00;00;01;06 - 00;00;30;15
Liz Kay
Hello and welcome to the Providence College Podcast. I'm your host, Liz Kaye. And I'm joined by producer Chris Judge of the Class of 2005 here in the Providence College Podcast. We bring you interesting stories from the Friar family this week in honor of Martin Luther King Day. We're talking with recipients of the Dr. Martin Luther King Scholarship. This full tuition scholarship was established more than 50 years ago and is awarded each year to 50 students of Asian American, African-American, Latin American or Native American descent.

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Liz Kay
Our first student is Emily Kim, a member of the Class of 2026 from Queens, New York. She's still deciding on her major, but in the meantime, she's gotten very involved in several extracurricular activities, such as mock Trial and the MLK Convocation Committee. Emily, thanks so much for joining us.

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Emily Kim
Thank you for having me.

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Liz Kay
So you're in your first year at PC. What led you to choose to attend Providence College?

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Emily Kim
So my college counselor actually worked really closely with me and my senior year of high school, and she introduced me to PC, particularly because it was very similar to my previous high school where it was a Catholic, smaller private institution. And so that familiarity, but also I think I was looking for a college that really focused on the liberal or liberal arts because, you know, we've I've had a couple of conversations about how rare that is, and especially if someone who is looking into majoring in philosophy or psychology, that aspect of liberal arts education, particularly resonated with me.

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Liz Kay
That's wonderful. So what have been some of the highlights of your experience so far?

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Emily Kim
I think joining a lot of different clubs and organizations and just seeing which one like fit with my schedule and which one really stood out to me. So, you know, like joining a mock trial, for example, and also her campus, but also, I think just meeting new people and seeing how interesting it is to have someone come all the way from like California or Texas and just meeting different people and getting used to being more independent.

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Emily Kim
I think that those have been the highlights.

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Liz Kay
So Emily, one of the unifying aspects of the curriculum at Providence College is the Development of Western Civilization program. It's three semesters to get to studying texts from all different historical periods, starting with antiquity. So you've just completed your first semester and you're getting ready to start your second. How did it go?

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Emily Kim
It was always something new and something that I wasn't used to, and I was actually pretty scared of Western Civ at the beginning. I think particularly like the seminar aspect of it, but like looking back, it's only been like four months since I've started Civ and I've already learned so much and I think there's so many exciting aspects of summer because you're bringing your own ideas to it and you know the texts.

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Emily Kim
Some of them I've already explored in the past. And so that's always nice to have, but it's something that I definitely had to get used to. But I'm proud of like how far I've come from this short first semester in Western, so.

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Liz Kay
So Emily, you've gotten to study several languages before arriving at PC. Are you planning to continue that in future semesters?

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Emily Kim
Yeah. So I actually studied Spanish and Mandarin in high school and I grew up speaking Korean, and so unfortunately I wasn't able to fit Spanish or Mandarin into my first and second semester schedule and college, but it's definitely something that I am looking into pursuing of the future. If it happens and it fits into my schedule, that's something that I definitely would like to take again so that I can work on Spanish and Mandarin.

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Liz Kay
Now, you mentioned that you had you were interested in philosophy or possibly psychology as majors, and those are the subject areas are considering. What classes have you taken so far and what are you looking forward to in the spring?

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Emily Kim
So I took large kick and introduction to psychology and my first semester just to get a glimpse into especially logic was something that I had never really explored in high school. And it's interesting because it's a lot more mathematical than you would think, especially considering it is a philosophy based class. But I was extremely interested in taking both of those classes.

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Emily Kim
And second semester I'm taking human neuropsychology and philosophy of history, just continuing to study different areas of philosophy and psychology, especially because I had a really good time in both of those classes previously.

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Liz Kay
And as an undeclared student, did you get to enroll in a special class?

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Emily Kim
So I took an introduction to P.S. and my first semester. I honestly didn't know what to expect with that class, but it helped me see the different areas of study that I could pursue at. P.S. particularly considering P.S. is a liberal arts based college. So it was really interesting and also bonding with other students who are undeclared. It helped me realize that I'm not alone and not knowing exactly what I want to pursue.

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Emily Kim
And that's totally okay because we have time and we can figure this out together. And to have this sort of support in that class was really nice.

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Liz Kay
And what are your thoughts now but about possible plans for after Providence College?

