4 minute read
Alumni Profi le: Noah Walker ’11
Noah Walker ’11
After graduating from Norwood in 2011, Noah Walked attended St. Andrew’s Episcopal School and then continued his education at the University of Richmond, where he was a Science Leadership Scholar majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology. Today, Noah is pursuing a doctoral degree in integrative physiology and pharmacology at Wake Forest University. He loves talking about serious issues like race, but also topics like food, football, horror movies, and music. Here, Noah talks about some of the things he’s been up to since he left Norwood, as well as a few thoughts about racism and the power of kindness.
When did you know you wanted to study pharmacology and what are your goals for when you finish your Ph.D. program? I initially thought I wanted to go into pharmacy, but during the summer right before my senior year of college, I did an internship at the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, a part of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that regulates over-the-counter and prescription drugs, making sure that safe and effective drugs are available to improve the health of people in the U.S. At the FDA, I had the opportunity to work with some pharmacologists. Through my conversations with them, I realized that I was more interested in pharmacology than pharmacy. After I finish grad school, I want to work either for the FDA or for a pharmaceutical company making new and affordable drugs for lesser-known diseases.
You are a blog contributor to Inciting Altruism (iA), an online community that aims to harness the power of positivity, community, and altruism to build happier lives. We couldn’t help but notice that there are other contributors who are Norwood alumni (Gregory Light ’11, Michael Oosterhout ’10, and Sebastian van Bastelaer ’11). Can you explain the Norwood connection to iA? Inciting Altruism is a nonprofit company (incitingaltruism.org) started by Greg and one of his friends from college. They do cool work and even have a program promoting different charity organizations every month. Greg does a very good job of both focusing on current events and getting people from diverse backgrounds to contribute new knowledge and experiences. Greg, Seb, and I are still extremely close, so he asked us if we’d like to write something for him.
How do you harness the power of positivity, community, and altruism in your own life? I’m generally a pretty positive person already. My parents used to tell me if I didn’t have anything nice to say, then I shouldn’t say anything at all, so I’m constantly making a conscious effort to be kind. Also, I’m a Christian and through studying the Bible, I’m learning more about living with joy. Every single day, I try to be the best version of myself. I stay connected with a lot of people on different social media platforms as well, so I just try to spread happiness there too.
In your iA blog post of June 1, 2020, called Black and Blue, you speak out about institutionalized racism, police brutality, and your own experience as a young Black man. What are the main points and action steps you hope readers take away? My deepest hope is that it inspired people to do some research. How many more times will this happen? Countless Black people from all demographics have been shot at and murdered by the police, yet Americans still refuse to accept that this problem exists! I know that it is difficult to understand for those who have never faced microaggressions, been the butt of a racist joke, or been openly discriminated against. I want people to honestly think about the roles they play and try to make a difference for the better. It isn’t hard to help, so I’d really encourage other people to safely protest, give your Black and other POC friends a platform to speak, make donations (after researching), and/ or start a dialogue with friends and family who might not realize why they’re wrong.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. famously said, “The time is right to do what is right.” If you were a Norwood teacher, what would you be telling your students is the right thing to be doing right now? If I were a Norwood teacher right now, I’d tell my students to always be kind. I’d try to teach them what I think is right and why, in addition to teaching them how to form their own opinions. It’s critical for students to learn how to think critically both in class and in the real world.
How have you been doing during the pandemic? What have been some of your favorite pandemic activities? The pandemic has freed up a lot of time for watching TV shows and horror movies on my watchlist. I’ve also been cooking a little more, so now I have a really good quesadilla recipe. Part of me wants to learn how to make more desserts, but with great power comes great responsibility, and I’m worried I’ll gain more than a little weight. It’s weird not being able to see my friends but Facetiming has been a great substitute.
Finish this sentence. “When I reflect back on my time at Norwood, I think about…” My friends. I came to Norwood in fourth grade and I didn’t know anyone. I’m not sure if it still exists, but there was a buddy program that paired up new kids with students that had been at Norwood for awhile. Before school started, I met two Norwood students, Seb and Greg, and we’ve been super close ever since.
And how about this one: “I am most fulfilled when…” I am most fulfilled when I’m able to help my friends. Assisting my loved ones by doing something they couldn’t do on their own really makes me happy.
