schooled LEARNING Audrey Tao (age 17) from Canada, participated in the Discover Hopkins Program at The John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland for two weeks
Audrey and her classmates show off their certiicates of completion
A view of The John Hopkins University campus Girls just wanna have fun Audrey catches some summer sun on The John Hopkins University campus
The Discover Hopkins Program is a two-week intensive summer program that offers college level courses for credit and a chance for high school students to explore college level curriculum and courses. My first impressions of The John Hopkins University were that it is organized, eye-pleasing, and a paragon of a prestigious American university. From its nostalgic architecture to its beautiful scenery, John Hopkins looked postcard perfect to me. I enrolled in a course called Food, Nutrition, and Public Health; a class very much academically focused that offers lots of hands-on experiences. I had two instructors who were both PhD students at the Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The entire class was only 13 students, so it was very close and intimate. As the class covered food related and social issues prevalent in modern America, guest speakers from organizations such as Maryland Hunger Solutions were invited to give in depth lectures. Through the trip, I discovered what a prodigious role John Hopkins plays in the city of Baltimore. Everywhere we went, people talked about Hopkins and it was an honor to tell others that we were students there. Although Baltimore is known as “charm city,” like many other urban cities in America it also suffers from its deficits including poverty and drug abuse. The John Hopkins University and Research Center plays a major role in mitigating social, health, and welfare issues in Baltimore, which is how it has earned such a high reputation in Baltimore and all over the US. Many of my personal beliefs and interests correspond with John Hopkins’ core values and academics. Not only does John Hopkins have the biggest and most renowned public health studies
in the world – which is what I intend on majoring in – they are very active in research and community work, which fulfills my long held desire to serve and improve my community. The best part of the trip was the chance to meet and interact with new friends, classmates, and teachers from all over the world. I had never met such a diverse group of people. The fact that everyone was so amiable and open was a highlight of my trip. The most interesting aspect, however, was getting to experience university life. Not only did we live on campus and attend college level courses, we also got to explore the city and get a sense of what it’s like being a college student. I stayed in the freshmen dorm Wolman Hall, which is right across the street from the university in the Homewood Campus area called Charles Village. In the Charles Village area, there are many coffee shops, supermarkets, and bookstores to provide daily necessities. If you ever get a chance to visit the area, try Insomnia Cookies, a little store right next to Barnes and Nobles. Trust me, you won’t regret it! A difficult moment on my journey came when completing our final group project. My group members had different working styles and commitment levels, which made it difficult to manage the work together. In the end, through long hours of communication and typing, we were finally able to complete our project and ultimately received an “A.” I would definitely recommend this program to my fellow teens because it really gave me a broader sense of what university is like. It’s a good chance to explore a new part of the world, and practice independence, as well as prove to your parents and yourself that you are ready for college!
September 2015 beijingkids
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