Last but certainly not least, it wouldn’t be a proper campus tour if we didn’t introduce you to the one, the only The Duck. He is a foul of very few words, actually, none at all, because he doesn’t speak. But his well toned wings from doing so many pushups at football games tell the story of the UO success, not only on the playing field, but also in the classroom. Wow, Duck, I can see why you’re loved by so many people and one of the most recognized college mascots in the entire nation. Sports Illustrate even ranked you second among the greatest mascots in college football history. Now that’s something we’re shaking your tail feathers for. Thanks again for that. The University of Oregon, everyone, this was such a fun tour. I’d like to thank all the amazing passionate students we got to meet today for sharing their stories. Looks like they’re all set to achieve incredible things here at the UO and beyond. What a great group of students and what a wonderful campus. Well, that’s all the time I have for now, but I highly encourage you all to check out more about the University of Oregon for yourself. This place is incredible. Trust me when I say it’s even better in person. Bye, everyone. Until next time.
Okay everyone, I can’t wait for you to meet these students. We’re gonna head over to the Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center to hear from Kennedy. Who’s a sophomore on a pre-med track in the College of Applied Health Sciences. She’s so impressive in so many ways including her level of involvement on campus. There are well over 1000 student groups here, everything from academic and athletic to cultural and just plain social. And if you don’t see what you’re looking for, you’re empowered to start your own official group. As you’ll hear from Kennedy, that’s exactly what she did. Kennedy, please take it away.
Hi everyone. As a first-generation college student I didn’t really know what to expect when my family moved me to campus my freshman year. One of the best things about my first week on campus was Quad Day. Quad Day is where hundreds of registered student organizations set up tables across the main quad to invite people to join. There’s really something for everyone from ultimate Frisbee, to volunteer opportunities, to creative writing. Seeing all of the possibilities inspired me to start an organization that I saw a need for on campus, a pre-med mentoring organization.
Many people assume that pre-med students personally know a doctor or have doctors in their family. For a lot of people including myself, this isn’t the case. I was telling a friend this as we we’re leaving Quad Day and he said that I should start an organization. So, I did. Months later, my small idea turned into an official registered student organization called Mentors in Medicine. We help pre-med students get exposure to medicine through research, volunteering, and mentoring. Some of the other organizations I’ve been involved in have had a huge impact on my college experience. My freshman year, I quickly got involved with two of the culture houses on campus, the Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center or the BNAACC and La Casa Cultural Latina.
One of my favorite memories is the Annual Black and Latino Woman Summit. This summit consists of different sessions surrounding wellness, academic success and preparing for our future careers. This was an incredible experience because I was able to connect with different students and faculty and talk about critical issues and how to be allies for one another. I grew up in a neighborhood in Chicago where most of my peers don’t even consider college as an option and I wanna do whatever I can to help change those perceptions. As a student here, I advocate for increased college enrollment and retention as an ambassador for the Office of Minority Student Affairs.
I am also a resident advisor with university housing. I love being a Resident Advisor because I’m able to guide students in their transition to Illinois by really connecting with them and being a resource. The residents on my floor are all friends and it’s a really welcoming community. It has meant everything to me to be able to help other first year, first-generation and historically underrepresented students.
After I graduate, I plan on attending medical school and becoming a family medicine physician. I want to serve underrepresented minority populations in Chicago to eliminate healthcare disparities and ultimately improve the healthcare field. The University of Illinois has prepared me academically with the rigorous science courses and interdisciplinary curriculum, and socially with the culturally diverse organizations that I’m a part of. Well, that’s just a small piece of my story here at U of I. Thank you for having me share it. Back to you, Alex.
Thanks for sharing your story Kennedy. It’s really inspiring because it’s never just about you. You’re always looking for ways to include and help others, which is what involvement and inclusion are all about here on campus. Thanks for sharing. Bye, Kennedy.
This next student you’re about to meet, Mihir, over at the Electrical and Computer Engineering Building, is an electrical engineering major from India. One of the cool things he’s doing as a freshman here is working in a research lab with a prominent professor. Wait until you hear what they’re working on. The U of I is a world renowned research institution. In fact, they’re number one in the country in university research funding from the National Science Foundation. And they have more than 150 labs, centers and institutes on campus devoted to research. And as an undergraduate student, you can get involved in that research enterprise right away. No matter what your major is. Mihir, you’re on.
Thanks Alex. Hi everybody. My entire life, I’ve been building things. As a kid growing up in India, I used to rummage through e-waste and scrap yards just to find enough parts for my next project. I learned how to weld from a guy who sits in a shack on the side of the road. Electricians in my neighborhood taught me everything I know about electricity. My projects as a kid started off as small flashlights but slowly, somehow turned into 3D printers and CNC machines in middle school. But all this time, I never thought it was anything more than just a hobby.
