Jaylen was first introduced to Miami when his high school guidance counselor suggested that he and a few classmates participate in an overnight visit with the Bridges Program. Once he arrived on the Oxford campus, Jaylen reconnected with an old friend, who also ended up being his future roommate.
Jaylen presenting Behavioral Neuroscience research at the “Posters on the Hill” to legislators and staffers on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC with the Government Relations Network’s Alternative Spring Break experience (Spring 2019)Jaylen Volunteering in free clinics throughout Belize over J Term with Miami’s Nursing Department (Jan 2020)
What have you been up to since graduation?
Graduating in 2020 meant Jaylen’s plans changed unexpectedly, but he didn’t let that deter him. He went on to earn his master’s degree in public health, focusing on infectious diseases and epidemiology, and began medical school this year.
How did Miami prepare you for after graduation?
Jaylen gives credit to Miami’s rigorous curriculum and well-rounded liberal arts education with helping him become more open-minded and prepared to take on new challenges. Taking courses outside his major encouraged him to explore different perspectives, while his involvement on campus gave him the opportunity to find his voice.
“It [Miami] also gave me the platform to have a voice.” With all that Jaylen was involved in, he loved being able to advocate on behalf of the student body. As an RA, he helped new students to find their home at Miami just like he had been able to.
“I was able to really just tackle some opportunities and take on some challenges with bravery and challenge myself to do something different,” he said after transitioning into the master’s program. While in that program, he had the opportunity to help the state of New York alleviate the COVID-19 Omicron variant surge in the fall of 2021.
“Miami just puts just another level of fire under you just for your passion, not only in the classroom, but just in life,” he said. “I take on things a lot more boldly after attending Miami to being in a place where it’s like, you can literally pave your own path.”
How is it different being back at Miami as an alumnus?
Jaylen has returned to campus almost every year for Homecoming, as well as for other visits. His younger brother, Jared Perkins (Class of 2024), began attending Miami in August 2020, giving Jaylen even more opportunities to return to Oxford.
One of his favorite parts of coming back is “being able to interact with current students in a more informal manner.” He enjoys catching up with student organizations and hearing about the current campus climate. It is also rewarding to see the lasting impact of his involvement, especially knowing that the Black Student Action Association is still going strong and continues to host its annual Homecoming dance.
Alumni Association Board of Directors
Do you think that you ever really leave a place like Miami?
For Jaylen, the connections and experiences he gained at Miami have continued to shape his life long after graduation.
“No, you never leave Miami. It sounds cliche, but you really don’t. When you’re at Miami, you feel like it’s such a tight-knit community, which is a great thing. But you never really realize what that network really means outside of being a student for those four years,” he said.
“You could be at an airport with a Miami shirt on, somebody’s going to recognize you and be like, oh, what halls did you live in? Or, what were you involved in? What did you do while you were at Miami?
Jaylen says he feels like there’s genuine interest every time he experience these interactions between members of the Miami community.
“You know, pretty often I encounter someone that is either in the Miami network directly or they are married into the alumni network,” he said. “Even on the academic end, I feel like there’s an automatic sense of respect for having that Miami experience and getting the liberal arts education.”