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Emily Kim
So I'm pretty much set on either a major in psychology or philosophy or potentially doing a double major. And I think I'm looking into pursuing law and going to law school after graduating from D.C.. Nothing solidified but I'm interested in pre-law right now. And so that's a potential path for me.

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Liz Kay
And we were excited to talk to you because you're a member of the MLK convocation Committee. That group is planning both the convocation itself on Thursday, January 26th, featuring keynote speaker Hill Harper, as well as some other events during Black History Month. Can you tell us a little about some of the things that are in the works?

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Emily Kim
So I am part of the Breakfast and Vigil committee and that is taking place sometime early February. And so far we plan to have a speaker, potentially some student performances and just a big breakfast in honor of MLK. And it's really exciting because I actually haven't been to an okay convocation, having been a first student. So being able to be a part of planning, that is really exciting because I have so much to look forward to and that sense.

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Emily Kim
But yeah, especially the breakfast and vigil, we have a lot of things planned and I'm excited to be a part of that.

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Liz Kay
And how did you get involved in the committee in the first place?

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Emily Kim
So I started working part time at the Executive Office and I work under the executive assistant to the President and she is actually a huge part of the OC convocation. And so she talked to me about potentially being a part of that committee, especially being an MSP scholar. And so through that connection, I was able to be a part of planning the convocation.

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Liz Kay
Emily I'm curious, as an MLK scholar yourself, how do you reflect on the life of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King?

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Emily Kim
I think that, you know, just as he has provided so many different opportunities and kind of changing the world in that sense, being able to have these sort of opportunities on campus as an MLK scholar and reflecting on kind of all of his accomplishments and honoring him through his convocation that we were planning, I think I'm just really grateful to have these different opportunities and be a part because, you know, the scholars all have a couple of meetings throughout the semester.

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Emily Kim
And so being part of this special community, even within the college, has been really amazing to have to have your own safe space. And so, yeah, I think I'm extremely grateful for all the opportunities I've had just in this short semester being and I'm.

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Liz Kay
Curious what other experiences have kind of shaped your path at Providence so far?

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Emily Kim
I have a lot of different mentors. I'm part of her designs and so I have a mentor right now through that, and I also have a mentor through the honors program and having the sort of support system outside of your traditional clubs, you know, having these one on one conversations with someone who has been a part of PC for a couple of years and learning from both of them, I think having that connection has really helped me adjust to it.

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Emily Kim
But apart from having mentors, also being a part of different clubs and again meeting new people through that outlet has been really interesting.

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Liz Kay
And both Horizons and your Honors program mentors are those current students?

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Emily Kim
Yes. One of them, I believe is a sophomore and one of them is a senior. So it's different having those perspectives.

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Liz Kay
But Horizons is specifically a program for students of color. Right? Right. And the honors program is for students in the honors program. So it's great to have those resources of folks who can help you who have walked the path before. Right. Emily, I'm also wondering, you know, you're new to prior town. Did you get to visit campus before you enrolled?

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Liz Kay
And what's your favorite part of campus now that you live here?

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Emily Kim
So it was actually tricky being able to visit because of COVID, but I was able to visit once or twice before arriving to school. And I would say now my favorite part of campus would probably be Ruane and the library. Just because I spend a lot of my time there, especially having classes like Civ and Ruane, I just love the spaces where either you can study with a friend or study alone and also having like Starbucks at Ruane is really nice.

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Emily Kim
So I would say that those two are my favorite part.

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Liz Kay
There's often two different kinds of students at Providence College. There's either Dunkin students or Starbucks students. And see, I can see, which can't be faulted too. Yeah, well, it's been wonderful chatting with you today. Thank you so much for joining us.

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Emily Kim
Thank you again for having me.

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Liz Kay
So our next student is Justin Andres, a member of the Class of 2023. Andres grew up in Brooklyn and is a graduate of Christopher Aid Brooklyn High School. He designed his own major in global health equity. During his time at PC, he's worked as a research assistant in the biology lab of Dr. James Waters and studied abroad in the United Kingdom through the Save in London program.

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Liz Kay
Justin, thanks so much for joining us.

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Justin Andries
Thank you for having me.

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Liz Kay
Justin, you are entering your last semester as a PC student. What have been some of the highlights of your time and for your so far?

