me with such warmth. Although I do not know where I will be next, there is no doubt thatIwillcarryapieceofthepeopleI met here to wherever I go, and that is becauseyouremindmeofhome.
Claire Chung is a graduating with a degree in Biomedical Engineering andisfromKaohsiung,Taiwan.
DearDua,
Letter to my freshman self
friendsthroughAPTT,andIknow that they’re going to stick around farlongerthancollege,butmaybe another future version of us can updateusonthat.Oh!Youdoend up becoming co-director, and Daivik will be your number one fan when it happens. You will keep up with all the friends who graduate before you, but you will stillcrywhentheyleave.
You deserve to be here. You will always deserve to be here. And you will make yourself a seat at thetablebecausethat’sjustwho you are. I would give you advice, butyoudon’tneedit.Although
we could have done things differently, I don’t think we needed to. Things are great as they are — even if they don’t alwaysfeellikeit.
I’m so proud of you, little me. You’regonnamakeallyourdreams cometrue.AndIhopeIwilltoo!
Love, Duafromthefuture.
Welcome to Hopkins! I remember how excited you were to get here and how many big dreams you have. You wrote me a letter during orientation week — sad to report that I never received it (aka you forgot to give it to your First Year Mentor). But that’s okay! I remember a lot of the thingsyouasked.
Before I get into that, I want to thank you. You did so much work for me to be where I am now. Not just academic work, but personal work. You struggled so much with friends, and, instead of giving up, you learned to communicate and love people regardless of how things end. You gave a thousand chances, you got hurt a lot, but I wouldn’tbewhoIamifyouhadn’t.
You were lost as a first-generation student. But you asked questions and you met upperclassmen whom youaskedforhelp.Youchosetodo the things you loved and never prioritized your resume over the thingsyouwantedtodo.Youmade me the academic, researcher and studentthatIam.
And! You joined A Place to Talk (APTT). I do wish you had joined a semester earlier, but I can’t possibly thank you enough for applying.Thatclubchangesyour life. It makes you a better person overall.Youmeetallyourclosest
Dua Hussain is graduating with
Rated R for Rocky Horror
Edmund Sumpena
This show may not be suitable for incoming freshmen. Viewer discretionisadvised.
I still remember my first introduction to the Hopkins community. Scrolling through the Hopkins Groups catalog during orientation week, an invitation to watch a horror movie caught my eye. I soon learned that my friends from preorientation — also big horror fans — had already signed up. We planned to meet up and go together.
The movie was scheduled to start at midnight.
“Is this your first time at The Rocky Horror Picture Show?” they asked at the ticket booth.
“Yes,” I said.
“Perfect, it's free your first time.” She uncapped a cherry red lipstick and drew a large “V” on my forearm.
Strange, I thought. Why did she write on my arm? And why is thisastage,notamovietheater?
Before I could answer my own questions, a Spotify playlist titled “F**k the Virgins” started blaring through the loudspeakers. The lights brightened and someone walked onto the stage.
“Are there any virgins — I mean, first-timers — in the audience? If so, please come up to the stage.”
My friends and I looked down at the “V” on our arms. Oh no. As we stepped forward, three letters floated through my mind: W.T.F.
The cast strapped a woman's bra onto each of us.
“Now, raise your dominant hand. Good. Now put it behind your back. You will use your nondominant hand to remove the bra.” I stood there, dumbfounded. Slowly, I reached behind my back with my left hand and felt around for the clasp, fiddling stubbornly with the straps. A loud cheer erupted from the audience as the student to my right triumphantly held his in the air, like he had just won a national championship.
After the “team bonding activity,” the main show began. The film rolled and the shadow cast took its place on stage. My only remaining fear: that the next surprise would be a 1980s porno projected onto the screen. I had already mentally drafted my gravestone — “Here lies Edmund, scarred for life after mistaking Rocky Horror Picture Show for a screening of Scream 5” — when the film finally started. What followed was approximately two hours of the most gloriously unhinged cinema I have ever witnessed, punctuated by commentary from the shadow cast
that I cannot fully reproduce here for reasons of both memory and decency. The film was strange. The commentary was stranger. I remember laughing until my face hurt and understanding almost nothing. The only thing funnier was imagining my parents’ reactions if they had been sitting next to me.
“What happens in Rocky Horror stays in Rocky Horror,” I said to my friends as we filed out.
I meant it as a joke. But that night became one of those stories we kept coming back to, retelling it every time we ran into each other, laughing harder each time. In the chaos of freshman year, it became an anchor. A shared experience so bizarre it could only belong to us. I've lost touch with many of them since, as we each found our own corners of Hopkins over the years. But four years ago, that stage was a gathering of strangers who knew nothing of who they would become or where they would land. We have found our people, our rhythms, our places. Nobody knew each other. Nobody knew what was happening. Nobody knew what would happen next. And yet, for one gloriously unhinged midnight in Baltimore, none of that mattered. We were all equally lost, equally bewildered, yet somehowcompletelyathome.
Edmund Sumpena is graduating with a degree in Computer Science and Neuroscience and is fromSanDiego,Calif.
Do hard things
If you had asked me four years ago what my college experience would look like, I never would have imagined 4:30 a.m. wake-ups, jumping out of planes or leading a battalion of 60 people before turning 22. I entered the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) with an open mind and little military background. Within weeks, I realized it was only about 10% tactics and 90% everything else: leadership, interpersonal skills, discipline, organization, public speaking and more.
Most of my growth, both as a cadet and as a person, has come from deliberately choosing the hard path. That meant waking up before dawn to ruck 26 miles with 42 pounds, stepping out of an aircraft in full combat gear (five times), walking into unfamiliar rooms full of unfamiliar faces at leadership conferences, pushing through long, cold, rain-soaked days in the field, and carrying the weight of responsibility as both battalion commander and operations officer.
If there’s one piece of advice I’d give, it’s simple: Do hard things. Seek out the challenges that make you hesitate. Over time, you become comfortable being uncomfortable — and once you reach that point, there’s very little you can’t handle. Go do something hard today.
Michelle Berndt is a fourth-year Army ROTC cadet and former student-athlete majoring in Molecular and CellularBiologyfromCullowhee,N.C.ShewillcontinuehereducationattheNorthCarolinaStateCollege ofVeterinaryMedicine,withcareerplanstobeaU.S.ArmyVeterinarian.
Michelle Berndt
Congratulations, Rose!
Arrows and Beams
Life is a cluster of choices and aims. Archers send arrows, and hearts send beams.
You were the first beam my heart released, and life became a beautiful dream. I trust you to journey to any star and return with it held in your hand.
I am not claiming you're a wizard, so far, but you surely hold a magic wand. Turning challenges into gateways, that's your art and your skill. with a mind as sharp as a blade, and a soul so lovely and still.
We love you to the moon and back, more than words could ever show.
My bow released its finest arrow, and the world will come to know.
Baba 2026
Congratulations, Caroline Clouatre!
Congratulations, Adelaide!
We are proud of the dedication that led you to this milestone. We’ll always be here for you. Wishing you strength, wisdom, and happiness! Love, Mom and Dad
Congratulations, Charlotte!
Congratulations, Caroline! This is just the beginning of all the amazing things you’re going to do. We are so proud of you and cannot wait to see where you go next!
We are so proud of you, and wish you the best! Love, Mom, Dad, Andy, Rick and Joan!
Congratulations, Natalia Maiorana!
We are incredibly proud of you and everything you’ve achieved, but even more so of the person you’ve become. This is the beginning of another exciting new chapter and we know you’re going to do incredible things. We love you and will always be cheering you on. Congratulations, Sweets!
Congratulations, Peter Jackson!
Congratulations, Allison!
Can't wait to see what more you will do in dental school and beyond!
Peter, it has been an absolute delight to watch you grow into the person you are today and to share in these final days of college. Your graduation from Johns Hopkins reflects not only your inspiring drive, discipline, and accomplishment, but above all the seriousness, depth, and heart with which you move through life.
We are deeply moved by all that you are building and treasure the pride and happiness it brings to our whole family.
With all our love, Your Family
Congratulations, Ibelle!
You did it! Graduating from Johns Hopkins is an incredible achievement! Your dedication, passion, and perseverance have brought you here. We are so proud of everything you’ve accomplished. Keep dreaming big, shining bright, and embracing every opportunity. The best is yet to come! Love always, Mom, Dad, Yohenny. Congratulations, Karen!
SydneyCongratulations, A.Kanuga!
We are extremely proud of you, especially, for graduating with both a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree with Honors in only 4 years and for getting hired into Johnson & Johnson’s exclusive GOLD program. Best wishes for continued success!
We are so proud of how far you have come and excited about how far you will go - in God’s hands. Continue leading by example on how to be a kind and empathetic human being. We are blessed to have you in our lives. With infinite love, Your Family.
Congratulations, Calista!
Way to go Calista! We are so proud of you and all your accomplishments during your time at Hopkins. We can't wait to see what your future holds. Be a fearless Blue Jay wherever you go and whatever you do! Love, Mom, Dad, and the dog
Uncle Mike
Congratulations, Robert Cohen!