When the pandemic struck, I figured I could do something slightly more useful with my 3D printer, like making PPE. My dad shared with me an article about Illinois professors making an open source face shield design. I used these designs plans and instructions seven and a half thousand miles away in India to set up my own Illinois production line. We worked day and night and we had a thousand face shields. After the lockdown was over, I moved on to my biggest project yet, the terminator turbo. The terminator turbo is a robot that can disinfect entire rooms. And one single tweet about the terminator turbo changed my life completely.
Illinois ECE Professor, Lav Varshney picked up that tweet and has now become my mentor. He’s changed the way I think about my education, the way I think about my future, and he’s changed the way I think about myself. Professor Varshney has introduced me to more amazing faculty like Professor Abhijit Banerjee who I’m now doing research with. Professor Banerjee is making an electromagnetically activated spine. He is building an animal spine in a lab at Illinois. Even though I work with him every day, this just blows my mind. And that’s what I love about U of I, working in real labs with amazing equipment surrounded by amazing professors. Not the corner of my room, makes me learn so much more about my field than just inside my classes.
Not only that, but at U of I, my academic interests and my social life don’t have to be separate. Once I came to Champagne, I met Ben and Gabe. Ben and Gabe are from Champagne and showed me this amazing place. They also welcomed me with open arms to their family farm just 10 minutes away from campus. Not only do they have two extremely cute dogs that remind me of my little guy back home, they also happened to have a huge workshop. And every single weekend whether it be rummaging through Max’s auto recycling for parts or building our next disaster of a project, I spend every single weekend there doing what I love, surrounded by the people I love.
Going to UIUC isn’t just about showing up for classes. It’s about studying what you’re passionate about in the most amazing labs from the best professors in the world, surrounded by her soon to be lifelong friends and that’s what makes it possible to do anything at U of I. Every day this university makes me a better student, a better researcher and a better person. I want to be the best engineer that I can possibly be and I know you will be able to get me there. Thank you so much for letting me share my story. Back to you, Alex.
I am so inspired by all that you’ve already done Mihir. Now that you’re connected to such a major culture of innovation through the U of I, I can’t wait to see what you’re gonna accomplish next. Cheers my man.
Next up is Courtney, a junior biochemistry and molecular biology major who also is a standout on the softball field. This allstar is gonna share her story of how she found a place that values her talents, both in the classroom and on the field and offers the support to balance it all. It’s all yours, Courtney.
– Thanks, Alex, hi everyone, growing up I had the dream to play Division I softball while attending a school that let me focus on my academics. As soon as I visited UMBC, I knew it was the place for me. UMBC has given me the opportunity to study what I want while playing the game I love. In my two full seasons here, we won two America East Conference Championships making two appearances in the NCAA tournament. Our school is known for many other sports, including volleyball, two time reigning conference champions, swimming and diving and of course our basketball team, not only do we excel on the field, but our school helps us excel in the classroom. Over the years, many athletes including myself have been awarded elite 18 awards, academic, all district, and all Americans, conference scholar athletes for their respective sports and overall, conference all academic teams, as well as the National Athlete Honor Society. This couldn’t happen without the support staff, including coaches, our trainers, advisors and athletic director and company who work so hard to make UMBC the best environment to be successful on and off the field. They truly want us to be the student and student athletes. Not only does the staff support us, but so do our fellow athletes. We try to attend as many supporting events as possible to support each and appreciate it when other students cheer us on as well. When committing here, it was extremely important to follow my intellectual interest while also playing softball. I found great success because of UMBC’s supportive student athlete atmosphere. And with that, I recommend UMBC to any athlete who doesn’t wanna sacrifice their academics just to play the sport that they love at a high level. That’s my UMBC story, back to you, Alex.
– Courtney, you are truly a superstar. I’m so glad you found such a supportive community where you can explore your athletic talents and your long term academic goals. It’s awesome to know so many people are cheering you on in the stands, bravo, Courtney.
Let’s head over to the res halls to meet Gabby, a senior computer science and game development major who is also a resident assistant in one of UMBC’s living, learning communities. Gabby is gonna tell us all about how some of her best experiences have come from these close-knit communities. Gabby, we can’t wait to hear all about it.
