“Service is a pathway to opportunities for everyone if we allow it to be accessible to all,” says Keenan Hickman, M.P.S. ’22, community leadership. “It is about leading through example and perseverance, and finding joy in completing innovative complex projects with a myriad of community members and organizations.”
“Rehman Liaqat is one of those rare students whose passion, curiosity, and analytical skills make him a force to be reckoned with,” says William Blake, associate professor and associate chair of political science. Liaqat says, “I want to show future generations of Pakistani students all that is possible.”
In addition to Haleemat Adekoya winning the Truman Scholarship, this is the second time that two UMBC students have been named finalists. “This national recognition highlights the fact that UMBC is indeed a magical place that fosters community leaders and passionate public servants, such as Haleemat,” says Rehman Liaqat ‘22, political science, a fellow finalist.
“I had never been part of a university whose work was centered around social justice,” says Nicholas Nguyen ‘21, M.A. sociology. “The Peace Corps showed me how political systems work at an international level. UMBC’s Peaceworker Program is giving me an understanding from a social justice and antiracist perspective.”
“I was able to access excellent research opportunities in the humanities that I never thought would be available at the undergraduate level,” says Emily Rose Paul ‘21, global studies. “UMBC is known as a STEM school, but I have received the most amazing humanities education as a global studies student. You will be surprised at all that you can find here.”
Students from across all three UMBC colleges are graduating this week having taken advantage of the unique undergraduate research opportunities and supportive mentorship UMBC offers. They’re poised to take their research to the next level and move on to new challenges through graduate school and careers.
Six members of UMBC’s Class of 2021 share how they’ve been able to impact issues and communities that matter to them through strong relationships and an entrepreneurial approach to their UMBC experience.
Two UMBC projects have taken flight this spring, designed to support the academic, creative, and social success of Baltimore City students through arts opportunities. Both projects are funded through the UMBC-Charlesmead Initiative for Arts Education, which was established in 2018 with a $500,000, five-year gift from the Charlesmead Foundation.
Campus Compact Mid-Atlantic has named Faith Davis a 2021 Newman Civic Fellow. “My greatest hope for this fellowship is to connect with a large network of change-makers who I can learn from and be inspired by throughout my life,” says Davis. “I hope to eventually work together to create a better world.”
The heart of the internship program “is about building meaningful relationships between Montgomery College students and UMBC faculty and staff as a bridge to university life,” says Sarah Jewett. It’s a mentoring process that reveals what is possible at UMBC and beyond.
“UMBC’s community-engaged activity and the people who make this activity possible give me great hope,” shares Michele Wolff, director of the Shriver Center. “Now more than ever, our community and civic engagement can help change the current narrative and move us towards a more inclusive, equitable, and just society.”
“Having university leadership sign on in support of this resolution is a big step,” says Eric Ford, director of The Choice Program at UMBC. “By taking this step, UMBC is sending a message to the campus community that inclusive excellence is not just a slogan but a virtue we live by.”
