Andrew Vargas ’25 Wins Full Scholarship to Johns Hopkins PhD Program
Major: Toxicology
Minor: Environmental Justice
Programs: PRISM, Honors Program, Macaulay Honors College, CUNY Immersive Research Experience (CIRE), Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program
Mentors: Vice Provost and Dean of Research, Anthony Carpi, Ph.D.; Biology Professor Nathan Lents, Ph.D.; LaDawn Haglund, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Climate Justice
Hometown: Middletown, NY
Career Aspiration: Professor
Post-graduate Plan: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
How did you first hear about John Jay College?
My mom, Anissa, went to John Jay, but she was unable to finish because her mother was diagnosed with cancer and later passed away. My grandpa was struggling after his wife’s death, so my mom took it upon herself to put her education on hold and focus on her father’s well-being. But when she was at John Jay, she was a forensic science major and loved it. Soon after she left the College, she got pregnant with me. Growing up, she always spoke so highly of John Jay’s faculty.
During my sophomore year of high school, I came to John Jay for the first time for an open house. My parents took me to Gray’s Papaya for hotdogs, showed me the subway, and told me all the ins and outs of the city. When we got to the school, mom was amazed at how much the College had changed—when she was here, there wasn’t a New Building. We took a walk on the Jaywalk and listened to different professors explain the research they were doing with their students. During that open house, for the first time, I heard about the Macaulay Honors College. The speaker mentioned how Macaulay students had their tuition paid for them, laptops were given to them, and there was all this access to opportunities and resources. When I heard that, I leaned over to my parents and said, “I’m going to get that.”
How did John Jay support your personal journey?
The Honors Program was a big help with embracing my identity, especially during my first-year colloquium. In that class, we talked about different types of identities. It really provided a space where I could just sit and reflect. I’d never had a space like that before. My peers in that colloquium helped facilitate that space, so I felt comfortable talking about my sexuality and mental health. A couple of Honors students noticed that there was no LGBTQ representation in the Honors community. So, we talked to Miss Fitz (Adrienne Fitzgerald, Honors Program Student Support Manager), and she helped us create the LGBTQ+ Honors Committee. Now we have movie events and book clubs where we read queer books. It’s a space where you can relax and talk about any issues you feel like talking about.
John Jay is such a diverse school. As a Puerto Rican and Cuban student, who grew up in a Black-majority city, I was happy to be at a Minority- and Hispanic-Serving Institution. It helped me take pride in my identity because there were so many different people here and some of them share similarities with my story.
How has your mom supported your growth at John Jay?
My mom has always been in my corner. She’s a scientist too and I feel like our shared love of science has brought us closer. Whenever I got an exam grade back, or did something that worked in the lab, she was the first person I’d call. When I switched my major from forensic science—which was her major—to toxicology, she supported me all the way. When I told her I wanted to explore environmental issues, get my Ph.D., and become a professor, she trusted my judgment. My mom had no idea that you could get a Ph.D. straight out of undergrad, but she was all for it once I told her that’s what I wanted to do.
What are your plans after graduation?
In the fall I’ll be starting the Environmental Health Ph.D. program at Johns Hopkins University. I figured out that I wanted to go there in a really unique way. I reached out to a lot of environmental health professors to learn more about their programs. After hearing more about my interests, one professor at Boston University, who wasn’t taking on new students, suggested I reach out to Professor Keeve Nachman, Ph.D., at Johns Hopkins. I looked into the program at Hopkins and realized it was everything that I wanted—the perfect balance of wet lab and social science work. They also focused on environmental justice, environmental racism, and how the environment impacts our food systems and health. John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is ranked the top public health program in the country, and over time, it became my top choice for grad school.
How did you find out you got into the program?
The application process was really long. First, when I was doing a study abroad course in Europe, I got an email from Johns Hopkins saying that they wanted to interview me. I was in Barcelona studying sustainability, so that was a cool icebreaker for my interviews. After that, I got an email saying that I was being considered for a diversity fellowship, and I had an interview for that. Later, I had an interview with Dr. Nachman and it went really well. He told me that he wasn’t thinking about taking on any new Ph.D. students, but when he saw my application, he reconsidered the idea. I was thrilled, my application possibly changed this incredible professor’s mind. Dr. Nachman also suggested I apply to a second fellowship at their food systems research center called the Center for a Livable Future. That fellowship was designed for a Ph.D. student who wanted to research the health effects of industrial animal agriculture on environmental justice communities—which was exactly what I wanted to do.
Afterward, I got an email saying that I was moving on to the in-person interviews. They paid for my Amtrak tickets, put me in business class, and put me up in a hotel in Baltimore. By the end of the visit, I’d had six interviews in total, including a great interview with a professor, Sara Lupolt, Ph.D., who was one of Dr. Nachman’s first Ph.D. students.
Three weeks later, back at John Jay, I started to get nervous. I was constantly checking my email. I really wanted Johns Hopkins. Then I got an email from Dr. Nachman asking if I could hop on a Zoom call for a quick chat. I went through every worst-case scenario possible. What if he’s just trying to let me down nicely? Before I hopped on the Zoom call, I called my mom. She told me to just be myself and call her immediately afterward. When I got on the Zoom call it was both Dr. Nachman and Dr. Lupolt. They said that I was accepted into the program, they both would be my advisors, and I was selected for the Livable Future fellowship. I was guaranteed full funding for up to five years, additional funding for research if I needed it, and a $50,000 stipend with a four percent increase each year. I couldn’t stop smiling.
How did your family and mentors respond to your news?
When I called my mom back and told her what happened, she couldn’t stop crying. She was just so happy for me. Then, I started walking around John Jay looking for people I needed to tell I got into the program. I texted Dr. Carpi that I had some good news and he told me to stop by his office. He was thrilled for me and immediately called Dr. Lents over and said, “Did you hear? Andrew’s going to Hopkins!” When I told Dean Byrne (Dara N. Byrne, Ph.D., Dean Macaulay Honors College), I thanked her and said I couldn’t have done it without the amazing mentorship and advice that I received. She told me, “Yes, Andrew, you could have achieved it, because you are super smart. It just would have been lonely and less affirming.”
Would you finish this sentence? Because of John Jay…
I found my passions and learned to fully give into them without minimizing who I am for the sake of success.