– Thanks, Alex. Ever since I was a kid, I loved playing video games on various gaming consoles and devices with my friends. I couldn’t stand not interacting with people and I always felt a need to keep learning. To this day these things have stayed with me, especially computers, learning and people. Not so surprisingly, I’m now pursuing these passions at UMBC. I am an RA or residential assistant for the Honors College Living Learning Community where I also spent my first year. Living learning communities or LLCs are places or floors in our housing communities where students can live with a more specific group of people with similar interests. UMBC’s LLCs are focused on topics such as humanities, STEM and women in technology to name a few. The best part of his experience was living with like-minded people who are from all sorts of walks of life and have different ideas and values. We are forever united through the Honors College and as very academically focused students. Today, I live with more first year honor students and I get to help facilitate and form my own connections with them and help them adjust a college life. UMBC offers all sorts of opportunities to live on campus and get to know people with similar interests and really flourish in your completely different living environment. Getting to live with other people and participate in extremely fun events and bonding moments together really makes applying to LLCs worth it and creates friendships that last throughout your entire college career and beyond. I really learned that who you end up living with makes a huge impact in your life. I found friends in this LLC who understand me and help me grow as a person. That’s my story, back to you, Alex.
– That was awesome, Gabby. It feels like there’s really something for everyone at UMBC especially when it’s so easy to find like-minded people to hang out with after class, talk about lifelong memories and friends, not to mention plenty of late night snacks. Great job Gabby.
Next up is Giuliana, a junior computer science and theater major and also a tutor in the Writing Center. Now, Giuliana is super smart and curious. So they’re gonna tell us all about the amazing academic support system UMBC provides every single student. Don’t be surprised if Giuliana gets you excited about studying, you’ve been warned.
– Thanks, Alex, hello, everyone. Academics have always been a significant part of my life, but growing up as an autistic kid in a military family, I never really had the most consistent education. So when I started applying to colleges, I made sure to prioritize academic support and student disability services. Even from the first semester of my freshman year, it was clear to me that UMBC prioritizes its students. From math and science tutoring to peer led study groups, it’s never a challenge to find help for my more difficult courses, whether I need one-on-one assistance or just have a quick question on a homework problem. UMBC’s Academic Success Center always has what I need and the support doesn’t stop with technical courses either. UMBC has an amazing Writing Center, that’s actually where I work. We help students at all stages in the writing process, whether you need assistance with brainstorming or just one another pair of eyes to look over your final draft, we’ve got your back. And all the UMBC’s tutoring services are offered both in person and online. And it’s not just the tutoring staff who are amazing. I’ve yet to meet a professor who isn’t willing to sit down with me and help me out. One of my former professors is even acting as my faculty mentor for a research project I’m working on. When I started at UMBC, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to keep up with the work. I didn’t know if I’d be ready to make that shift to college level material. I thought I’d be left all on my own to sink or swim, but looking back, I know I couldn’t have been further from the truth. UMBC is above all a community that cares and is willing to put in the time and effort to make sure that every student has the chance to soar. Back to you, Alex.
– Wow, Giuliana, what an amazing story. Not only are you taking advantage of incredible resources like the Academic Success Center, but you’re also helping other students succeed. What a rockstar, well done, take care.
Now we’re gonna welcome Hannah who earned her undergraduate degree from UMBC and is now pursuing her masters in community leadership. With all that time spent as a Retriever, it’s no surprise that Hannah knows this place inside and out. And so she’s gonna share how best to take advantage of every experience, Hannah you’re up.
– Thanks, Alex. When I first came to UMBC I had no leadership experience whatsoever. Although I felt like I possessed the skills to be a leader in high school, I wasn’t pushed to achieve my full potential. That wasn’t the case at UMBC, after taking my first leadership position in the Persian Student Association, I met from all different areas of study. This led me to join Greek Life, to study abroad and to play club soccer. Working with Refugee Youth Project in Baltimore was the most fulfilling part of my college career. Through these activities, I was introduced to the Student Government Association and from there, my passion to make change motivated me to run for treasure and I won. This is where my connection to campus really exploded. I could walk into any classroom and know at least one person, whether that be student, faculty, or staff member. I expanded my network and had an incredible time doing so. I leveraged these connections my senior year to earn a part-time job as Program Assistant for Financial Literacy and Education. After graduation, I was offered a full-time position for financial literacy at UMBC. Using tuition remission, I’m able to complete my master’s degree in community leadership while staying connected to and serving the community that introduced me to my best friends and fostered an environment for my best memories. As my graduate studies come to an end, I will carry on a spirit of curiosity while pushing myself outside of my comfort zone as I continue my career in public service as a clinical psychologist, back to you, Alex.
– Amazing job, Hannah. It’s clear to see why you love being a Retriever so much. Thanks for giving us a peak at so many unique student clubs and orgs and inspiring everyone to get involved and explore every angle at UMBC, cheers.
Next up is Kara who loved her undergrad experience so much she’s now back for her PhD in language, literacy and culture. Kara was pretty much born a Retriever. Most of her family went here. So she’s got a special perspective on why students are such an important part of UMBC history. Take it away, Kara.
