5 minute read
Finding More than Success
Jean-Pierre Amoakon ‘19 found a family and a calling in the Science Honors Program
Jean-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.”
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.
Amoakon completed his summer research project at Georgia Tech in a study that involved using microfluidics to study behavior in worms. However, the benefits of the research project extended beyond the lab itself. “What I didn’t expect to gain from the experience was the knowledge of how to apply for grants, how to contact researchers who you might want to work with, and those other practical elements of research which are so crucial after you finish school.”
During his senior year, Amoakon turned his project into an oral presentation entitled “HighThroughput Microfluidics to Characterize Subtle Synaptic Phenotypes in C. elegans,” which won him third place at the annual Kentucky Academy of Science.
But potentially more than anything, Amoakon’s time in the Science Honors Program further solidified the direction he wanted for his career and his life.
AN EXCITING FUTURE Currently a Ph.D. student at the University of Cincinnati studying systems biology and physiology, Amoakon credits his Georgetown classes and his research with clarifying his future. “I’m interested in two paths: one is being a lead researcher in the private sector and the other is working with clinical trials. I discovered in the Science Honors Program that I loved the research side of it, so I want to focus on research above all else.”
His current research falls in line with his various interests and could go a long way toward helping so many people in the future. Studying the reactions of cells in relation to cystic fibrosis, Amoakon hopes his research will expedite further breakthroughs in the study of the disease. “I’m trying to answer the question of why those cells are dying in cystic fibrosis, which will hopefully be a key factor in developing better treatments for the disease.”
But Amoakon’s growth was not limited to the classroom. The Blackburns, who he would continue to see on holidays, weekend dinners, and who would come to see him win numerous accolades during his time at Georgetown College, witnessed firsthand this growth.
“JP is an incredibly well-rounded individual,” said Pat. “He’s so driven and dedicated to his studies, but he always took time for other things too, whether it was soccer or just hanging out with friends.”
Dr. Blackburn said, “He may have been a bit introverted when he first came to Georgetown, but we really saw him open up and become more extroverted during his time at the College.”
As far as what people can expect from Amoakon in the future, Dr. Blackburn has no doubts. “We had no doubt when JP first stayed with us that he would be a success, and that’s even more true today.”
Now, as Amoakon looks back on his time in the Science Honors Program and his academic career at Georgetown College, he’s thankful for the opportunities offered to him and the sense of home he found. When he speaks of home, a hint of a smile etches across his face and his mind wanders. He has a difficult time hiding his excitement.
“I’m planning on meeting up with the Blackburns this weekend,” he says. “Since I’m in Cincinnati, I’m a little further away, but we still see each other every now and then. So I’m looking forward to seeing them in just a few days.”
