Young alumni return to Homewood

Over 1,500 young alumni returned to Hopkins to celebrate Young Alumni Weekend this past week.

It included events varying from a discussion on the civility of the electoral process to social mixers at Mother’s pub in Federal Hill to a tent in the Bloomberg Courtyard.

The reunion also hosted a brunch to connect current students and young alumni through the Bridge 5 program.

Young alumni all had positive things to say about the reunion.

Andrew Berrodin, a Mechanical Engineer from the class of 2012, took advantage of the social opportunities the reunion presented.

“When I was here it was all about work. So it’s nice coming back thinking, ‘Wait, I don’t have any responsibilities at all,’” Berrodin said.

One of the most popular events was the tent party on Saturday night on the Bloomberg Courtyard, with many students referencing the fact that the first three drinks were free for those who had pre-registered.

Students gathered with their friends to enjoy the company of their now scattered peers. Current students who were  over 21 were also able to attend the tend party.

Sam Shore, a Political Science and Psychology major from the class of 2012 and a current student at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown, was happy to be back.

“You are seeing people that you are pretty much best friends with, and you haven’t seen for a while.

“And you realize that it takes only three months apart from them to understand how good it was,” Shore said.

One of these friends who Shore refers to is Luke Sand, a Writing Seminars major from class of 2012 who now owns a talent agency in Philadelphia while taking classes in improvisation and sketch comedy.

“We met in AMR I, Wilson House. Five years

later, we are still best friends,” Sand said.

Beyond excitement to see friends, young alumni also were excited to return to a community. Katherine Arnett, an International Studies major from the class of 2012 who now works at a Public Relations firm in San Francisco, was one of such students. “I think that the weirdest part about graduating is living in a city where you are not two blocks away from everyone you know. So being back here and seeing familiar faces everywhere you go is really awesome,” Arnett said.

For Tanmay Manohar, this return to Hopkins is not his first. After graduating in 2010 with a double major in Biomedical Engineering and Applied Math and Statistics and with a minor Entrepreneurship and Management, Manohar found work in management and systems integration consulting for Accenture. Manohar often comes back to Hopkins to recruit for his company, noting the power of a Hopkins degree.

“The Hopkins name and the Hopkins brand has helped me a lot in the workplace. When I was here, I knew it was a great school. But I didn’t quite realize the effect that it had in the ‘real world,’” Manohar said. “When I go to my clients, when I go to my work, and people ask me ‘where did you went to school’ and I say ‘Johns Hopkins,’  oftentimes they don’t even ask my major, you know, that’s enough, the fact that I went to Hopkins.”

For Sarah Salovaara, an International Studies and Writing Seminars major from the class of 2012, who is now working in New York City with a new independent film festival, this reunion is coming a little too soon after graduation. “It feels like I never left” Salovaara said. Still, being back did have its perks to Salovaara, who noted being able to revisit her favorite store in Baltimore, Beauty Lane on Greenmount Avenue, and reconnect with her favorite professor, Marc  Lapadula from the Writing Seminars department.

For some, it was the little things from the weekend that had large significance. “Just landing at the Baltimore Airport and coming out of the same gate that I have come out of so many times in the past four years, and then knowing I am coming back to Hopkins was very striking.” Arnett said.

For other young alumni, such as Manohar whose past roommate and floor-mate are now engaged, it was how much things have changed in the span of such a little time that holds a lot of significance.  “When you are here, everyone refers to everyone by first name. It’ll be funny referring hearing those two referred to as ‘my husband’ or ‘my wife,’” Manohar said.

Many Hopkins students this weekend had the opportunity to network with the young alumni this weekend at a brunch hosted by the Bridge 5 program. The Bridge 5 program connects current Hopkins undergraduate students with alumni who graduated five years before them. Freshman Daniel Adler was one of the students who participated in the program and found it extremely helpful. “Because they are so fresh out of college, you can hear about what they did in college and how that really helped them get to what they are doing now, right when they get out,” Adler said.

Adler noted having met people of all different majors working in a variety of different places, gaining insight to the vast experiences that Hopkins students have outside of college. “It’s interesting to see how you can have a major here, and then translate it into something else in the workforce. And then become ever more successful because of that” he said.

Young alumni had no shortage of advice to students here at Hopkins. “Don’t get too stressed out,” Shore explained when asked for advice he might have for undergraduate students. “You are only here for four years, which is something that is so overstated, but it needs to be since it’s true.”

Sand had more to say on the matter. “You have to realize that you are among the brightest minds in the world who are going through the same stuff as you” Sand stated. “Go branch out.”