How will you spend your Thanksgiving break?
After nearly six years at NYU, Jonathan Reid is still fascinated by the people he meets here every day.
Whether it's a fellow member of the Public Health Student Group, a student he's tutored a few times or even a person he met in the elevator, chances are the Steinhardt graduate student introduced himself, cracked a few jokes and made a lasting impression.
Reid, known as JR to his friends, is one of those people you just don't forget.
Walking with him down University Place to Washington Square Park, it's clear to me that Reid shares a bond with each and every person he encounters on a daily basis. He genuinely cares about the people he meets — a character trait that can be difficult to find in students at a disparate campus like NYU.
I can personally attest to this. Reid was my CAS orientation leader the summer before freshman year. He carefully helped me choose my classes and answered my many questions. After orientation, I would run into him on the street or at the library and he'd quickly and effortlessly remember all of my classes and interests, offering help and suggestions.
"Every person has a story and a certain perspective on life," Reid said. "It's like reading a good novel or seeing a good movie. You get wrapped up into that plot, into that storyline."
Reid has thrived and grown at NYU in ways he couldn't have ever imagined. As a kid growing up in the Bronx, Reid was picked on relentlessly because of a stuttering problem that prevented him from feeling comfortable in any situation.
"I couldn't even say my own name," he recalled.
Reid clung to his academics, even during the worst parts of elementary and high school, and eventually found his niche at NYU.
He entered the university as a freshman in 2004, intent on a pre-law track. But his plans changed suddenly later that year when his father suffered a stroke: He switched to pre-med.
"I wanted to know why this was happening to my father," he said.
Because of his dad's extended hospital stay, Reid interacted constantly with the physicians. This gave him insight into some systemic problems in the health care system.
"Sometimes they would give him the wrong doses of medications, and his condition would just get worse," he said.
These issues helped direct his focus. After graduating in 2008, Reid decided to pursue a master's degree in public health at NYU.
"Public health is one of the fields that really tied in all of my interests," he said. "It feels very good investing in a field that I have a passion and strong interest for."
Even with a rigorous class schedule, Reid participates in many on-campus activities.
Reid is co-president of the Public Health Student Group and a graduate assistant for the Higher Education Opportunity Program, through which he has served as an organic chemistry tutor.
During his undergraduate years, Reid was an active member of the Academic Achievement Program and the Gentlemen of Quality. He was a tour guide for high school students through Steinhardt's College Connection, a Welcome Week and CAS orientation leader, and a member of both the Commuter Circle and the Off-Campus Student Council. And that's just scratching the surface.
"I really just loved being on campus," Reid said. "Part of the reason I got involved so much was so that I could stay on campus, have things to do and meet people."
After 12 semesters, Reid is graduating in May — for real this time.
"I just feel so at home here," he said. "I don't know how I'm going to take it. I really do think NYU has given me a lot of the tools and skills necessary to take full advantage of the opportunities that come my way."
