Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
July 9, 2025 July 9, 2025 | Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896

Magazine

COURTESY OF CORAL ESTEFANIA ALONSO GARCIA Alonso García at the Junior Panamerican Games representing Mexico-Lima Peru.

From Mexican elite athlete to U.S. healthcare: How I turned my immigrant journey into a path of resilience

By CORAL ESTEFANIA ALONSO GARCIA | November 14, 2024

My journey started in a bit of an unusual way. I was born prematurely, and, after talking to a doctor, my mom was told that exercise would help with my development. So, she took me to a nearby pool. Before long, I was really making a splash. I got pretty good and ended up spending about 10 years swimming competitively. But I was just a little girl, and, after a while, I got bored; swimming laps can only hold your attention for so long.

COURTESY OF CLAIRE NALDA Nalda before a seisiún organized by the music program she attended. 

On sláinte and seisiún

By CLAIRE NALDA | November 14, 2024

In Irish, “sláinte” is the colloquial term used for toasts and other cheers. My Irish grandmother often uses it at birthday and holiday celebrations to start a meal and celebrate our family’s togetherness. This summer I had the incredible opportunity to travel to Ireland for two and a half weeks. Going into the trip, I was relatively nervous because it was my first time traveling alone internationally, but I was mostly excited for the chance to experience a foreign yet familiar culture in such an immersive way. So I boarded an Aer Lingus flight with my suitcase and guitar, looking forward to the time I would spend across the pond.

COURTESY OF KATIE TRUONG One of the last photos I took of my hometown (Saigon, Vietnam) right before my 24-hour flight here. 

My First Year Seminar makes me feel very Vietnamese

By KATIE TRUONG | November 14, 2024

“What does zhong 忠 mean to you?”  I scrambled for words when asked. Every strand of eloquence I gained in high school Model United Nations disappeared when I searched desperately for it. I hated admitting it, but I simply didn’t know. I hated that I didn’t know how to pronounce nor understand words in a class where everyone else seemingly knew everything.  Later I found out it meant “loyalty.” 

COURTESY OF SARAH HUANG Getting water ballooned by my favorite kid at a children’s summer camp hosted by an Istanbul American high school.

Finding home in Istanbul

By SARAH HUANG | November 14, 2024

I was halfway through Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist when the Black Sea appeared outside my plane window. The hills of Istanbul soon joined the view of the soft silhouette of the morning sun. Knowing the plane was approaching its destination, I decided to stow the tray table and put away the book. I smiled when I thought of how the young shepherd boy in The Alchemist was robbed of all the money he had on him right after he landed in Africa for his great adventure. It was probably a bad sign for me. But like the shepherd boy, I found it too late to turn back.

COURTESY OF SAMHI BOPPANA Boppana standing at the top of the Frankfurt Cathedral tower.

Danke schon, Germany!

By SAMHI BOPPANA | November 14, 2024

This summer, I had the opportunity to study abroad for two weeks in Germany. As a pre-med who’s always wanted to study abroad but has always had obligations preventing her (I’m looking at you, Organic Chemistry and Physics), I jumped for joy when I realized I’d found an interesting program that fit into my schedule and took me to a country I’ve always wanted to visit.

COURTESY OF MELODY (YE EUN) CHA Although being an international student can often be exhausting, Cha hopes her article can serve as a reminder that it is a strength rather than a weakness. 

Bilingual perks... or quirks?

By MELODY (YE EUN) CHA | November 14, 2024

Little did I know that what I had crashed into was only the tip of the iceberg. Languages are a double-edged sword, enabling communication but also miscommunication. Another day presented another realization of how I was being misunderstood — or perhaps semi-understood. 

COURTESY OF JA'NIYAH MOORE Overnight trip to Hartebeest Kraal (safari) in Capetown, South Africa. 

My time in Cape Town

By JA'NIYAH MOORE | November 14, 2024

During my time in Cape Town, I was able to navigate the country of South Africa for six weeks with seven other Hopkins students. As I reflect on my time, I think about the memories I gained at CampusKey, the residential site I stayed at. CampusKey is home to many South African students studying at the University of Cape Town. There, I was able to be vulnerable and compassionate and, most importantly, learn from those around me. No matter if they were raised in the townships or in mixed (Coloured) communities, they treated us as family and welcomed us with open arms.

COURTESY OF JULIA MENDES QUEIROZ Our first of many Bollywood movie nights.

Nine languages, eleven passports, seven girls

By JULIA MENDES QUEIROZ | November 14, 2024

Coming to Hopkins as an international student during the pandemic, I really had no idea what to expect. We were still under some pandemic restrictions, especially on the Homewood Campus, and I had barely met anyone who would also be attending Hopkins that fall. 

