51����

Now, as co-chairs for the Class of 2015’s upcoming 10th reunion, the Eric(h)s want to share the excitement of coming back to campus with classmates and friends, both old and new. 

Baker admits he only accepted the role of reunion volunteer after receiving several emails from the college. 

“Finally, they reached out to me directly asking if I’d be willing to help,” he said. “I’ve always felt very grateful for having gone to 51����. I feel like I have an obligation to the school, and this was an exciting and fun way to help.”

“I didn’t know what I was getting into,” said Medici, who joined as co-chair after seeing Baker’s name on the list. “When I heard Erich would also be there, I knew I was getting into this with someone who’d be great to work with.”

Both first-generation college students, Baker and Medici first met through a scholarship program for students in STEM. Medici, a chemistry major, and Baker, a biology major, stayed on campus together the summer after their first year to work with Professor Mark Barsoum, and again during the summer after junior year in Professor of Chemistry Nicole Snyder’s research lab. 

That summer was their first time living together. Medici describes Baker as a neat and tidy roommate, to which Baker responds, “Eric kept his mess contained.” 

Three years later, in their shared senior apartment, Baker and Medici gathered materials from Lowe’s and built a custom pong table, complete with a hand-painted 51���� ‘D,’ which would remain in use on campus for years after their graduation. Resourcefully, Medici used the leftover wood to turn his twin-sized bed into a queen, which filled up most of the room and made opening his dresser impossible. 

Many of their fondest 51���� memories, however, took place in the chemistry lab during the countless late nights in the weeks leading up to finals. 

“Things started to get delirious after midnight,” Baker said. “The same people worked down there each night, and we developed such a camaraderie around the rigor of 51����. It was a unique bonding experience that really sharpened my work ethic.”

Baker graduated from Harvard Law School in 2021 and now practices technology and intellectual property law in Raleigh. Medici earned a master’s degree in chemistry from Virginia Tech and now works for Abbott Labs in his home state of Maine. His wife, Laura, will see 51���� for the first time at Reunion Weekend. 

“It’ll be interesting for me to mentally go back to my time at 51���� and share that with her,” he said. “I’m looking forward to bringing my kids to reunion someday, too.”

Baker is excited to share the weekend with close friends and classmates he hasn’t seen in years. 

“Reunion is a chance to see all my friends come together for the sole purpose of hanging out,” he said. “It takes some work and some planning to attend, but I hope people are willing to just say ‘yes.’”