Congratulations Robert on your amazing 4 years and all your achievements. We are very proud of the person you become. Thank you Johns Hopkins. Congratulations class of 2026.
Congratulations,
Giancarlo Zambrano!
What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us. Within you exists a wealth of knowledge and the passion to learn more. Let this passion help you find your purpose. And your purpose guide your path. Make it your own. Wherever it takes you we will be cheering you on. Love, Mom and Dad.
The life waiting for you
Gabrielle Chavez
DearFreshmanGabrielle,
Howareyou?Atthispointintime, you have just started your first semester at Hopkins, and I can imagine you're feeling excited and anxious. Are you walking down the brick pathway by the Rec? Didn’t the patch of trees seem like a huge forest? I recall how large Hopkins feltandatthetimethought,“Would thisplaceeverfeellikehome?”
As you start your freshman year, you’regoingtofacemanythings— both good and bad. There are times whenyou’regoingtobestudyingfor dayspreppingforasingleexamonly
to get a failing grade. Other times, you're going to feel lonely as you listen to your peers talk about all the fun activities they did over the weekend. When those moments arise and you feel out of place or slow, take a step back to steady yourself. I want to remind you that you do fit in at Hopkins among your peers. There is a reason you attended, and I know you will do your best to makethemostofit.
One lesson you will learn about yourself is that you are, in fact, a people person. I know in high schoolyouthoughtofyourselfasan introvert,butthatisnotthecase— you were only shy. There’s a moment in the fall semester when you want to meet more of your peers outside of class, and so you reachouttoyourResidentAdvisor. YourRAwouldrecommendyoujoin an organization called Alpha Phi Omega,whereyoubegintoconnect withpeopleoutsideyourmajorand volunteer all around Baltimore. You’re going to spend the majority of your college career in this organization, and it's going to feel rewarding because it gives you an opportunity to break out of the Hopkins bubble. You get to learn moreaboutthecityyoulivein,and
it makes you feel appreciative of humanity. I know that sounds dramatic, but I loved seeing how manynon-profitorganizationsexist to simply help one another. Other than volunteering, by your spring semester, you’re going to become a go-getter.
You started Hopkins with the intention of conducting research, and you made it a reality! I find it amusing because you found the opportunity by simply asking your professor after class. Since then, you’vehadthechancetolearnfrom amazing researchers and even publish an article! In addition to learning from people in the lab, you’vealsomadeclosefriends.
Some of the people you meet throughout the year become your closest friends in your senior year. You’re going to get to explore Baltimore, Washington D.C., New York and even Hawaii with them! The trip to New York is one of your favorite trips because it was the first time you went on vacation with your friends. It was wonderful walking down the streets of New York, visiting pizza joints and attending a Broadway show. The best part of the trip is when you visited your roommate at her family home, bought ice cream and watched The Hangover. Thisisoneofthemany experiences that you will have thatwillmakeyoufeellikeyou’ve foundyourhomeawayfromhome.
Gabrielle, it may seem intimidating at first, but I want you to realize that you’re going to have a great time at Hopkins — volunteering in thecommunity,conductingresearch andmakingbondswithpeoplethat aregoingtolastalongtime.
Sincerely,
SeniorGabrielle
Gabrielle Chavez is graduating with a degree in Computer Engineering with a minor in EntrepreneurshipandManagement andisfromElPaso,Texas.
Finding a community through Hopkins Sport Taekwondo
Joud Shogair
When I think about the student organizationIammostgratefulI joined at Hopkins, I immediately think of Hopkins Sport Taekwondo(HST).Ijoinedduring my junior year because I wanted to be part of a sports club that was active, fun and rooted in a genuine community. What I foundwasmuchmorethanaclub. Ifoundafamily.
BeforejoiningHST,Iwaslooking for a space outside of academics where I could challenge myself physically while also meeting people who shared the same excitementforgrowth,discipline
andfun.Frommyfirstpractices, I felt welcomed by our masters andteammateswhoencouraged me, helped me improve and made every practice something tolookforwardto.Whetherwe were working on poomsae, sparring drills or preparing for competitions, HST became a place where I could relieve academic stress and reconnect withmyselfin taekwondo
Some of my favorite memories fromcollegecomefromtraveling withtheteamtotournaments.We competedatPrincetonUniversity, where our women’s C team sparringgroupplacedthirdoutof 64 universities, including Ivy Leagueschools.Wealsocompeted attheUniversityofPennsylvania and participated in the U.S. Taekwondo Festival twice, where manyofuswontrophies.Oneof myproudestmomentswasplacing second and receiving an award fromGrandmasterSeYongChang. Moments like that reminded me howmuchIhadgrown,notonly asanathlete,butalsoassomeone
tournaments. It was the road trips, the practices, the nervous laughs before matches, the fun socials with friends and the feeling that everyone genuinely enjoyed each other's company. HST gave me a community that wasloving,supportiveandfullof energy.Ittaughtmethatsomeof the best college memories are builtinthespaceswhereweallow ourselves to try something new andexplore.
As I graduate, I feel incredibly thankful that I joined HST. It became one of the most meaningful parts of my Hopkins experience and gave me friendships and memories I will carry with me long after commencement. To future students, I would say: join a sports club, even just for fun. Find something that lets you move, laugh, compete, belong. And if you are interested in a team that is hardworking, welcoming and full of heart, I cannotrecommendHopkinsSport Taekwondoenough!
Lessons from the classroom and beyond at Hopkins
Justin LeBlanc
One of the most meaningful parts of my experience at Hopkins has beentheopportunitytolearnfrom professors who are not only incredibly knowledgeable but also genuinely invested in their students. Looking back, I realize that the classes I remember most are not just defined by the material, but by the people who taughtthemandtheenvironments theycreated.
Organic Chemistry I, taught by Professor Christopher Falzone, and Organic Chemistry II, taught byProfessorOlivierNsengiyumva, stand out as two of the most impactful courses I have taken. Like many students, I went into theseclassesexpectingthemtobe challenging and, at times, overwhelming. Instead, I found myself genuinely enjoying the content. Both professors have a way of presenting complex mechanisms in a visual and intuitive manner that makes the material click. Rather than memorizing reactions, I felt like I was truly understanding how and why they worked. What made these experiences even more meaningful was the ability to connect with both professors outside of class. Beyond the classroom, I have had the chance to connect with them around campus, and I even play pickleball with Professor Nsengiyumva, which is something Iwilltrulymiss.
Another professor who has had a majorimpactonmytimeatHopkins is Professor Peter Beilenson. I first tookhiscourseinPolicy,Politicsand Public Health and later had the privilege of working with him as a teaching assistant (TA). His classes are incredibly engaging and discussion-driven, and he has a unique ability to connect course concepts to real-world issues in a way that feels both relevant and thought-provoking. He brings an incredibledepthofknowledgeabout both politics and public health, but what stands out most is how approachable and supportive he is. Beingabletoworkalongsidehimas a TA gave me a new perspective on teaching and mentorship, and it is an experience I will carry with me movingforward.
One of the most surprising highlights of my coursework was IntroductiontoFictionandPoetryI with Professor Jane Lewty. As someone who has primarily focused on STEM, I was unsure what to expectgoingintotheclass.However, it quickly became one of my favorites,andIcreditthatlargelyto Professor Lewty. She created an environment where everyone felt comfortable sharing ideas, and class discussions were consistently engaging and thoughtful. I found myself looking forward to reading and writing each week, which was not something I anticipated at the start. The class pushed me to think in new ways and appreciate perspectives that I had not previouslyconsidered,anditbecame a refreshing contrast to my more technicalcoursework.
I also want to recognize Professor ReidMumfordforhisroleinPhysics Lab I and II. Lab courses can sometimes feel disjointed, but his were incredibly well organized and purposeful. Each experiment felt intentional, and there was a clear emphasis on understanding the underlying concepts rather than simplycompletingprocedures.Ihave also really enjoyed the longer conversations we have had in his office,aroundcampusorwheneverhe
would stop by the lab room, which made the experience feel evenmorepersonalandengaging.
Outside of the classroom, my experience at Hopkins has been shaped just as much by the communities and traditions that bring students together. Being a member of the club volleyball team has been one of the most defining parts of my college experience. Over the past four years, I have had the opportunity to serve in various leadership positions, including president, vice president and captain, and eachrolehasallowedmetogrow as both a leader and a teammate. Some of my favorite memories come from traveling across the country to compete at Nationals and winning the East Coast Championship my sophomore year.Atthesametime,itisoften the smaller moments that stand out the most, like practices, team mixers and simply spending time together.
Beyond organized activities, some of my favorite experiences have come from everyday moments on campus.Playingspikeballorgrass volleyball with friends on sunny afternoons, taking a break from studying to spend time outside and enjoying the energy of campus life have all been important parts of maintaining balance. With the demands of academics and research, those moments of connection and relaxation have been incredibly meaningful. I have also really enjoyed simple traditions with friends, like getting together and going to Ekiben each Halloween, which became something we lookedforwardtoeveryyear.
