Hi, guys!  My name is Jackie, and I am a freshman Mechanical Engineer from Norwell, Massachusetts (about twenty minutes South of Boston).  I went to Notre Dame Academy for high school, which is a private, Catholic, all-girls school (with plaid kilts for a uniform!) in Hingham, Ma.  I had a great high school experience, and was able to juggle being involved in numerous extracurricular activities while still taking a bunch of APs.  My experiences on my school FTC Robotics Team, 3057 Girls Like Bots, inspired me to pursue a minor in Robotics.  If anybody on a FIRST Team (or anybody in general, for that matter!) has any questions about Robotics or other engineering at Hopkins, I'm your girl!

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Why Hopkins?

Johns Hopkins was just the perfect fit for me.  Hopkins has amazing research opportunities, and it also offers a balance of arts and engineering.  I didn't want to sacrifice my humanities for math and science, and at Hopkins, I don't have to!  The campus is gorgeous, and every member of the community is passionate for what he does.  Unfortunately, it took me a bit to realize this!  Living in Massachusetts, I definitely knew about Hopkins, but I never knew about Hopkins: there were too many other, more familiar schools clouding my vision.  But luckily, Hopkins made it onto my radar during the college search process, and I eventually was able to visit.  I've never looked back!

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My Classes

Fall 2012:
Calculus II
Introduction to Materials Chemistry
Freshman Experiences in Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering Freshman Lab
Introduction to Mechanics I
Making America: Mastery & Freedom in British Mainland America, 1607-1789
Spatial Reasoning and Visualization for Engineers

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My Extracurriculars

Student Admissions Advisory Board: SAAB is the reason you are reading this!  We communicate with prospective and admitted students through these forums, blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and various other forms of social media, and in person at Open Houses.

Society of Women Engineers:  This organization is exactly like it sounds like: a group of female engineers!  Some of you may have already heard of it, because it is an international organization of engineers of all types and of all levels.  SWE hosts a lot of on-campus events aimed at connecting students with professional engineers and preparing us for various careers.  For example, the last meeting was a resume building and critiquing session.

Habitat for Humanity:  This is another organization you have probably heard of, but if you haven't, Habitat for Humanity is an organization that coordinates volunteers to build homes for families in need.  The Hopkins chapter is working on a particular house in Baltimore, and hosts fundraisers for the projects.

PILOT:  Okay, while PILOT is more of an “inter-curricular” than an extracurricular activity, it takes up two hours of my week so I thought it should be included here!  PILOT is a loose acronym for “peer-led team learning.”  Essentially, it is a formal study group organized by Hopkins and led by an upperclassman who has already done well in that particular course.  It's not tutoring though: the team leader is only there to guide us, and even he is not given an answer sheet!  I signed up for Calc II because I know from previous experience that I learn best when working with a team.

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My Dorm

Wolman is for sure the best dorm on campus.  I am on the East side, 7th floor.  I absolutely love having my own kitchenette: there is a stovetop, sink, mini-fridge, cabinets, and counter all built into the suite.  We also have bought various other things, including a toaster oven, with which I make my breakfast in the morning.  We share our own bathroom, too.  And by “we”, I mean the girls occupying the two doubles in the suite, my roommate and suitemates.  While the FFC (the dining hall) is a short walk away, Charmar, Einstein's bagels, the mailroom, a small gym, and various other facilities are all located on different levels of Wolman, making it really convenient to live here.

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Follow Me!

You can read my blog and the blogs of the other freshmen at: http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/2016/

Feel free to ask me any questions, and hopefully I'll be able to help!

Thanks for reading!

-Jackie R.