COURTESY OF GRACE OH Spicy stir-fried squid is a Korean seafood dish often paired with rice but also with soju, makgeolli and other standard Korean alcoholic drinks. 

Recipe for Spicy Stir-fried Squid (Ojingeo Bokkeum)

By GRACE OH | November 14, 2024

Spicy stir-fried squid is one of my favorite Korean meals – it’s a good pairing with rice, simple and heartfelt. This recipe is from my maternal grandmother. This squid dish is one of the many Korean dishes she made for a number of reasons: My dad is a seafood lover, the dish is diverse in ingredients and nutrition, and it’s a perfect blend of spicy and filling. To be completely honest, it was difficult for me to get this list of albeit simple instructions, because it was the first time she had to put into words something that had always been second nature to her.

COURTESY OF AYDEN MIN Min shares some of her top choices for Korean media, one of them being the webtoon Your Letter which she read sometime in her younger teen years.

A crash course on the Korean media essentials

By AYDEN MIN | November 14, 2024

Sharing my own South Korean culture and seeing how it fits in to the puzzle of the world has been a constant undercurrent both in my life and at my time here at Hopkins, and so I wanted to share some of my favorite pieces of Korean media with all you dear readers of this edition of The News-Letter’s Magazine. 

COURTESY OF KAJA NICOLAISEN Nicolaisen shares feeling at home in Baltimore among the ships of the Inner Harbor. 

A new home In Charm City

By KAJA NICOLAISEN | November 14, 2024

I began my journey at Hopkins less than two months ago, and I find it hard to fathom how many new and rewarding experiences I got to add to my memory in merely these few weeks. It is, quite frankly, an absolute and extraordinary pleasure to be here. Dear Baltimore and Hopkins, thank you so much for having me.  

COURTESY OF MARYAM AMOSU Amosu posing outside of her uncle's birthday venue in Ireland.

My culture is beautiful

By MARYAM AMOSU | November 14, 2024

Being African in the mid-2010s earned me rude comments on my appearance, my food and my way of communication. I used to evade inquiries into what I wore to Nigerian parties out of fear that people would see pictures and deem my clothes ugly.

COURTESY OF ISABEL LEONETTI After experiencing countless class registrations, Leonetti offers some advice for incoming freshmen.

The do's and do not's of classes at Hopkins

By ISABEL LEONETTI | August 19, 2024

Indulge your passing curiosities. If you have always liked going to museums, take an art history class. If you are passionate about feminism, take a class on reproductive rights. If you have ever wanted to know what torture feels like, take a physics class. Maybe what you learn will be useful, maybe it will not, but you will have fun. And I promise that one photography class is not going to ruin your chances at medical school. 

COURTESY OF JOHN CINTRON Cintron sitting at his workspace on the 9th floor lab, part of the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research at the Broad Institute.

Your roadmap to PhD success: freshman year advice for aspiring researchers

By JOHN CINTRON | August 19, 2024

First off, welcome to the Nest! As a freshman, you’re probably not even sure what you want to pursue yet or you might simply be feeling overwhelmed by all the possibilities you can take with your life and career path. As someone who’s tried it all — Pre-Med, Economics, Consulting, Marketing, Filmmaking, Engineering and much more — I can safely say that acquiring a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) is the end goal that I intend to achieve.

COURTESY OF CONRAD LOUIS CHARLES The Peabody Jazz Ensemble is led by renowned trumpeter Sean Jones, the Richard and Elizabeth Case Chair in Jazz Studies.

A guide to the arts at Hopkins

By TIMOTHY MCSHEA | August 19, 2024

It’s no secret that Hopkins is well-known to most for its STEM fields: How often have you heard Hopkins and the humanities discussed in the same conversation off-campus? And yet, back in 1966, preluding the height of literary theory which would explode in the 70s and 80s, Johns Hopkins University hosted prominent thinkers like Claude Lévi-Strauss, Jacques Derrida, Paul de Man, Roland Barthes and Jacques Lacan for an international symposium.

COURTESY OF JULIA MENDES QUEIROZ Look around you — everyone is the “new kid” at school. 

Making friends 101

By JULIA MENDES QUEIROZ | August 19, 2024

Making friends in college can be one of the most anxiety-inducing parts of freshman year. The importance of college friendships is often emphasized by parents, family members, social media and more. It can be somewhat daunting to think of how influential these connections will be on your college experience, but don’t let “finding your people" stress you out too much. Here are three things to keep in mind as you kick off your first semester.

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