This article is abridged in print and the complete version can be foundonline.
Justin LeBlanc is graduating with a degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Public Health Studies and is from Carlsbad,Calif.
The wildest stroke of luck
Kaitlin Tan
Theweekendbeforeourfinaldayof collegeclasses,myfriendKateandI hoppedonabustoBrooklyn,N.Y.to volunteer at a literary ball. I’d been soexcitedtohearoneofmyfavorite writers give a keynote speech (and Lauren Groff’s words on the importanceofbluesandallshadesof life to the creative process were, we decided afterward, our perfect commencement speech). We spent the next day catching up with our graduatedfriendRuvi,watching The Great Gatsby on Broadway, visiting bookshops and shopping, eating delectablerameninpiledhexagonal cubbies and getting soaked to the boneinspringshowers.ThoughKate alsolovesbooksandwriting,Iknow thatshewould’vecometoNewYork withmeforanything,ballornot.So, on the bus back to Baltimore, past those lengths of plunging tunnel shadows out of Manhattan and on some tree-lined highway in New Jersey,Iwriteonfriendship.
Freshman year, I was housed with the perfect roommate. Isabel and I were both five-foot-something in a closet-sizedAMRIdorm,whichwas, thoughinnoworldideal,alogistical windfall. But more importantly, we bewildered each other throughout the year with how similar we were. We were from opposite sides of the world, her desert to my ocean, but we’d never before met anyone we shared more in common with, in temperament,friendshipandfamily. Thoughalsofundamentallyopposite inourstudies,herComputerScience
to my Writing Seminars, we’d both dedicated ourselves to the stubborn joyofpuzzlingoutdifficultquestions in the hopes of finding in our own language a solution. She epitomized what I have come to admire in so many here: a restless curiosity to figure the world out, an absence of ego, an earnestness to ask any question and the serious grit to hunkerdownandgetworkdone.But perhaps what I admire most about Isabelisherdignityandhonesty,how sheholdsherselfineveryconversation and commitment, in every room in suchawaythatmakesitimmediately known that she is worth the world, whichsheis.
I told Lilah, my next Computer Sciencefriend,thatsheremindedme of sunshine, and she laughed in my face. But Lilah is the only person I know who would land in any weird situation, however terrible, and wonder aloud if a stranger was just havinganoff-day.Weacquirephrases andwordsfromthepeoplewespend time with and something so canonicallyLilahis“[Blank]woulddo that.”Weweretalkingaboutthisone daywhenwerealizedI’dadoptedthis intheoppositedirection,drenchingit insarcasmwhereLilahhadmeantit genuinely.Herversionwasoneofjoy at the wonderfully strange creatures we are, an excitement at having someone’sactionslineupsoperfectly with what you’d predict based on their character. She’s the only one whowouldgooutofherwaytotrya nasty-sounding flavor like chickenkimchi-cabbage milkshakes just because she can’t imagine it and wantstofigureoutifshelikesit.Few people find such delight in empathy toward people and things alike. So, sorry to say it again, and in writing, butLilah,despiteyourexcellenttaste for grungy raw unproduced indie music,youarestillfullofsunshine.
Gabby, my Computer Engineering and notComputerSciencefriend(this,I’mtold, is an important distinction), is the first personItextwhenIwanttograbcoffeeor food.We’vehadmorethanourbargained shareofmorningKitschruns,afternoons spent languidly not studying at Good NeighborandimpromptuTamber’sa
dinners. My time with her is always the highlight of my day. There is something so grounding and safe about being around someone who you can trust to be honest and accepting no matter what. She’s the first person I run off to a movie with after any inkling of a bad day. I scared her in the kitchen in the early morning a couple weeks ago, stumbling in for a water with an antihistamine in my mouth and garbling something incongruent, trying not to startle her and startling her all the more — and asIwentbacktobed,Icouldnot stop laughing. With her, the world feels awfully simple; it’s one where we deserve fun and patience and a listening ear, where there are such things as the kindness of people and hard work paying off, and after spending any amount of time with Gabby, I find myself leaving with much more faith that there isgoodintheworld.
And now Kate, who is sleeping acrosstheaislefrommeaswedrive beneath cloudy Delaware skies. I didn’t have a single writing friend beforestudyingabroadinRome,and I came back with a Writing Seminars family. There is no one whose life has mirrored my own quite as much as hers, from family structures to books to riding the hyphen of science and humanities. Tosharetimewithanyoneatallisa gift.Buttobepresentwithsomeone, to be able to bring your whole self andknowtherewillalwaysbespace and grace for you, is the wildest strokeofluck.
We just came through another long tunnel. Silvery, overcast daylight fills the bus once more. We’re almost back to Baltimore now, and how lucky am I to say, at least once more, that I’m almostbackhome.
Kaitlin Tan is graduating with a degree in Writing Seminars and Cognitive Science and is from Manila,Philippines.Sheisaformer VoicesEditorfor TheNews-Letter.
Congratulations, Lissette!
Congratulations! We are so proud of your amazing achievements and who you’ve become. Wishing you success and happiness in your next journey! Love, Mom and Dad.
Congratulations on your graduation! This is a truly meaningful milestone and a reflection of your hard work, dedication and determination. You have such a bright and promising future ahead. Love, Stacy.
Lissette, you’re funny and happy even when you are perplexed and in the midst of making quite complex decisions. Your willingness to accept responsibility depicts a maturity beyond your years. Love, Nancy and Donald.
Congratulations, Eden Weiss!
CONGRATULATIONS EDEN!!!
From our Little Princess to a Queen, ready to embark on the world - we cannot wait to see what you do next!!! Dream, believe and achieve - WE LOVE YOU!!! Mom and Dad
Congratulations, Shannon!
Congratulations Shannon on this incredible milestone! Your future is bright, and it’s yours to create. Wherever life takes you, hold onto your values, your passions, and the people who matter most. We love you and are so very proud! Love, Mom, Dad, Jack Connor and Nonnie
My dear Erika, witnessing your journey from point A to point B with such distinction is truly remarkable. As you close this chapter and start a new phase in life, I wish you all the best. I am extremely proud of you. Keep shining like the star you are!
Congratulations!
Love, Dad
Congratulations, AlexJeffords!
Curious is the one word everyone has used to describe you ever since you were little. That curiosity, along with your hard work and determination, has brought you to this incredible milestone, and we couldn't be prouder. As you move into your next chapter, remember:
"Go confidently in the directions of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." – Henry David Thoureau.
We cannot wait to see where your curiosity takes you.
Love, Mom, Dad, Sophia
Congratulations, MaxHsu!
Congratulations on your Graduation. We are very proud of you and know you will do very well in the future. Love, Mom Mom & Pop
Congratulations, Sofía!
We are so proud of you!
Love you! Titi, Pete, Gaby, Daddy and Mama!
Congratulations,Ido!
Dearest Ido,
Congratulations on your big day. We are all so proud of you and of everything you achieved. We can't wait to see what the future holds for you, since the sky is definitely not your limit. We love you to the moon and back, Aba, Ima, Yoav and Gilad
Congratulations Sonny! Your tireless perseverance has brought you to this horizon, turning dreams into reality. Graduation is just the prologue to the incredible life you'll build. Seeing the man you've become is our greatest joy. We love you and can't wait to see your next adventure unfold!
With lots of love, Mom, Dad, Sunjay & Viva
Congratulations, Daphne!
So Proud of You, Daphne — Class of 2026! From your first day at Johns Hopkins to this proud graduation moment, you’ve amazed us every step of the way. Your curiosity, resilience, and heart inspire us more than you know. We love you endlessly and are so proud to call you our daughter. Love always, Your Parental Units
An UN-expected experience: why I’m glad I joined HopMUN
Joining the Model United Nations (Model UN) was nowhere in my planswhenIcametoHopkins.Idid Mock Trial in high school and wantedtocontinueitincollege,but asIwaswaitinginlineforthethrift shop at the end of my freshman orientation week, a girl behind me started chatting and we got onto the topic of HopMUN. She talked about her experience on the Hopkins Model UN (HopMUN) team, hooking me with the perk of free travel. Despite not knowing a thing about what students do in ModelUN,Idecidedtogiveitatry. Iwenttotheirjeopardyinformation session, where I was overwhelmed withapeculiarmixofstudentsfrom the STEM, humanities and interdisciplinary fields. But what was shared across this group was a clear sense of community and “hyperactivity” that both intimidated and excited me. Soon, afterauniqueinterviewprocessand a funny welcome to the club, I found myself at weekly trainings with other new freshmen, learning the ins and outs of conferences, General Assembly committees and crisisarcs.
By the time my first conference arrived over Halloweekend, I still hadnoideawhatIwasgettinginto, but I was enthusiastic to figure it out. I was lucky enough to be in a committee paired with another first-yearHopMUNmember,Arusa, whowouldsoonbecomeoneofthe a
defining people of my college experienceatHopkins.Theconference was a blast. From then on, I grew closer to the team’s upperclassmen, bonded with my fellow first-year “NIC” class and traveled to so many places I’d never expected: D.C., Montreal, Chicago, Boston, Williamsburg and Philadelphia throughout my four years. I simultaneously developed skills with each training and conference that helpedmegrowinotherareasofmy life, including public speaking, presenting, improvisation and networking.Asasophomore,Ibecame a Training Director for the team, whereIgottoconnectwithourclub members on a closer level and eventually joined Arusa as an Exec memberourjunioryear!
