CHAMPIONSHIP-LEVEL EDUCATION
Finding More than Success Jean-Pierre Amoakon ‘19 found a family and a calling in the Science Honors Program
J
ean-Pierre Amoakon’s journey to Georgetown College began with a fortuitous conversation with a friend. After all, how did Amoakon (or JP as he’s known to friends and family), an international student from the West African country Cote d’Ivôire, end up in Georgetown, Kentucky? “I had a friend recommend Georgetown to me,” he said. “So when I was applying to schools I applied to the University of Tennessee and Georgetown. That same friend said I would like Georgetown more because of the size of the school and the intimate classes.”
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If Amoakon’s journey to the College began through some good fortune, he was left reeling by a bit of bad luck early in his college career. In Fall 2016, because he was still only 16 years old, Amoakon could not yet move into his dorm room. However, in this moment, Georgetown College lived up to its reputation as a caring family, and this bit of seemingly bad luck proved to be the beginning of a truly special relationship. The Blackburns, John (or Doc to his students) and
Pat Blackburn, opened their home to Amoakon for a few weeks until he could move into the dorm in mid-September. They proved the perfect mentors to introduce him to Georgetown College. “I would end up seeing them at least once or twice a week while I attended Georgetown. I would come over for dinner or we would go to church together. They became my Georgetown family.” During that initial stay with them, the Blackburns sensed Amoakon’s character. “He’s very driven and incredibly intelligent,” said Dr. Blackburn. “Even at that early stage, I had never seen a student study as diligently as JP.”
OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH
Coming into Georgetown College, Amoakon knew his strengths and his passions better than most incoming freshman. His scientific acumen and passion for research made him a perfect fit for the College’s Science Honors Program. “Dr. Homer White is the one who actually recommended the program to me. Coming in as an international student, I wasn’t initially in the program, but all of the professors in the Honors Programs and the staff made it incredibly easy to join. They knew me and knew my passion, and I just had to tell them I wanted in, and that was it.” One of the most beneficial aspects of the Science Honors Program is the summer research project students complete. During their sophomore or junior year, students receive a $4,000 fellowship to complete a summer research internship. Georgetown College students have worked with researchers from Johns Hopkins, Stanford, Duke, Vanderbilt, and the National Cancer Institute. These projects set Science Honors students apart when applying to graduate school or jobs.