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Justin Andries
Highlights were definitely getting to know my friends that I have now and just making like some really close connections and bonds. I would say being able to create my own major because I know a lot of schools, you would not be able to do that or it would be a lot harder than it was here. And just exposing myself to individuals that I would have never seen myself interacting with if I would've stayed in like New York or went to school local.

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Liz Kay
So tell us a little bit more about your individualized major, which which academic disciplines are included in your global health equity major?

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Justin Andries
Yeah. So before I decided to make my major, I was a double major in biology and sociology, and I had a minor in black studies. And we talked previously about like medicine and stuff. And I realized that I didn't want to become a doctor, which means that I no longer want to go to med school. And I realized that a lot of classes that I was taking in the biology department was catered towards going to med school, and I felt that I could put like my mental energy elsewhere, but I didn't want to drop biology like as a whole, and I still wanted to keep sociology.

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Justin Andries
So I went to my two advisors at the time and I talked about creating my own major and they were super supportive. So it's now called Global Health Equity and it's basically a combination of biology, black studies, global studies, sociology, and yeah, that's it.

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Liz Kay
But health policy management there for people who might not know the acronym, that's.

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Justin Andries
Policy management, Yes. Yeah.

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Liz Kay
So that's a pretty interdisciplinary kind of group. So what are you thinking? Can you tell us about some of the classes that are included.

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Justin Andries
In the mix? Yeah, for sure. So it's a lot of like Intro to Black Studies classes just to get like your foot in the door to learn more about like the African diaspora and like disparities within the African diaspora. And, and it's a lot of like the policy management classes, like epidemiology. I just took Intro to BPM last semester and I is also Global Studies courses and it's a few biology courses, but it's really only included because I had already took the courses before I made the major, but yeah, then it's a few global stage courses and a lot of sociology courses, so I try to make it as into discipline as possible with like

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Justin Andries
a lot of intersection. So it's inclusive to everyone, but it's also broad enough where you get lectures, a specialty after you get this major and get the degree.

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Liz Kay
Well, so since you alluded to, you know what to do after your major. Just curious what your ambitions are for post-grad.

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Justin Andries
Yeah. So I'm currently applying to grad schools and some that I have in mind right now. Like my top choice is Georgetown. Hands down. I'm almost on the application. Definitely NYU, George Washington University, Emory. So, yeah, I'm just planning on getting my master's in global health or global public health and just continue down this path and see where it takes me.

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Liz Kay
And I'm sure some of that path will include research, which you've already had a taste of here at Providence College. How did you get started with research in Dr. Waters lab?

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Justin Andries
My first biology class ever was with Dr. Waters, and I love them. They're really supportive of my college journey and I really appreciated that. And then I found out they did research, so I asked them and they were willing. So I started research with them. I think it was like first semester of freshman year and I've been working with them like ever since.

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Justin Andries
And yeah, I've nothing bad to say. So I do research with right now. I take a step back with research because like all the college applications and just, you know, you're in general, but in general I test like the metabolism of fruit flies and ants, and we just test like how they interact with each other as a group and separately.

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Justin Andries
And we also test their critical thermal limits. So we basically, like, heat them up, like to as hot as they can go without dying. And then we bring them back down to like arresting temperature and we see like how other metabolism is after. And we do the same things. And so it's pretty cool. I've gotten a lot of opportunities doing research in October actually came back from Puerto Rico where it was like a network conference and we talked to like a lot of people doing research in like the same area in different areas.

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Justin Andries
So yeah, it's really good. I love research and I'm trying to continue that after college as well.

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Liz Kay
Now, Dr. Waters Labs often does a lot of like naturalist work, you know, going out in the field and collecting and samples, you know. And so I'm just curious, you yourself, you grew up in the city. Did you have much experience or interests working with insects growing up?

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Justin Andries
No, not at all. Not at all. I actually didn't even know, like how much insects lived in my neighborhood, like in general until I started working with Dr. WATTERS, because during COVID, I continued to do research with him, but I had to do it from home in New York. So my job was to like, just go out, like, around my neighborhood and pick up like any species that I look weird.

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Justin Andries
And we had to identify them, which is really hard.

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Liz Kay
How many do you remember offhand? Like ballpark? How many It was like species like.

