Name: Jay Kane
Year: 2013
Major: Molecular and Cellular Biology
Hometown: New York City
What are your 3 favorite things about Hopkins?
I appreciate that Hopkins is a relatively small university and that there are usually many familiar faces in my classes. I wish that the Brody Learning Commons was built sooner. It provides a nice space for group study sessions and I don’t need to walk far to get to it. Lastly I would have to say the freshman and sophomore dorms. I met some very amazing people that will always be close friends of mine.
Describe your experience teaching French at a Baltimore public school.
I am currently taking a class called Teaching French. I teach with three of my fellow classmates from French class, and we meet with a group of ten fifth-graders every Tuesday and Thursday at Margaret Brent Elementary School. The children learned a little bit of French when they were in second grade and they were recommended to continue with the program by previous Hopkins students. They are a very bright group of kids. It was obvious to us on the first day that some of the children were faster learners than others. So we sometimes break the class up into three separate groups and each handle one group. We started the first few weeks teaching them vocabulary words, and now we are teaching them simple sentences. There are times when individual students act disruptive, but it’s all a result of boredom. The smartest of the bunch are the loudest, because they pick up the material really quickly and they do not have the patience to wait for the rest of the class. We have managed to reel them in each time they start to lose interest.
Margaret Brent Elementary is considered a Title 1 school in the city of Baltimore. A public school is considered to be a Title 1 when over 40% of the students attending are from families that fall under the poverty line. In Margaret Brent’s case, 85% of the children come from poor families. The school is underprivileged, but because of its proximity to Hopkins there are many after school programs that are geared towards helping the kids, and the school is taking advantage of them. The Teaching French program takes place during school hours. We take the kids to the library for 45 minutes twice a week. I enjoy working with our group of kids. I always feel excited before meeting them and I’m always proud after our class is over. It’s exciting to know that we are providing them with a skill, no matter how minimal, in a language that they would not have been exposed to otherwise.
What other on campus activities do you do?
I participate in the African Student Association (ASA) at their events and meetings. I also donate blood each year to the Red Cross as a part of their Hopkins Blood Drive. I also participate at French Club events and use the opportunity to interact with the French speaking population at Hopkins.
Which is your favorite?
I don’t have a favorite activity. I enjoy all three and being able to contribute to their fundraisers. Over the three years and a half that I have been at Hopkins I have participated in many different on-campus activities. I’m always trying new things from different community service programs, writing for the News-Letter, ballroom dancing, and the basketball club. They have all been enriching and have contributed to making my college experience memorable.
What is something you wish you knew when you were a freshman?
As a freshman I wish I had a clearer idea on which program of study I wanted to pursue. I started out as a ChemBE and then switched to Molecular and Cellular Biology. It would have been an easier process had I come in with Mol Cell Bio in mind.
Where do you see yourself in a few years?
In a few years I will be getting my Masters in Public Health and working towards getting my PhD.
How has your experience at Hopkins shaped your outlook on life?
Being at Hopkins opens so many doors that you cannot help but learn to take every opportunity that comes your way. I have learned that it is never too late to make things happen for yourself. I have learned to accept my responsibilities and to accept the mistakes that I have made. I am generally a positive person and my Hopkins experience has taught me that it is important to hold on to that attitude.
When you look back at Hopkins, what will you remember? Any memories to share?
There are many things I will remember, from certain classes to personal experiences… I will definitely remember the day I get my degree! I think I will remember the intense atmosphere, the people, and the city. Baltimore is a unique place and I have had the opportunity to see many sides of it.
Do you have a motto you live by?
The one thing I always tell people (mostly my younger sister and myself) is: the past is past, you can choose to dwell on it or learn from it, because you most certainly can’t change it.
A favorite quote?
One of my favorite quotations is by J.K. Rowling: “It is our choices that show what we are, far more than our abilities.” I also like this one by an unknown author: “The mighty oak was once a little nut that stood its ground.”