Throughtheyears,I’vebeensolucky tomeetandwelcomesomanyspecial people to HopMUN who have made our team feel like a home. Each conference leaves me with countless fondmemoriesandfunnystoriesthat remind me how much I love our communityandthesupportwehave for one another. Whether I’m newly connecting with a member on the teamIhaven’thadthechancetotalk with before or going on my fourth conference trip with a fellow HopMUNveteran,I’malwayslearning newthingsabouteveryone.Spending four days traveling and bunking together at a conference hotel is undeniablyabondingexperience!
One of my favorite memories was attending Boston University’s Boston Area Model United Nations Conferenceinthefallofmysophomore year, where our delegation was just a small group of four. We spent the weekend both working hard on the committeeandgoingonsidequeststo explorethecafes,marketsandBoston's foodculture.Whenanyworriescame up,wecalledourteam’sPresidentand Treasurer for advice, staying on the phonetogethertochatabouthowthe conferencewasgoing.BeinginModel UN for four years has felt like an accumulation of all these small yet significant, wholesome moments that fillmylifewithnovelty,adventureand chosenfamily.
Model UN became so much more to methanlearninghowtodelegateand write resolutions at a conference. It became a family I looked forward to seeingandtrainingwitheveryweek.It became a group of people with so many different backgrounds, stories andfutureswhoIlovedtravelingwith. It became the first community I tell people about when describing my Hopkins experience. And for all the people on our HopMUN team who gave me such a loving community at this university, I’d like to make a motionofthanks.YoumadeHopkinsa homeforme.
Kayla Rabey is graduating with a degree in English and Environmental ScienceandisfromSacramento,Calif.
Impostor syndrome as a chronic disease: from freshman year to graduation
Kylah Chacko
Collegehasgivenmemanythings, one of which is a chronic disease. Not one that can be diagnosed or treated with medication, but one that quietly influences how you seeyourself:impostorsyndrome.
For many of us, impostor syndrome didn’t begin in college, butitbecameimpossibletoignore oncewearrivedoncampus.When I opened my acceptance letter to Hopkins, it was proof that the voices limiting me were never correct. If we struggled with selfdoubt, that acceptance letter was validation that we not only deservedit,butearnedit.Atleast, that’s what I believed at the time. However, as my first year at Hopkins came to an end, the validation I had gained through receivingthatletterstartedtofeel less like proof and more like a mistakewaitingtobeexposed.
Being surrounded by some of the world’s smartest students, I assumed I was the least of them. People say impostor syndrome freshmanyearisnormal,butwhat they don’t talk about is what it feels like to become the disease and let it start shaping every aspectofyourself.Frominsideand outside of the classroom, it followed me into conversations, introductions and the way I carried myself, as if there was something I had to prove before I could exist in the space. Impostor a
syndrome was no longer a temporary condition of freshman year,butachronicmentalitythat surpassed every feeling of accomplishment. When my professorsaddressedtheclassand said,“You’reallHopkinsstudents, I know you’re smart,” I assumed they were speaking to everyone butme.WhenIhadsomethingto say during class discussion, I would rehearse it in my head until the moment passed, convinced that whatever I added would only confirm what I already suspected: that I didn’t belong in the conversation. I waitedfouryearsfortheimpostor syndrometopass,andintruth,it neverdid.
Over time, that doubt stopped beingsomethingIfeltandstarted becoming something I believed. I slowly started to accept that maybe I would always be reduced toacertainimpressionthatthose who did not know me well saw. Maybe I was too quiet in class, which meant I had nothing valuable or insightful to offer. Maybe it was my style, which meant that everything meaningful about me could not surpass the superficial. Or maybe it was being a minority, which meant that there would never be a place for me in the room I wantedtobein.
AtHopkins,everyoneissmartuntil proven otherwise. Somewhere withinthatnarrative,Ihavealways foundmyselftobetheexception.I believed I was unintelligent until proven otherwise. As the past four years went by, I discovered I was not a special case. Many of us convinced ourselves we were the exception,andmanyofusarestill waiting for the day that feeling goes away. But impostor syndrome is not something we can graduate from. In fact, it might be something we continue to carry with our degrees, ambitions and our quiet suspicion that somehow we’ve fooled everyone. I thought if
I got good grades or the best internship, or stacked my resume, it would go away. I thought that college would cure me of the diseaseithadgivenme.
Now I realize that maybe the lesson of college isn’t curing it, but instead learning to question it. Because the voice that tells us we don’t belong doesn’t disappear when we leave, it just follows us into new rooms, new opportunities, new beginnings. And maybe the point isn’t to silence that voice completely, but tostopbelievingit.
Somewhere along the way, without realizing it, I did prove something. I proved that I was strong enough to not only withstand the many negative ideas that can begin to manifest in new environments, but also challengethem.IspokeinroomsI once felt unworthy to enter. I sought out new experiences and studied not only in Baltimore but also in Morocco and D.C. I created spaces for the version of myself who once felt lost and overwhelmed. I became, in small ways,whatIhadonceneeded.
Thevoiceisstillthere.Itstillshows up in unfamiliar rooms and new challenges,butitnolongerhasthe sameauthority.Itnolongergetsthe final say. And maybe that’s what it means to move forward: not leaving thedoubtbehind,butlearningthat itwasnevertellingthetruthinthe first place. As we graduate, we may still carry that uncertainty with us. Butwealsocarryfouryearsofproof. Proofthatweshowedup,stayedand grew into the very spaces we thoughtwedidn’tdeserve.
And maybe that’s enough to start believing that we were never impostorstobeginwith.
Kylah Chacko is graduating with a degree in International Studies and History and is from from Leawood, Kan.
Congratulations, Daphne García-López!
¡Felicidades, Daphne! ¡Sigue alcanzando todos tus sueños! Nosotros te apoyaremos siempre. ¡Te queremos mucho! ~Tu famila
Congratulations, AJ!
We are so extremely proud of you. As you start this next chapter, may God continue to guide your steps and light your path. We love you, Mami, Papi and Nicky
Tessa, we are so very proud of you for your momentous, once in a lifetime achievement! You worked so hard for this, and your hard work will continue to reward you all your life. You deserve all the credit and accolades! We love you! –Dad, Mom, and Rey
We are proud beyond measure and adore you endlessly! Love, Mom, Dad, Izzy, Jools, Madd, Nana and the FL aunts/uncles/cousins Congratulations, Marina!
I preface this essay by saying that there isn't such a thing as a bad movie. A movie could have lackluster cinematography, poor characterization, ill-fitting music, an incoherent plot or the most desaturated color palette and still not be a bad movie. It only becomes a bad one when the denouement of the movie does not offset sacrificing three hours of time that could be spent working, which is such a Hopkins way to characterize a movie. These bad movies have become the hallmark of my time at Hopkins, and in a strange way, the workload at Hopkins and the resources that it provides have facilitated my perusal of these movies.
If I want to see a movie, the first thing I do is look up the Letterboxd ratings. I laugh at the quippy oneliners, skim the wannabe film critic commentary and note the general sentiment of the reviews. Average rating3.5?Nope,Imightactuallylike the movie. Average rating 2.7, and if I squint,Icanseeitsterriblepotential?
Fitting for a night of procrastinating on the eight-page paper due in two days. The more pressing and important the deadline, the higher the potential for the movie to disappoint me. Always ready to join me on my bad movie watching is my friend Kayla, who watches movies on amoreregularbasisthanIdo.
The Collegetown Shuttle is the holy grail for bad movie watching — it connectsHopkinstotheTowsonTown Center,whosefoodcourtisperfectfor snagging a Chick-Fil-A sandwich to smuggle into the movie theater. On the way to the cinema, Kayla and I talk about our expectations for the movie. We're usually hoping for an emptytheatersothatwecanverbalize our ongoing disbelief and get some cheaplaughsintheprocess.Thethirty minutes of trailers help in setting the moodforourprocrastinationtobegin as we look out for even worse movies to watch (we're looking at you, The SheepDetectives).
Then, it's time for the movie. For the most part, it is what we expect. Sometimes it is a romp and a half (like when we saw Him and wondered why anyone would ever hate on such a campy film) or a middling, uneventful movie (Reminders of Him and that awful synth cover of Yellow comes to mind). It could be the best movie ever made(JenniferLopezwasastarin Kiss of the Spider Woman, and there is a reasonwhyitisinmyLetterboxdTop4) or, in the words of my friend Kayla, "literalshitfromabutt"(EmeraldFennel deservestopayfortheunforgivablesin of turning Wuthering Heights into a salaciously bland romance between CathyandHeathcliff).