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Justin Andries
Yeah, like 30, 40 and then we use this app called Dinosaur List, where it really helped us like identify like what's up species and stuff. So it was really good. And that actually got me into micro photography, which I do with Dr. Waters. I started like to dive a little bit in it. So right now, like I'm also taking like these micro photographs of the ants that we're trying to identify and really pinpoint like what that part of their body like differentiates them from other species of artist.

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Justin Andries
So it's really cool where the pictures are beautiful and I can't wait to do something with them, like publish them.

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Liz Kay
I have to say recommend I Naturalists as a site doctor artist has me hooked on it and it is a wonderful pastime to try to identify every living organism around you.

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Justin Andries
Yes.

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Liz Kay
Much better use of your smartphone than half of the things we do with them.

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Justin Andries
I agree.

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Liz Kay
To just. You were part of the inaugural serve in London class. For listeners who are unfamiliar, all Pisces students take three semesters of development of Western Civ, and then in the fall semester they get to choose a colloquium that synthesizes the topics from the first three semesters. Can you tell us about some of the classes you took while you were abroad?

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Justin Andries
Just Yeah, So I took contemporary drama with Professor Bernoff. She is a PC professor and I had to take this, of course, as you know, like I finished my colloquium and everything because I was originally supposed to go before COVID hit. So by the time the program was going to kick off again, I was already a junior and I no longer had to take.

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Justin Andries
So what I did take it again when I went to London and I loved it because we really focus on like the history of London and like Europe. So it was really interesting. So I took both the seminar and the lecture class, and then for my major, I took international European Health and Human Rights course and that was really interesting.

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Justin Andries
I loved that class as well. And I also took Shakespeare, the drama, the dramatist and British youth culture. So I was taking five classes all together and they were all about like two and a half hours long. So it was really rigorous. But I made it through and it was really good.

00;19;32;23 - 00;19;36;24
Liz Kay
It was a jam packed schedule of five classes and your semester abroad?

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Justin Andries
Yeah, on top of traveling and navigating a new country that was very expensive. But yeah, it was a great experience. I loved London. I got to go to a lot of places that I thought I would never went to like.

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Liz Kay
Well, give us some examples.

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Justin Andries
Yeah. For spring break, they took us to Greece and it was the only place that I thought I wouldn't need my big winter jacket. And it was the only place where I actually had to use it, because when we went there, it was snowing and we would have never thought that it was no in Greece, but it snowed in Greece.

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Justin Andries
And we were in next to the Acropolis where our big jackets and snow on the floor and we made the best of situation though. So yeah. So I went to Greece. I went to Denmark for the weekend. They took us to Northern Ireland, which was really amazing too. The food was amazing. I think the food group was amazing.

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Justin Andries
They took us a bath, which is in England. We also went to like other parts of England, and I can't read the names work. And then my final trip was Paris for like 36 hours because I went like two days before we had to come back to United States.

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Liz Kay
But you got to set foot on French soil.

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Justin Andries
You see the Eiffel Tower twice in nighttime in the daytime, and then go to this famous like hot chocolate place. It was really good.

00;20;52;23 - 00;20;54;16
Liz Kay
Made the most of your time there, right?

00;20;55;14 - 00;20;56;03
Justin Andries
Yeah. I love.

00;20;56;10 - 00;21;07;06
Liz Kay
And you said something very interesting, though, that you enjoyed the food in Northern Ireland. That is not a place, certainly not a place that is known for its fine cuisine. So.

00;21;07;25 - 00;21;15;07
Justin Andries
Yeah, it was actually really good. I would rate it like three out of five out of the places I went to for good food.

00;21;15;17 - 00;21;28;28
Liz Kay
If you told me Greece was high on the list, I would. I would believe you. But I think I think people that's a surprising answer. Just what led you to chose choose to attend Providence College? What brought you to Variety?

00;21;30;16 - 00;21;55;03
Justin Andries
I was torn between two schools. They both were very expensive. But Providence College awarded me with Martin Luther King Junior Scholarship, which is basically the cost of tuition. Like without room and board. And while I was going to be paying the same at the other school that I was choosing between my college advisor at the time, there was a few students from my high school that came here and she was like, It's a great school.

