Note: The name of the security guard I met has been anonymized to Ms. T for this article.
I met Ms. T during the last couple of weeks of my freshman year. She was a former Brody security guard – now stationed elsewhere on campus – with wide glasses and hair neatly pulled back into a bun. She always smiled as she greeted each student passing through the turnstiles. It was late April, and I was regularly going to Brody to solve organic chemistry problem sets and begin preparing for final exams. As the weather was beginning to morph into summer, I couldn’t help but notice the heat that filled the space in Brody.
As usual, Ms. T said “Hi” to me when I scanned my J-card to open the turnstiles. We exchanged the same “How are you?” and “Good!” I then asked whether the A/C was broken, feeling the wave of heat that washed over me, replacing the breeze that greeted me as I entered Brody Cafe.
She nodded, going on to explain how it had gotten incredibly hot where she was sitting behind the glass pane.
Ms. T was someone I looked forward to seeing in Brody throughout the rest of finals week and even over the summer when I was at Hopkins. I remember spending over six hours in Brody the day before my linear algebra and differential equations final, scribbling in my notebook as I redid problems I got wrong.
The day after my exam, I entered Brody, and Ms. T asked me how my final went.
I shook my head a bit, explaining that it was okay, though I felt unsure about a couple of problems.
She beamed, reminding me that I just have to keep on studying hard and trying my best, since after all, that was all I could do. In the midst of studying and panic attacks upon realizing that I did worse on the backtests than I thought, it’s easy to lose sight of that.
What had started as an inquiry about the air conditioning had turned into regular conversations between us. She shared stories about her family and grandchildren and I talked about some of the adventures I had at Hopkins – such as how I got drenched in a thunderstorm while running back to my dorm, and how not even an umbrella was enough to save me. Ms. T chuckled, and I ended up laughing at the whole situation as well.
When I remember those little conversations now, I realize that perhaps one of the biggest aspects that has defined my experience at Hopkins has been learning from the stories of others. Ms. T’s kindness and enthusiasm helped me realize that just being friendly and greeting people can make anyone’s day a little bit better. I’ve carried this mentality with me during lectures, where simply saying hello to the person sitting next to me in lecture sparked study sessions and new friendships.
Similarly, during my volunteer shifts at the Keswick Multi-Care Center, greetings to staff at the nursing station have turned into unexpected conversations filled with laughter and advice on finding love.
“Never settle when it comes to love, or when it comes to anything in life.” One of the nurses said very seriously, her lips pursed into a fine line.
As a biomedical engineering student, I’ve spent a lot of time in the Clark Hall Design Studio, working through problem sets as I let the chatter between design teams and the site of everyone else locking in inspire me. But while I listened to soft instrumental music – expecting a mundane afternoon as I took notes on lecture slides – the most interesting discussions blossomed.
One day, I ran into a biomedical engineering student a grade ahead of me. What started as me asking for advice on what junior year electives to take spiraled into us sharing our perspectives on medicine, and how research can be blended with clinical practice – a career path I think about often. A huge aspect of engineering and medicine is being able to understand others and the problems they face; this starts from finding common ground, which is usually established through conversation.
A lot of people talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It’s easy to see when that’s the case. Yet, when I look back at these little gems, I realize that these experiences were the result of having been in the right place at the right time. We don’t see it during the moment itself, but every circumstance has the potential to turn into a fond memory – all it takes is being fully present.
Sareena Naganand is a sophomore from Piscataway, N.J. majoring in Biomedical Engineering. Her column, “The Daily Chai,“ is about finding happiness in simple, insignificant moments: the kind that makes us smile, wrapping around us like the warmth that comes from drinking a cup of tea.