My favorite part of bad movie watching is the trip back home. We have been enlightened, and as bad movie connoisseurs, we have to give ouropinionsonamoviethatwehad
nodirectorialinputover.Onthatbus ride home, we are cinematographers, producers, screenwriters and movie buffs. We are eagerly updating our Letterboxd profiles with one-liner reviews of the movie (“You’re laughing. Two dumb bitches are telling each other exactly and you’re laughing”) and ripping these movies to shreds by wondering why they wouldmakethis.
But deep down, we love the thrill of seeingabadmovie.AtHopkins,weare primed to seek out greatness in everything, which is not wrong, but it leaves no room for imperfections or failure.Thesebadmoviesremindusthat therearepeopleouttherewhoarestill pursuingtheirpassionsandcreatingart inaworldthatisimperfectanddifficult to navigate. And it affords us great comfort when Kayla and I walk back home and open up our computers, readytostarttheworkwesoeasilyput behind us to watch Emerald Fennell dress up Jacob Elordi in a costume to give him a more-than-uncanny resemblancetoJesus.
It’sbeenanamazingtwoyearshereat Hopkins,andit’ssadtobegraduating when I just got here, but I’m glad to have been able to see some duds becauseofmytimehere.
Lesley Kwarteng is graduating with a degree in Chemistry and is from Elgin, Ill. When he isn't watching bad movies, he plays Quiz Bowl and is involved in musicaltheater.
Aug.20,2022.6p.m.
Your masterpiece was always messy
upatthecrimson-redskyasthehorizon expanded. The air got cooler, my breathingslowedandtheclenchinmy stomachsuddenlyceased.Theworldgot abitwider,butIdidn’tquiteseethebig picturethatday.
“Settled in? Welp, see ya in October!” was what I thought my dad said, walking off to the car. The next second, I was standing alone on a humid, cool summer’s night in front ofAMRI.Alone.
Based on the days I’ve sobbed at week-long summer camp, I expected the transition would be harsh for a homebound boy like me. Heck, not even half of what I had to take on had really crashed down on me. Careers. Projects. Laundry. Research. Keeping a clean room and studying and finding new friends and studying and possibly your first date. Allcrammedintofouryears.
From the stories, I assumed that to thrive in college, you had to be a non-stop happy machine. You needed to be at the big games. You had to attend the formals. You had to head out to bars, win every scholarship, keep up a 4.0 and become the single most connected person on campus. You had to live and not just exist, which is easier saidthandone.
But to quote one Veronica Sawyer, “If you were happy all the time, you’d be a game show host,” and we allknowprimetimeisoutofstyle.
The weird thing is, I didn’t crumble or fret at the fact that my protectors for 18 years suddenly jumped ship: I felt... calm. I looked aa
Flashforward.Dec.21,2025.10p.m.
Ireturnedhomefromafour-hourdrive fromBinghamton,N.Y.Wehopedtosee stars upstate, but the clouds covered mostoftheshow.That’swhenmyeyes lookedupabovemysuburbia,wherewe (ironically) saw a partial view of the twinkling lights we sought over the weekend.IthadbeenawhilesinceIsaw thesky,butthegapingabysslookedas expansiveasever,evenlarger.
Icontinuedtostareintotheendlesssea of stars, a sea of dust, peppered on a dark mast. You expect each day of college to be a supernova, a barreling rocket of explosive change that burns brightforamillennium.Inreality,each daywasmorelikeaspeckofdust.
The speck of hot pot with your roommateafteralongdayofwork.
The speck of helping a friend master organicpathwaysandmechanisms.
The speck of long, dreary nights in the (former) Milton S. Eisenhower Library and the victory lap of walking out of yourlastfinal.
Thespeckofweighingyouranimalsand watching them remain healthy across theweek.
The speck of a last-minute Christmas Villageadventure,warmwinestreaming downyourthroat.
ANDYBATEMAN/CCBY-NC-SA2.0
The specks of attending a live performance, walking down the National Mall, watching Marty Supreme at midnight, catching an orange furry friend strolling down the street, wandering the Rotunda while the shuttle arrives, seeing the trees bloom in springtime... even if those specks aren’t whisked by the algorithm or broadcast around the world.
That speck snowballs into the other 1,456, which implodes across a canvas. It’s dusty, cloudy and no jigsaw piece, but it settled there anyway. And now, you work with what you have, stitching together the story you never thought you heldinyourhands.
As the sky widened that night, I finally saw the painting that I had managed to muster. One of mundanemornings,seasonalslumps, quiet acquaintances and small moments of triumph. Of academic achievement and growth by your own terms. Of the four years that rushed by so fast, you hope to hold ontothemforthenextfour.
I looked at a masterpiece of my own making, not the perfect pictures of the past. I expected the sun would set too fast, to leave me without a glimmer of what I was meant to become.
But here I was with my self-portrait: a little speck of dust floating in the foreverunknown.
Maxwell Rho is graduating with a degree in Behavioral Biology and a minor in Writing Seminars and is fromManhasset,N.Y.
From neuroscience to film: becoming me (again)
Amaiya Santiago
Let’sstartatthebeginning.
Theyearis2021.DuaLipaisatthetopof theBillboard100.I’mahighschoolsenior, sitting in my kitchen, hitting submit on myfinalcollegeapplications;theknotin my stomach is teaching itself tongue twisters, and I am deathly afraid of the impendingtransitionintoadultlife.
Theyearisnow2022,post-Oscarsslap.My namehasbeencalledand,whilesweating slightlyinmycapandgown,I’mcrossing thestageatgraduation.I’vebeenaccepted intoHopkinsasaneurosciencemajor.Life is looking promising, and I am deathly afraid of the impending transition into adultlife.
Theyearis2026.Iamasenioragain,but thistimeasanundergraduatestudent.In about a month, I’ll be walking across anotherstageinanewcapandgownto receive a Bachelor of Arts in Film and MediaStudies—plottwist.Oh,andI’m still deathly afraid of the impending transitionintoadultlife.
Some things never change, while others drasticallydo...NeurosciencetoFilm,let’s talkaboutit.
Icameherewiththeburningdesirenotto fall into poverty. There was nothing profound in my head about breaking boundariesinscience,contributinggreatly to society or even the basic concept of providing for a family. What I had to motivatemewasnotagoaloranypositive impetus; what I had was fear and deep avoidance. To which I’d say, running on avoidancecanonlygetyousofar.
Instead of wants, I had “not-wants.” Insteadofgoals,Ihad“anti-goals.”Instead of reaching toward, I was running away from.That’swherethetroublelies.Ihad nothing to enrich my life emotionally. I wasn't passionate about what I was studying. My only aim was to pass my classes and get a decent job — aspirationalmediocrity.Ihadnodesireto excel or rise above — just complacently present. At such a demanding university as Johns Hopkins, this is a recipe for disaster. Burnout happens to even the most enthusiastic, so you can imagine whathappenedtome.
Bytheendofmyfirstsemester,Iwasin active depression. The program was lovely, and my professors were brilliant, but I stopped showing up to classes because I couldn’t reconcile my being there. My GPA lowered, and so did my self-esteem. Yet, I couldn’t let go of the concept that STEM was the only acceptablepathforme.EvenasIlooked into other fields of study, it was always the same: neuroscience to cognitive science to computer science, stubbornly tryingtojammyselflikeasquarepeginto aroundhole.
Eventually,myadvisorsteppedin.Seeing mystruggle,sheimploredmetobehonest withmyselfaboutwhatIwantedoutof myeducation.AndonceIhadsomething inmind,shesetupameetingformewith twodifferentprofessionals,offeringmean outlook on two different career paths: STEMandthearts.
ThereissomethingthatImustexplain.I have been a dancer since I was seven years old. I’ve also been a dedicated thespian since middle school. I sang the alto part in choir, and when I had the blissfulnaivetyofyouth,theonlythingI wanted to be was a performer. I have always been passionate about art. However, I intended to let that part of me go quiet for the sake of stability — safetyintheabsenceofrisk,unabletofail butequallyunabletosucceed.
Meeting with the two women my advisor connected me with, I realized that, regardless of my choice, my perception had always been wrong. I wasn’tbornarichman’sson;thereisno sure,easypathtofinancialstability.Even themostpredictablefieldsaresubjectto
unforeseenchanges.Sonomatterwhat I pursued in life, there would be difficult moments. As I evaluated both lives laid out before me, the decision was clear: I’d rather struggle doing something I love than struggle doing something I hate. I’ve asked myself if I wasmakingamistake,butwhenIwake upeveryday,Icouldn’tbehappier.
ANDYBATEMAN/CCBY-NC-SA2.0
No matter how afraid I am to present myself to the world, I have to. I can’t conceive of any other way to live. When stripped of social pressures and internalized expectations, this is who I am.
As I am writing this article, I have a film set to premiere in the Parkway Theater. I have lived and worked in Los Angeles. I have attended the Creative Arts Emmys. I have had so manyexperiencesthatIthoughtwere inaccessibletome—thingsIwouldn’t dare to dream of. Yet, the life I never thoughtI’dhaveismine.
