Name: Erica CarvellProgram: Master of Arts in International Studies (MAIS)
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Mount Holyoke College ‘16, International Relations
How did you become interested in China? Have you had any prior experiences here?
China is part of my personal background, but I only started studying the language in high school. Then in college I became interested in environmental studies and China’s role in those kinds of issues. The summer after my freshman year of college I studied in Beijing, and I spent my junior year in Kunming in another language intensive program.
What professional experiences have you had between undergrad and HNC?
After graduating, I moved to DC for a research internship with New America focused on women’s issues and gender parity. Afterwards I worked for Open Society Foundations as a policy specialist on their foreign policy advocacy team.
What encouraged you to apply to the Hopkins-Nanjing Center? What’s your focus here?
My focus is Energy, Resources, and Environment (ERE). I wanted a change after living in DC for three years, and thought the experiential learning aspect of HNC, being able to complete my master’s while living in China, made it stand out from other programs.
What do you hope to do after you graduate?
I’m interested in staying abroad, and finding a job in the intersection between energy security, environmental stability, and geopolitics.
Name: Noah SmithProgram: Master of Arts in International Studies (MAIS)
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Tufts University ’19, International Relations
How did you become interested in China? Have you had any prior experiences here?
I started studying Chinese in seventh grade, and before high school went to Chinese immersion summer camp (where I later worked). At the camp, I got to know a lot of Chinese people and learned about Chinese culture, which led me to want to visit China itself. As a result, I took a gap year before college and studied at a high school in Beijing.
What professional experiences have you had between undergrad and HNC?
Zero! I graduated in May.
What encouraged you to apply to the Hopkins-Nanjing Center? What’s your focus here?
My focus is on International Politics. For me, the fact that in the master’s program you write your thesis in Chinese is huge. There’s no other American university where I’d have that opportunity. It pushes my language skills in a way they’ve never been pushed and allows meto learn how to express myself in an academic way.
What do you hope to do after you graduate?
I’m hoping to take the Foreign Service exam and become a Foreign Service Officer.
Interviewed by Amanda Walencewicz, HNC Certificate ’20