00;21;55;12 - 00;22;17;17
Justin Andries
It's good for the biology department. So I took a chance. I never visited here until I got accepted. And yeah, I came here and then I came and I invited town actually, and I fell in love with the school. Like when I came here I had a really good mentor and then really got good people that I went with and I stayed in contact with them and then I was invited to the Friars Foundation program.

00;22;18;21 - 00;22;31;24
Justin Andries
So I got to basically start school before, like everyone else, like the summer before freshman year. And I met the friends that I'm still friends with now. So I love the school. I would do it all over again if I could. It went by. So far.

00;22;31;25 - 00;22;45;15
Liz Kay
It's clear that you made the most of the time that you've had here. So as an MLK scholar, how do you reflect on the life of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King and how this opportunity that this scholarship has afforded you?

00;22;45;22 - 00;23;21;09
Justin Andries
I admired him for his so for reform and social justice that he worked on. And I tried my best to, like, live in my character and try to make the best out of situations where he always is in the back, especially beating like a black man at a predominantly university in college. So I really try not to let barriers get in my way because of my skin color, and I think I succeeded in doing that with like quitting my major, which was really hard, just coming to the school, which is like pretty far from home.

00;23;22;07 - 00;23;30;06
Justin Andries
And yeah, just like surrounding myself with people that I would have never strong myself with and like just keeping an open mind going in situations. I think that helped a lot.

00;23;30;17 - 00;23;39;20
Liz Kay
Just and I just wanted to check in. Were there any other experiences that we haven't discussed that really shaped your path at Providence, that any club, there are orgs, intramurals, that kind of thing.

00;23;40;08 - 00;24;02;02
Justin Andries
I am Public relations of the Creative Writing Club on campus leaders Awards, and I've been a poet for a few years now. I try to write journals and turn them into like poetry and studies. We got as many events as I could that I'm comfortable with. And actually I did get one poem published on I think those problems College website.

00;24;02;17 - 00;24;25;10
Justin Andries
It was for I think, a black studies event. So like I said, I try to live my truth and I try to express that I'm a black man and like this white space. So yeah, the poem is called For Africa. It should be on their general website. But yeah, so I'm part of the poetry club. I performed at a few fashion shows and a lot of events that we hold like ourselves and stuff.

00;24;25;20 - 00;24;37;06
Liz Kay
You look back on the seven or eight semesters that you've completed so far. What are some of your favorite classes? Which ones stand out in your mind? That's hard because there are so many. There's so many great you.

00;24;37;29 - 00;25;12;10
Justin Andries
Know, there really are so many great ones. Mixed race and racism with Sophia Edwards was no longer here with us. Race and politics with Tony. If yet, Black studies one on one for short black feminisms. There's really great class. Also, Gender, health and technology's a sociology class. And I really enjoyed biomedical ethics. And I thought I wasn't because I thought it was going be really boring, but it was actually really interesting.

00;25;12;28 - 00;25;17;06
Liz Kay
And was that taught through philosophy, which which discipline is that in philosophy?

00;25;17;17 - 00;25;34;15
Justin Andries
Yeah, it's philosophy. What about There's just so many classes. I feel like I'm forgetting a few. But yeah, there's a lot of class that I really enjoy that I would actually take and get and I recommend to all my friends. That's really like in the black about this requirement because I'm really trying to like work on that we're looking for.

00;25;34;15 - 00;25;35;09
Justin Andries
And president.

00;25;36;01 - 00;25;48;29
Liz Kay
You basically took an extra semester sort of beyond what you need to because it's of a moment. What was your civ colloquium what did you take for your your actual original fourth semester of Civ? That's put you on the spot?

00;25;49;17 - 00;26;07;22
Justin Andries
Yeah, I know it was centered around race because I wanted to take a survey that focus less on like European history and like European civilization and actually focus on like either American civilization or just like black history. So I definitely took my colloquium on like, race, and it was actually a really good class. I enjoyed it.

00;26;07;22 - 00;26;10;15
Liz Kay
Just that it's been wonderful chatting with you today. Thank you so much for joining us.

00;26;11;15 - 00;26;12;17
Justin Andries
Yeah, thank you for having me.

00;26;13;13 - 00;26;26;07
Liz Kay
Subscribe to the Providence College Podcast in all the usual places, including iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, Google Play and Spotify, as well as your smart speaker. If you like what you hear, please review and share with others. Thanks for listening and go Friars.