Life rewards authenticity. As I’ve changed over these four years of undergrad, I haven't changed at all. Instead of becoming someone new, I returnedtowhoIalwayswas.Ireturned to being the child who wanted to act and write and sing. I returned to the childlike audacity to persist. Even as I feel that knot somersaulting in my stomach, the most powerful thing I’ve gained in my time at Hopkins is the strength to move forward despite it, because I deserve to believe in myself. Wealldeservetobelieveinourselves.
As2026inevitablyturnsinto2027andthe yearsgoonfromthere,Idon’texpectto ever lose that tinge of fear toward new experiences. It’s natural to hold apprehensionabouttheunknown,butI amalsogrowingtodelightinit.Growth is uncomfortable. As I grow as a person and within my career, there will be growing pains, but that also means that somethingexcitingiswaitingjustaround thecorner.
When I first joined PILOT as a student, I expected it to feel like a lot of other academic, tutor-like settings: quiet,alittletenseandmostlyfocused ongettinganswersright.
Itwasn’t.
I have found that the most effective moments are usually when a student is thinking out loud, unsure and willing to keep going anyway.
Brandon LeBlanc
I.Clubvolleyball
Winning the East Coast Collegiate Volleyball Association Championships for the first time in the history of the Hopkins Men’s Club Volleyball program was incredible. I can never forgetthemassiveupsetandthecrowd lining the court, cheering as our team beat some of the best teams in the countrytowinitall.
But you know what might be better?
The Raising Cane’s after. We didn’t even wait to shower. We drove straight there in full uniform, smelling like a musty, old volleyball gym, ordering enough chicken tenders to feed a whole army. This was not just a celebration, but a tradition. We did it after every tournament, win or lose. It was a break from thinking about lineups and staying in the tournament: just eating greasy (but tasty) chicken fingersandfriesandmakingjokes.
My best friends came from this team. Three practices a week, tournaments almosteveryweekend.Alotofthemwere outofstate,whichmeantroadtrips,plane ridesandalotoftimespenttogether.
Even when my identical twin brother Justin and I turned down D1 offers, there are no regrets. Club volleyball at Hopkins was serious, giving me the opportunitytocompeteagainstthebest teamsinthecountryatthehighestlevel while still having the flexibility to pursue the academic, research and clinical opportunities that brought me toHopkinsinthefirstplace.
I still remember being pulled into a namegameatthestartofasession— everyone scribbling their name on a piece of paper, tossing it into a Giant plastic bag for picking and then suddenly being responsible for remembering someone else’s new identity.Itwaschaoticandcompletely unrelated to calculus. But it worked. Within minutes, people who hadn’t said a word were laughing, calling things out and actually paying attention to each other. It made the rest of the session feel different, less like a place where you had to prove you understood everything and more like a space where everyone was learning and figuring things out as theywent.
When I became a PILOT leader, I found myself coming back to that similar idea. I still start sessions with the name game, and it plays out almostthesameeverytime:hesitation at first, then noise, then energy. And once that barrier is gone, everything elsefeelsmoreapproachable.
That’s what I’ve come to enjoy most about teaching. It’s not just explaining content but rather shaping the environment people learn in. When a session feels more open, people are so much more willingtotry,toaskquestionsandto stay engaged even when things are confusinganddifficult.
That interest carried into my role as a Teaching Assistant for Organic ChemistryI&II.Inadifferentsetting, witharguablyhigherstakes,thegoalis still the same: help students understand material that can feel overwhelmingandgivethemthespace to work through it without shutting themdown,oftenwithsomejokesand fun involved. Whether it’s answering questions outside of class or guiding problem-solvingindiscussionsections,
ANDYBATEMAN/CCBY-NC-SA2.0
I am grateful for PILOT because it didn’t just help me understand calculus or organic chemistry — it showed me how much of a significant difference the right environment can make. Cultivating a fun, energetic and informative environment is something I have learned to bring into every teaching opportunity.
III. Leading with Blue Key Blue Key Society is the Hopkins student admissions organization, where I became a tour guide for prospective and admitted students. No two tours are the same. If you’re anything like me, at some point you might have a guest suffer a medical emergency midtour, a parent interrogating you deeply about your Friday night plans or a fifth-grade elementary student asking what he should do now to get admitted into Hopkins in the future.
Beyond the chaos, it’s one of the most rewarding opportunities I’ve had at Hopkins. There’s a real enjoyment in talking to prospective students, answering their questions and giving them a genuine sense of what life here actually looks like. I love Hopkins, and being able to share my experiences — the academics, the incredible research, the clinical opportunities, the tight-knit community, including with the professors — (and hopefully help someone make one of the biggest decisions of their life) makes every tour worth it. And without even realizing it, you get really comfortable talking to people, handling curveball questions and scenarios, and thinkingonyourfeet.
Brandon LeBlanc is graduating with a degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Public Health Studies and is from San Diego,Calif.
Congratulations, Zachary "Zoobie" Tung!
Congratulations! We are proud of you and all your accomplishments. Can't wait to see what's next! We love you to the moon and back.
Mom & Dad
Congratulations, Sophia!
We are so proud of you! May all of your dreams come true! We can’t wait to see what you will do next.
Love, Mom, Emma, Zach, Babcia, and Dzia Dzia
Congratulations, Tyler Lehrfeld!
Congratulations, Max Boger!
Dearest Max, We are proud of (but not surprised by) all you’ve achieved in the past 4 years! With your talents and tenacity you have laid the groundwork for a future full of amazing opportunities and experiences. Approach life with an open mind and never stop learning! We love you!
Dad, Mom and Maddy
Congratulations, Maria!
Congratulations Tyler on this amazing achievement! We are so very proud of you. Here's to new adventures and a bright future.
Love, Mom Dad & Owen
What an impressive accomplishment! Your dedication, resilience, and hard work have paid off. We're so proud of the person you’ve become and all you’ve achieved. The future is yours — go forward with confidence and enjoy every single day! We love you to the moon and back!
Congratulations, Ramón!
Congratulations Ramón on your graduation from Johns Hopkins. We are so proud of you and all you have achieved. Wishing you the very best as you begin a new exciting chapter. With all our love, your family.
Congratulations, Gianna Murphy!
So proud of you! This is an amazing achievement and you should be proud of yourself, too. Your hard work, focus and determination in addition to your beautiful spirit will continue to light the world. We love you more than we can even say! All our love, Mom, Dad, Ricky, Renee, Rick, and Ryan! XOXOXO
Congratulations, Mylie!
CONGRATULATIONS MYLIE!!! Your family is so proud of you and we see the amazing woman you have become. There is NOTHING you cannot do… NOTHING you cannot overcome… and NOTHING you cannot accomplish. We love you. GO GET’EM!!!
Congratulations, Tanti!
You are off to a great start! Continue to Soar! You did it! With love and immense pride, the Felli and FadluDeen Families
Congratulations, Cameron Fields!
Mazel Tov on this big accomplishment in your education. We are very proud of you!
Love, Mom, Dad, Coby and Sam
Congratulations, Simren Shah!
Dear Simren,
Congratulations on your graduation! Your hard work, dedication and resilience brought you here. What a proud and remarkable achievement. Wishing you continued success and a bright future ahead. Lots of love Semony, Mom, Dad, Grandparents & Lucky!! Congratulations,
From "Bob the Builder, can we fix it?" to Mr. Fix-It Mechanical Engineer. Congratulations! Enjoy this moment. We love you.
Congratulations, Benjamin Casino!
With grit in his way, He figures things out day by day. Resourceful and kind, His mom is more proud than words can say.
Congratulations, Shreya!
Our hearts overflow with pride, as you reach this shining day. Each challenge met with courage, curiosity lighting the way. With quiet strength you grew, and inspired us all to believe. Step boldly into this new chapter— climb high, dream wide, achieve. Congratulations, always loved, forever cheering you through. We cannot wait to witness all the wonders you will do.
Love, Mom and Dad
BrendanCongratulations,Hellman!
Congratulations on your graduation from Johns Hopkins. We are so proud of you! We love you! Reach for the stars! Congratulations, Hannah West!
We are incredibly proud of your hard work, dedication, and perseverance. This graduation is a beautiful milestone and the start of an exciting future. Keep believing in yourself and reaching for your dreams. We will always support and cheer you on. We love you so much!
Congratulations, Emilia Gonzalez!
Congratulations Emilia... We Are SOOOOO Proud Of You!!! You Are Our FAVORITE CHILD!!!
Congratulations, Ryan Freund!
Congratulations Ryan on graduating with Honors in both Molecular and Cellular Biology and Physics and the William D. McElroy Award. We are so proud of you! Love, Mom & Dad, Jimpa & Barbara, and Grandma & David.
Shreya Tiwari
Of the 45 pieces I’ve written for TheNews-Letter, every single one is written about or with love. Love as in passion to share my opinions; love as in the desire to talk about the science that I fell in love with; love for family, roommates, friends new and old, for moments remembered. What makes it easy is being surrounded by love constantly — I would not have the strength to write so deeply about my life were it not for the sheer capacity for love that can be found in my friends and family. It is this repertoire and the lessons I’ve learned from my loved ones in the past three years that qualify me to write, as my final goodbye to the paper and to the University, my own formal definition for love, in all its forms.