– Thanks, Alex. My name is Kara Seidel and I come from a whole family of retrievers. Not only did both of my parents go here, but my brother went here and works here. You may know him as the Twitter guy from UMBC’s historic run in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. After graduating as valedictorian of my class, I went on to do my masters at another institution while working full-time. Now I’m UMBack as my family called it. I’m currently doing my PhD and it’s easy to see why people come back like I did and why I missed it. Students have quite literally shaped UMBC’s history from the design of campus and how our pathways are literally paved based on where students walked to intellectually and how students dedicate and foster spaces for collaboration and democracy. We now have a Center for Democracy and Student Life created by UMBC staff who are also alum. The center engages students from all major colleges on campus. And it all started from ask from a classroom discussion. After doing my master somewhere else, I realized an even more profound level of appreciation for the student-centered culture at UMBC. Though I started my doctorate during the pandemic, there were still numerous ways for students to collaborate and stay involved. A fellow student and I formed a Graduate Student Success Committee for the Graduates Student Association, dedicated to student wellbeing. As a campus community, we center student voice in a way that empowers co-creation from students all the way up through administrators. And that’s one of the many reasons why I love it here, back to you, Alex.
– Wow, Kara, that’s true Retriever spirit. I loved hearing about your journey and how cool is it that students have literally designed elements of UMBC over the years, that is just amazing. Best of luck with studies Kara, well done.
Next up we’re heading to the labs in UMBC’s spectacular new Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Building to meet Lauren, a senior biology major. She’s here to share a story about the mentorship she’s received as a student researcher and how that special faculty relationship has pushed her beyond what she thought she was capable of. It’s all yours, Lauren.
– Hey, thanks, Alex. For the longest time, I wasn’t sure where I was headed on my career path, I loved biology but I didn’t know what my options were or what my degree could let me pursue. I wasn’t aware of how many doors I could open for myself. It wasn’t until my second year here at UMBC when I started to discover my interests. I joined a research lab and got to know the professor I was working for Dr. Tamara Mendelson. She became a mentor for me and has been a strong influence and sense of encouragement while I’ve discovered my major’s possibilities. She has made me feel welcome in her lab at all times by introducing me to her colleagues and she continues to encourage me to apply to a number of different biology internships. In my most recent internship, I studied agricultural weed evolution presented my research, and now I’m on track to have my work published in a scientific paper, which is something I never could have imagined possible in my undergraduate experience. The professors and staff here at UMBC are all about mentorship, hands on research and helping their students to be the best that they can. To sum it all up, if you feel like you don’t know what you’re doing, don’t stress, here at UMBC research and career building is grounded and caring and encouraging student mentor relationships. With a little help you’ll discover your passion. Good luck you guys and back to you, Alex.
– What an amazing story, it was so cool to get a peek into what undergraduate research looks like at UMBC and to know how mentors can really make the difference. I love that you found your passion through that experience, Lauren, great job, take care.
Next up, we have Logan, an athlete and a senior mechanical engineering major. She spent the last two summers learning how to be a flight test engineer with the Navy. How cool is that? Logan’s gonna tell us all about it and how UMBC helped her find the opportunity in the first place. Logan, it is all yours.
– Thanks, Alex, hey, y’all. Growing up I knew I wanted to be an engineer and played Division I college softball. Going through recruiting process, many schools turned me away because of my difficult major. UMBC was one of the only schools that allowed me to do engineering and play Division I college softball. UMBC encourages exploration of all types and learning that gives students valuable experience beyond the classroom. Our Career Center and Striver Center, help students find great opportunities for service learning and internships. The past two summers I’ve had the opportunity to intern as a flight test engineer for F-18s at NAVAIR in Potomac River, Maryland. I’ve assisted in writing test plans, conducting flight tests and I’ve presented results to a group of Naval test pilots and engineers. This experience was amazing and I planned to return NAVAIR to learn more. Another great thing about UMBC is that you have so many job opportunities all around you. The campus is close to Baltimore, Washington and even Philadelphia and New York. And because of our partnerships with so many great companies, students have easy access to unique opportunities to learn their fields. Our students complete amazing experiential learning experiences all across the country, putting what they’ve learned in class to work and internships, service learning programs, site specific research, and more. I’ve seen my self mature and develop into an intelligent and confident young woman and I’m so excited to see where my future leads me as an engineer. Throwing it back to you, Alex.
– Thank you, Logan, what an amazing experience. It seems like UMBC’s Career Center and Striver Center are both really great at helping students find experiences where they can learn while doing. You’ve clearly got an amazing career ahead of you, Logan. Thank you and take care.