UMBC Parent Preview

While most UMBC students spent the first weekend in May relaxing, a group of four young politicians spent it drafting legislation and debating bills at the Annapolis State House. They may not be actual delegates and senators, but members of the UMBC's Maryland Student Legislature (MSL) prepared themselves for politicking in the future through a weekend of networking events with state and local politicians and debate on pertinent issues to the state.

UMBC's MSL delegation received a special distinction at this spring's legislative session when two of the six positions on Maryland Student Legislature's Council of State were elected from the UMBC group of four. Kathleen Mettle, a junior Political Science major, and Paul Schuman, also a Political Science major, were elected to the positions of Secretary of State and Lieutenant Governor, respectively. The statewide council consists additionally of student Governor, Speaker of the Assembly, Attorney General, and Comptroller. These positions were open to students representing universities from across the state and having two coming directly from UMBC is a great honor, sophomore Political Science major Andrea Thomson, another member of UMBC's delegation, remarked.

For the second consecutive year, a school-record tying four UMBC men’s lacrosse players have been selected to the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association’s All-America squads.

Senior midfielder Peet Poillon (Cranberry Township, Pa.) earned the top honor, earning Second Team honors, while senior goalkeeper Jeremy Blevins (Cockeysville, Md./Calvert Hall) repeated as an honorable mention selection. Senior midfielder Alex Hopmann (Annapolis, Md./Annapolis) and junior linemate Kyle Wimer (Lancaster, Pa.) both earned honorable mention citations.

Due to the growing shortage of highly-qualified science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) teachers, the Sherman STEM Teacher Education Scholars Program was implemented in fall 2007 to support selected STEM majors. Students are assisted academically, professionally and financially through advising, fellowships, cohort building and a summer bridge program. Above all, the Sherman Scholars Program promotes working with youth and being in the classroom as much as possible.

At this year's New Student Day event, several students from the class of 2009 shared stories of their experiences at UMBC, their plans for graduate schools and careers, and offered advice to new freshmen.

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