Love is impatient. Love is double texts, phone calls answered mid-nap or Brody Reading Room cram sessions. Love is knocking at Claire’s door to make sure she’s awake for our café run. Love is “I can’t wait to see you” exchanged between me and my beloved suffering readers, our quartet of high school friendsturned-sisters. It is “come over as soon as you can, I have a drink I really want you to try,” and “let’s get there early; I want to leave as soon as possible, so hurry up!” It is the desire to be surrounded by people who make hours spent together pass by in a blur; it is counting down the seconds until yougettoseethemagain.
A treatise on love
Loveisinconvenient.It’smidnighttripsto the Medstar emergency room, taking selfieswithClairewhileshe’sgettinganIV dripandmass-orderingelectrolytepowder onInstacartforhertousethenextday.It’s Claire making me hot tea with honey when I’m sick and asking if it’s sweet enough.It’spickingupanextramealfrom Levering during sophomore year because my old suitemate hadn’t eaten anything thatday.ItisstayinginClarkHalluntil3 a.m., running tests on incredibly stinky goat liver with my old design team; it’s takingbreaksinbetweentestingroundsto GrubHubmomosfromHarborTandooror paneer pizza from Kohinoor. It’s staying back at print night until Buse and Lana finishreadingtheverylastnewspieceand checking layouts on broken-down iMacs untilmyvisionblurs.
Loveisanimposition.Itisalwaysshowing upwithasnack,whetherit’sbrowniesat Derek’spop-upcaféoranextraservingof asnackmyfriendslovetopowerthrough ComputationalCardiologystudysessions. It’sPrishaandIbakingacardamomolive oilcakewithcandiedorangestocelebrate AlpfinishinghisMCAT.It’sHassanandI synchronizing our schedules to plan an Olive Garden catering party; it’s eating mediocre pasta with buttery breadsticks because we all want to capture some of thenostalgiaofthefirstmemorieswehad withit.It’sNehatakingtwohours'worth oftrainsuptoBaltimorejusttocelebrate mybirthdaywithme.
Withallthesecharacteristics,Iarriveat my final definition for love. It’s like weeds:onceitsrootshavebeenplanted, itwillneverleaveyou.Myclosestfriends now are the ones I met in my first aaaaaa
monthshere;theyentangledtheirroots withmyownfromourveryfirstweeks together. They have buried themselves intoeveryfacetofmylife,fromtrauma bondsformedinsophomoreyearclasses to late-night conversations on beanbag chairs, hugging our stuffed animals to our chests. They have infected me with theirpassionforfood,forcoffee,forart, for experiencing everything possible in ourlimitedtimetogether.
Thisinfestationisevidentineverything I own: every gift, every birthday card, even half of the seasonings in my kitchencabinet,comesfrommyfriends. Mymostdefiningpersonalitytraitshave flourished because of them — they are the co-conspirators on my 10-week Beli streak and the enablers of my debilitating addiction to eclectic caffeinated beverages. They are the recipients of every new recipe because, apparently, my love language is overfeeding the people I care most about.Theyhavefollowedmefrom19to 20 to 21 and have left no doubt in my mind that they will be by my side as I walkacrossthegraduationstageandin thewallsofmynewapartmentwhenI start my first “big-girl” job in June. I carrythemwithmewhereverIgo.
Sotomyfriendswhobecamefamily— thank you for making my life so beautifully inconvenient. I am undeniably happy to be stuck with you,forever.You’renotridofmeyet.
Shreya Tiwari is graduating with a degreeinBiomedicalEngineeringand is from Austin, Texas. She is a former ManagingEditorforTheNews-Letter.
The prompt for this article feels so on the nose for me, as I have had a page on my notes app this semester of all my items to complete before senior year comes to an end. The list was dominated by restaurants, cafes and bakeries I somehow never made it to in the past three and a half years, possibly because I didn’t want to spend the extra money or take a shuttle. However, I’m now realizing that missing out on these Baltimore staples is scarier than losing five dollars on a pastry. When this realization hit, I momentarily freaked out. A whole bucket list to get done in a handful of weeks? After I took a step back, I recognized that the list is supposed to be fun, and that’s all I can really ask for with the dwindling moments left in college. So, here are some ideas I have completed, written down and never got to or heard recommended by others and think could be awesome to help you set up the best senior year ever.
7Take the train to Washington, D.C. to see the cherry blossoms during their peak bloom in late March. Even if you have been in the past years, this makes for an awesome weekend or day trip to get away from the stress of Hopkins. If you feel like you do need to get some studying done, the multilevel SAIS building offers one of the coolest study environments. While you’re in D.C., go shopping in Georgetown,tryfoodatthefamous spots and wander around the nationallandmarks.
8AttendtheHopkinslacrossegames against Loyola or UMD. I may be biased about these events as a Sports Editor, but there’s no doubt that the school spirit and action packed into these games will be exciting. The UMD game is Homecoming,andtheLoyolagame is Battle for Charles Street. If you feel like Hopkins has no school spirit,letthefans'cheeringinsoldout stands prove you wrong. Don’t worry if you don’t know anything about lacrosse; the energy is infectious. On the most basic level, if we put the ball in the opposing team'snet,that’sgood!
9Watch the sunrise or sunset with your friends. I can’t thinkof a more peaceful start to your morning or a gorgeous way to end the day. You canchooseapicturesquespotorjust goonthebalconyofyourapartment. If the latter, you can even integrate somebakingofsweettreatsintothe nightorplaysomegames.
Try to at least complete one, and have anamazingyear!
Talia Lehrer is graduating with a degree in Neuroscience from Merion, Pa.SheisaformerSportsEditorfor The News-Letter.
Congratulations, Jennifer Gissel Izaguirre Martinez!
Dear Jenny, Savor this special milestone moment, you earned it! Keep dreaming - we'll always be cheering you on. We couldn't be prouder of you graduating with honors from Hopkins. We love you, Mom, Dad, Kyle & Krystal
Congratulations,Kaitlin!
You have achieved so much in your four years at Hopkins and remained grounded, inspired and giving. You are AMAZING! Insanely proud of you!
Continue to pursue things that bring you joy.
I’ll be first in line for your book signing. Love you so much!
Mom
Congratulations,JohnMichaelCole!
We are incredibly proud of you! This remarkable achievement is a testament to your intelligence, hard work, and unwavering dedication. It’s just the beginning of your extraordinary journey. Keep pursuing your dreams, and know that we will always be here for you with love and unwavering support.
Love Always, Mom, Dad, Shawna, Jaxen, Mason, Slade, Callen, Jagger, Maverick, and Na-Na
Congratulations, Sarp Kayabas!
We are honored to be your parents. We can’t wait to see where your dreams lead you next. Thank you for making us proud. Continue striving for greatness and achieve even more of your dreams. We love you. Baban, Annen and Mert
Congratulations, Andrew!
Your hard work shines — JHU to MIT is incredible. Keep growing, stay strong, and trust yourself. Love, Mom, Dad, and David.
Congratulations, Lauren!
We couldn't be prouder of all you have accomplished. We adore who you are and who you will become. We love you, Mom, Dad, Sadie, and Charlie
Congratulations,Dan!
A path less traveled, but you persevered and finished strong! We are all proud of you and love you ! Mom, Dad, Andrew, Greg, Kobe & Rocco
Congratulations, Vedanti Bhargava!
Dear Vedanti, soon you will graduate from Johns Hopkins, and the world feels bigger and brighter because you’re stepping into it. You’ve always been the perfect mix of brilliant, kind, and witty — the only person who can win an argument and make everyone laugh at the same time. Watching you grow has been our greatest joy (and occasional cardio). Wherever you go next, remember: your mind will open doors, your heart will keep them open, and your humor will make the journey unforgettable. We are endlessly proud of you and lucky to be your parents. Now go shine, and always keep your humor alive.
Congratulations, Lily Wheeler!
We are so proud of all that you have accomplished and are excited to see what’s ahead!
We love you! Mom, Dad and Annabel Congratulations, Nicole Sanchez!
Congratulations, Sidney Kay Rucker!
We are so proud of you!!! Always remember Jeremiah 29:11, your steps are ordered! Love, Mommy, Meema, and Soda
Congratulations, Alexander Kim!
Congratulations, Alexander! All our love!
Peter, Sibylle, & Sonia
TaylorCongratulations, Chase Bynum!
We are so proud of your wisdom, perseverance, y amor por la familia. Guided by Dios and grounded in your Mexican-American roots, you inspire us all. Con mucha gratitud, te celebramos hoy y siempre.
To My Beautiful Sunflower, You’ve successfully completed another milestone in your life’s journey. I am immensely proud of the lovely young woman you’ve become in the process. Your determination and hard work are paying off. Remember this moment. Enjoy it! Keep up the incredible work! I love you dearly. Mom
Four years of unforgettable memories: a list
Tess Gallegos
Me: Hi, I’m just letting you know that my parents are staying here one more day, so I’m gonna stay with themintheirhoteltonight.
