My Five Years at Hopkins – From Homewood to SAIS
1
Posted by: Hopkins Insider | 
April 11 2011 | 
Comments (1)
Name: Nicole Overley
Year: Class of 2010/SAIS Class of 2012
Area of Study: International Studies/International Economics
Hometown: Atlanta
************************************************************************************************************
Without a doubt, I’d have to say that the two defining experiences of my time at Hopkins have been the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship and my acceptance into the selective 5 year BA/MA program with SAIS, Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC.
In front of the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, Liverpool, UK
At the same time as I was applying to colleges my senior year in high school, I was working on a yearlong thesis project for my AP US History course, which was supposed to somehow answer the question “What does it mean to be an American?” Somehow–I actually don’t remember how I settled on this topic at all–I decided that I wanted to explore the reasons behind the boom in megachurches, something that I knew was occurring across the country and I had experienced firsthand in my southern hometown of Atlanta. I was able to interview some church leaders in my area and do some visiting (at the same time as I visited colleges, actually!) but I was feeling like I couldn’t really explore the topic as thoroughly as I wanted without the funds or time to extensively travel. On a whim, and with my mom’s encouragement, I decided to apply for the Wilson Fellowship to continue this project, but never dreamed I’d get it.
When that letter arrived, I was euphoric. Although I was already leaning towards accepting my offer of admission at Hopkins, the prospect of this $10,000 research grant and the opportunities it could afford me sealed the deal. And from the day I arrived on campus, my high expectations were exceeded. I immediately had a group of friends and an incredible array of social events to enjoy with them (the Wilson program has taken us on outings to Orioles games, Dave and Buster’s, Inner Harbor cruises–even Medieval Times!) and a wonderful faculty mentor in the Sociology department, Andrew Cherlin, who guided me through months of research, two months of traveling in the US and the UK, and even, when I ran out of fellowship funds, gave me money from his own budget for a trip to the Hartford Seminary.
At Crystal Cathedral, Garden Grove, CA
Throughout my years in the Wilson program, I wrote a 65 page thesis–which went through many iterations, but ultimately discussed the comparative impacts of monopolistic versus competitive religious ‘economies’ in the US and the UK, and the stagnation that has resulted from state support of the Anglican Church in the UK–and presented it at several academic conferences across the country, one of which where I won the Best Paper award! From the months spent traveling to the speaking experience I gained from those conferences, the Wilson program has unspeakably enriched my time at Hopkins. As an opportunity that’s so unique to this school, I feel very thankful to have been able to benefit so much from it.
As an International Studies major with an ever-growing love of economics (which you might have noticed even touches my Wilson research), the 5 year Bachelors/Masters program with SAIS seemed like a no-brainer for me. I applied in the winter of my sophomore year, with my heart already set on the program. In case you don’t know much about it, it allows a small group of Hopkins undergraduates (typically 6-8, from an applicant pool of around 40) to finish up their Bachelors degrees in International Studies in 3 years at the Homewood campus, followed by two years at SAIS for a combined Masters degree in two concentrations, one in International Relations and one in International Economics. I started at SAIS this fall, specializing in Strategic Studies and International Finance, and I can say that the experience so far has been incredible.
I’ve juggled a part-time Research Associateship at the New America Foundation (continued from the summer), while living up in Baltimore and commuting via the MARC train to DC so that I can adjust gradually to the DC lifestyle and stay close to my friends during what would have been my ‘senior year.’ SAIS’s top-notch reputation means that it has incredible resources and contacts, helpful not only for job hunting but for personal enrichment. Not to mention, my classes are fascinating–this semester, I’m taking Threat Finance, International Trade Theory, Defense Analysis, and Risk Management in the International Financial System. It’s taken time, but I’ve come to see guest lectures by people like Admiral Mullen (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff), the commander of Army Special Ops, and the chief of NYPD, realistic in-class, student-led ‘briefings’ and ‘committee meetings,’ and happy hours at local embassies to be “just another day” in the life of a SAISer! I’m enjoying all that comes with ‘senior spring’ on the Homewood campus, but I also can’t wait to move to DC full-time next fall and immerse myself fully in the second year of my Masters–I’m loving every minute of it!
1 Comment
Other Links to this Post
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI
By JHU_Mandy, April 12, 2011 @ 9:41 AM
This is such a great blog, Nicole! Your research sounds fascinating.