Meet Cady Deck: Student Blogger in DC

Cady was at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center last year and is now at Johns Hopkins SAIS to complete her Master of Arts (MA) with a concentration in China Studies.
 

Weekend trip to Huangshan

Hello everyone!

My name is Cady Deck and I’m a returning blogger for the Hopkins-Nanjing Center (HNC) this year. I completed my HNC certificate last year and am now completing my MA at Johns Hopkins SAIS. I graduated from The George Washington University (GW) in 2018, where I double majored in international affairs and political science and minored in Chinese. I’m excited to be back in DC this year to complete my MA! As a China Studies concentrator, I can graduate this May instead of next December if I give myself a slightly heavier workload each semester. I am currently enrolled in five classes, which keeps me busy but not too busy. 

Last year I made many great friends, both Chinese and international, and engaged in a variety of activities, such as volunteer teaching, competing in the annual dragon boat festival, basketball, soccer, and running around the city exploring (and getting lost!). I had the opportunity to participate in unique experiences in and out of the classroom, such as collaborating with my Chinese peers on field research trips during the fall and spring semesters.

A few of the friends I made at the HNC

At the HNC I gained a better understanding of Chinese topics, society, and culture from living in China and learning about different perspectives from my Chinese professors. I also improved my Chinese reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. In DC I hope to build on my HNC experiences and strengthen my analytical skills. I’m looking forward to attending many China-related events at Johns Hopkins SAIS and around the city and expanding my knowledge of economics. Throughout the year, I plan to prepare myself for a job related to US-China relations after graduation, and of course join as many sports leagues in DC as possible.

Roommate trip to the Capitol and making dumplings from scratch

I currently live with six friends, both Chinese and American, who were all at the HNC last year and are continuing their studies at Johns Hopkins SAIS. Our “HNC House” has already hosted a dumpling party and we hope to hold several more events over the course of the semester. One great aspect of coming to Johns Hopkins SAIS from the HNC is that you already know people, which eases the transition process, especially for those who are in DC for the first time.

I look forward to sharing my experiences with you about my time at Johns Hopkins SAIS as an HNC Certificate + SAIS MA student!

Written by Cady Deck, HNC Certificate '19, + SAIS MA '20