My first-year RA: Sounds good! Also,youdidn’tneedtotellmethis.
“Sorry, we told everyone they needed to bring their own calculator. We don’t have extras,” the TA said to the guy sitting next to me. Luckily, I brought two. Proud of how prepared I was for my first college exam, I handed him my spare — then bombedthetest.
I’d only been on campus a few weeks whenaprospectivestudentstoppedmeto ask how I was liking things. “Is there anythingyou’dchangeabouttheschool?” they asked. “Ummmm,” I stalled, “In the dorms,theygiveustoiletpaper,butthey don’tgiveustrashbags.Iwishtheywould sowedidn’thavetopayforthem.”
After a few months of working my first on-campus job, I emailed my boss to let her know I hadn’t gotten paid yet. She told me all the checks had been mailed. That was when I realized the third key they gave us at move-in was for a mailbox.
“I may be late, but at least I’m going,” I thought as I walked in 15 minutes late to my first-year Introductory Chemistry class. I marched to the front row, sat down, missed the chair, fell on the floor and died laughing as Professor Sunita paused her lecture to glare at me.
Calculus II, Midterm Exam 2 –Question 5: 1/10 pts. “Very very wrong approach called freshman’s dream.”
I was taking notes with one hand and checking emails with the other when I felt a tug on my phone. It was Professor Hendry. “You’ll get this back at the end of class,” He was mic’d. The lecture was being recorded. It was a 200-person class.
Enjoying my newfound college freedom, I ate an entire bag of Walmart-brand chocolate chips. I was sick for three days and missed an exam. My family calls it “the chocolate chip incident.”
I moved into my apartment during my junior year with no plans to furnish it because I thought it would makemove-outeasier.Afteraweekof
sleeping on the floor, I realized hardwood is really hard and orderedabed.
When I ordered the tool kit for my new bed frame, I accidentally sent it to the wrong address. I had to walk to some random guy’s house and ask if he’d gotten my package. Thankfully,hehad.
My friend Isabel came to visit me for the day. I got lost navigating us, so she didn’t see anything beyond campus. Instead of going to Fells Point, we spent the night watching movies on the floor of my apartment (because I didn’t have anyfurniturebeyondabed).
Later, my sister came to visit. She did the navigating, so we made it to Fells Point for lunch. We were walking around with our leftovers when a man on a bench looked at me and said, “Where’s my food? Hahahaha…Immaeatyou.”
I was chatting with someone before class when my hard-of-hearing American Sign Language teacher walked in. He pointed at me, laughed and said, “I could hear yourvoicefromdownthehall.”
I locked myself out of my apartment every year except senior year. I’m officially ready for the real world.
Tess Gallegos is graduating with a degree in Neuroscience from Magnolia,Texas.
BeforecomingtoBaltimore,Ihadno empirical idea of what “seasonal” meant, as I spent my childhood and teenage years in Fuzhou and Los Angeles — two cities that seemed to have only hot days and not-so-hot days. I still remember how deceptive the weather felt during my freshman orientation week, so pleasant and fresh, until the savage winter made me surrender to gloves and ear muffs. Till today, my emotions still follow the weather. One day, the 80degree temperature, hot air and glaring sunlight make my mood as light as a house music beat, and the other day, rain pours down, and my heart retracts to a bluish, contemplative envelope. But there is something beautiful I’ve learned in living here: to cherish the cherry blossoms and the tulips as they bloom and to feel the softness of snowflakes under my boots before theyhardenintoice.
Familiarity with a city certainly isn’t just knowing the weather. By now, I am well-versed in the landscape of Baltimore. If travelers asked me for the must-visit restaurants or neighborhoods, I could give them a 10/10 pitch. But that wasn’t the case two years ago: I used to take a Lyft to get to my friend’s apartment at Hopkins House, and I didn’t know how to walk to the nearest Giant untilmythirdyear,afterIbrokefree from the shackles of meal plans. I don’t remember when the feeling of distance changed. Now I feel pretty comfortable walking a mile and a a
During my first two years, I could not stopcomplainingabouthowdulllifein Baltimorewas.LaterIrealizedthatIwas theonemakingitthatway.Ineededto commit myself to some exploration. Initially, I always felt the urge to get somethingdone.SowheneverIwentout withmyfriendsorondates,I’dGoogleto make sure the restaurants we dined at had a high four-out-of-five rating. I would do my make-up and dress in a photo-worthy way, just so I’d have something to post on Instagram. Obviously I am a foodie, so if you, my readers,wantmytruerecommendations, my current favorites are Clavel and Tagliata with La Barrita and Ethel’s CreoleKitchenashonorablementions.I am open to discussion and am always lookingfornewadventures.
Now,whenIlookbackatmyselfatthe time,IfeelembarrassedabouthowvainI was, but I am glad that those outings becamethematerialformypiecesduring my time as the Leisure Editor for The News-Letterandthemotivationtosetup the column “Made in Baltimore.” The project gave me the chance to interview local business owners and to see how much care and passion they put into their establishments and how their undertakings constitute the diverse communitysurroundingustoday.
During the remaining time of my senior year, senioritis has slowly grown on me. I’ve started to take a morelaid-back,low-keyapproachto
thecity.I’vemadepeacewiththeweeks Iusedtodefineasboring.Igotothose absurdly abstract math classes, feel humbled by my genius classmates and thencomebacktogetmygroceryruns done. If I have extra time, especially after finishing midterms or projects, I might go to the plaza at the Rotunda with my friends to catch a movie at Warehouse Cinemas during late nights (usually after 7 p.m or 9 p.m.). Send Help, Hoppers, Project Hail Mary, The Drama...thelistkeepsgrowing.I’vetruly become comfortable with nights in Baltimore, where I used to feel a little insecure about staying outside after dark, but now it’s associated with a quiet warmth, as they were spent with friendsImadehere.
It is strange that people usually feel nostalgia only after they have already left a place and when they reminisce aboutthetimetheyspentthere.It’strue for me as well. There hasn’t been a palpable urge to cry because my time here is running low or a gripping intentiontoscrollthroughthousandsof photosofBaltimorestoredinmyiCloud. IhavebeentellingeveryonethatIamso excited to be graduating from Hopkins and saying goodbye to this city. But maybe one day I will start missing my time here. The people here. The collegehood and adulthood that all happenedhere.Idonotknowhowlong it will take, but I am waiting for that nostalgiatocatchupwithme.
Yuyu Huang is graduating with a degree in Mathematics and Economics and is from Fuzhou, China. She is a former Magazine Editorfor TheNews-Letter
31. Cal Ripken Jr. is the Orioles’ alltimeleaderforthisstatistic 36.Tie-breakingpds. 37.Rawrock 38.RalphO’Connorbldg. 39.See53-Down 42.Ironicconclusiontocollege 45.“___Sutra” 48.“Mamma___!”
Solve this crossword (and more!) on our website, www.jhunewsletter.com.
Congratulations, Jaclyn Donoho!
Graduating from such a prestigious university reflects your immense talent, dedication and intelligence. The world is yours to conquer. You have accomplished so much these past four years. Congratulations on this amazing achievement. We are so very proud of you!!! Love, Mom, Dad and Tori
Congratulations, Lauren!
We are so proud of you and all that you have accomplished! We are amazed by the dedication and excellence that you bring to all that you do. As one chapter closes another one is ready to be written. Keep working hard, follow your dreams and always remember to smile! We love you! Love, Mom, Dad, Grandma, Jake, Megan and Toby
Congratulations, CooperBuckhorn!
Watching you work hard, and reach this milestone has filled us with so much pride. Your compassion and perseverance have brought you this far — and we’re proud of all you’ve accomplished. Can’t wait to see where your future studies in Medical School take you and the lives you’ll touch along the way. With all our love, Mom, Paul and family!
Congratulations, Leah J. Keefe!
Congratulations on your graduation, Leah! We are so very proud of all you have accomplished in your time at John's Hopkins. You’ve really shown how hard work pays off. We love you so much! We can’t wait to see what the future holds for you. Love, Mommy and Daddy
Congratulations, Nol!
Nol, congratulations on graduating from JHU in Biomedical Engineering! Watching you thrive there has filled us with pride. As they say, "The tassel was worth the hassle!" You've proven that passion and hard work make dreams reality. We're so proud of you. Now go engineer an amazing future!
Congratulations, Erika Ezumba!
Erika, I’m just really proud of you. Not just for graduating, but for how you’ve handled everything along the way. You’ve grown into such a strong, disciplined, and thoughtful young woman, and it’s been amazing to watch. I love you. Congratulations, Mom
Congratulations, Kayla Le Rabey!
Kayla, after four years of hard work, F45 lead, Model UN wins, balancing three jobs, priceless internships and amazing friendships; our hearts are full as we celebrate you. We’ve watched you grow with grace, strength, and kindness that are entirely your own. As you step into this next chapter, may your life be rich with meaning, laughter, love, and adventure. May you find joy in both the milestones and the quiet moments. Wherever you go, carry the warmth of home with you. We are endlessly proud and love you always. Mom, Dad & Preston
