"A.D." is a member of the Johns Hopkins University graduating class of 2020. In this interview, A.D. describes growing up in a big family in South Central Los Angeles. He shares his experience attending the public school system in the area, his interest in public speaking and cross country running, and his decision to attend Johns Hopkins. He discusses his academic experience as a pure math major with an applied math minor. A.D. also shares his experience living far from family and experiencing loss while at school.

"J.C." is a member of the Johns Hopkins University graduating class of 2018. They majored in environmental science and minored in applied math and statistics. In this interview, J.C. discusses growing up in a small town in New Hampshire, transitioning to life at Johns Hopkins, and how their studies and work experiences have shaped their decision to pursue a PhD. This oral history is part of the First-generation Students oral histories series.