As you get older, you get wiser!

Name: Adam Hack

Class: Class of 2003 Graduate

Current Residence: Baltimore, MD

Major: Economics major; Entrepreneurship and Management minor

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In October 2007, I came to a terrifying realization.  I got a note from the JHU Alumni Office.  The note congratulated me on my graduation and invited me to my 5 year college reunion.  It took me a few minutes, but I eventually convinced myself there must be some mistake, I could not have possibly graduated 5 years ago.  This moment of denial was quickly followed by a moment of clarity.  I had graduated 5 years ago…and I am getting old.

But as I mentioned, growing older is not necessarily a bad thing.  Yes, I have a little less hair, and yes, I move a little slower, but 5 years post graduation has afforded me a more astute perspective on my experiences at the Homewood Campus.

Here are the brass tacks of my Hopkins education.  I was an Arts and Sciences student and I graduated with honors with a degree in Economics and a minor in Entrepreneurship and Management.  However, as I sit in my living room and look at my diploma, I realize this is the physical manifestation of my education, but most of what I learned at Hopkins was not taught in the academic classroom.  Also, most of what I “got” from Hopkins cannot be summed up on a piece of paper.

In fact, most importantly, and I am sure your parents will like this, I got a job!  After all, this is the end game.  At some point, you will have to bite the bullet and make enough money to support your Chicken Parmesan addiction (or at least that’s mine, fell free to insert your guilty pleasure here).

Most people say their college experiences helped get them their first job.  For me, that’s an understatement.  That’s because I was hired by a college professor of mine.  I was hired to help him design and run a software development company.  What did we design?  I don’t know if you will have heard of this, but we designed an online college admissions application called … The Common Application Online!!!

But certainly, work is not the only thing in life, and certainly not the only “thing” I got from college.  My philosophy is, if you work hard, play hard too.  My passion is soccer!  At Hopkins I was a member of the Men’s Soccer Team and was a two-time All American (Scholar and Athletic).  I have continued playing as a weary weekend warrior for the past 5 years.

Through my friendships at Hopkins, I hooked up with the Baltimore Colts (not the football team, although they may have left town before you were born, so don’t worry if you missed the reference) a competitive men’s soccer team.  Over the past two years I have won an outdoor and indoor National Championship. 

Finally, and yes, here comes the nostalgia, I have gained a wonderful sense of Hopkins pride.  I must own:  6 Hopkins hats; 5 Hopkins shirts; a jacket; a blanket; a bumper sticker; 3 coffee mugs; and more pens and pencils than I care to count.

Alright, so that might be a bit much, but as you’ll find out, life is about accumulating stuff.  More practically, however, I show my pride by volunteering with Hopkins.  I have been a graduate assistant soccer coach, commencement volunteer, admissions office open house speaker, entrepreneurship and management department guest lecturer, and I even came up with the idea to “name the Blue Jay.”  Needless to say, I am still connected to the university.

I am, however, just one of this very fine network of Hopkins alums.  As an undergrad, I don’t think I realized just how terrific this university is and how man doors professionally and personally it would open…but then again, as you get older you get a little wiser!