By: Nicholas Remy
Photo Credit: Isabella Fasolo
No college journey looks the same between two people, and this Alumni was no exception. Keegan Leffler graduated from UMBC in the spring of 2022 with a Bachelors in Media Communication Studies and a minor in Sociology. Keegan is originally from Wilton New York where he grew up with his Parents Mark and Julie, his Brother Quinn, and his sister Olivia. This was not the first University that Keegan originally attended, coming from Herkimer County Community College where Keegan was a back to back regional junior college champion as a pitcher on their baseball team!
After his two years at Herkimer Keegan was able to graduate with his Associates in Science, and from there he was on his search for a four year university he could finish his schooling at. Luckily enough UMBC came calling. Keegan spent three more years at UMBC as a Media Communications major as well as a key player for the UMBC baseball team. Keegan came into school eerily similar to a lot of college athletes, ready to play their sport and a bit less ready to figure their future after college. WIth Keegan he was no different, with the exception of the fact that he was extremely classroom driven.
Through his three years at UMBC Keegan was able to accomplish a 3.4 GPA graduating with honors, all while being an important piece of the baseball program. Over his career at UMBC as a baseball player Keegan pitched in 42 games amassing 92 career innings pitched with 10 career starts and 5 career saves. "Playing baseball at UMBC was easily one of the best decisions I made in my college career, I can easily say that some of my favorite memories in life came from my years with that team". Although professional baseball was not in the cards for Keegan, he wasn't ready to step away from the game yet.
Following his graduation from UMBC Keegan was able to secure a coaching position with his former school at Herkimer County Community College as their Pitching Coach and Recruiting Coordinator, as well as being a Technical Assistant to the academic support staff for the student athletes at Herkimer. In this position Keegan had the task of finding potential student athletes for the baseball program as well as Overlook Herkimer's students using the flag system to assist student athletes to graduate on time and reach milestones in their educational journeys. "I was still unsure where I wanted to go with my professional career after graduation, when the opportunity came about where I could help those exact same student athletes figure out what they wanted to do I had to take it". Spending two years at Herkimer was all the time Keegan needed to figure out his next path in life.
Deciding to take a chance in life Keegan took a step away from baseball and took a step toward the mortgage and financial career fields by joining Launch Financial Group. Keegan has recently started with Launch back in August 2024. His official title with this financial group is Disclosure Desk Manager, where he takes care of a lot of things for the company. Giving his flowers to UMBC, Keegan attributes his career path change to UMBC and the MCS degree for the flexibility it allowed him in the professional fields. "UMBC and the MCS degree really gave me a great base where I could expand on knowledge in many different fields!". Because of the flexibility Keegan has found his next passion outside of baseball which was not something he thought could be possible.
Since his start with Launch Financial Keegan has really found his footing. "My passion and knowledge is in the mortgage industry, where I sell investment loans for properties. The company I work for is called Launch Financial Group, in Upstate NY Currently, I am our disclosure desk manager. Along with being a manager I also am a Loan Processor and a Loan Officer. The cool thing about my position is that I can take a loan from start to finish myself!". Although it's only been 10 months since starting his new position, Keegan is ready to step up to the plate for more. "This is just the beginning for me here at Launch and the beginning of my career as a Loan Officer, and I can't wait to see what the future holds!". Everyday is an exciting day at work for Keegan which is something most people can't say, and because of UMBC he now can.
Language as personal and communal expression: an interactive zine-making workshop
Dr. Joyhanna Jung Yoo and Shengxiao "Sole" Yu will lead participants through an exploration of their personal relationship to their heritage language(s). The workshop will ask participants to reflect on the relationship of language in their lives as it pertains to identity, family, thought, and more. The workshop aims to bring together students and broader community members to think about the connections between issues of language to broader community and social concerns.
We are particularly excited to be hosting this event during Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture (CADVC)'s Pedagogy Study Hall project - a collaborative, exhibition, research project, and public humanities residency by interdisciplinary artist Tomashi Jackson and policy analyst and economic advocate Nia K. Evans.
Thursday, October 23, 2025
2-4pm
Location: CADVC Gallery, Fine Arts 105
Attendance is capped at 25 participants. Priority will be given to students.
About the speakers:
Joyhanna "Joy" Yoo (she/they) is a linguistic anthropologist whose work examines the circulation of Korean popular cultural genres with fieldwork based in Seoul, Mexico City, and Los Angeles. Their research examines the meanings generated by language as it pertains to race and gender when cultural genres circulate. Joy has also published on Asian American racialization and linguistic appropriation in mediatized contexts. Her newer work examines the relationship between language loss, grief, and Korean diasporic belonging. They are especially passionate about student-centered teaching, mentorship, and student advocacy.
Shengxiao Yu, known by her nickname Sole, is a speaker, facilitator, writer, and social justice educator. She is the creator of Nectar, a space where she provides political education for the community through giving keynote speeches, facilitating workshops, and providing thought leadership. In 2024, Sole served as the activist-in-residence at the Asian American Studies Center at the University of California, Los Angeles. In this capacity, Sole conducted research to more deeply understand the AAPI electoral landscape and the role of mis- and disinformation. Sole is a writer for the Xin Sheng Project, a platform combating misinformation in the Chinese diaspora community by publishing in-language, progressive articles that shift perspectives and build intergenerational power. As a generation 1.5 Asian American, Sole is also working to build community among her fellow Asian Americans in order to build socio-political power and to lift up her lineage. Sole is inspired by BIPOC activists, grassroots community leaders, and all the intersectional movement ancestors who have paved the way.
This event is part of the Reframing Global Asias Conversation Series. For the conversation series this fall, the Global Asias Initiative is hosting guest speakers Shengxiao "Sole" Yu and Dr. Joyhanna Jung Yoo for a series of workshops & lectures.
This event is open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University's nondiscrimination policy.
This event is open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University's nondiscrimination policy.
Visit the gallery on the 1st floor of the Fine Arts Building today for an engaging and interactive workshop that invites participants to share personal stories connected to Pedagogy Study Hall and their own experiences with investment and divestment in the arts, both in Baltimore and beyond.
This workshop creates a space for reflection on how art, education, and community investment shape our lives, while learning from one another's lived experiences.
Date: Wednesday, October 15th
Time: 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Location: CADVC/ UMBC. Fine Arts Building, 105
Registation recommended, but not required, by selecting "Going In Person" in the MyUMBC PSL group here: https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/publicstorieslab/events/147408
Parking Information: Visitors may park in Lot 9
We look forward to seeing you there!
This event is open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University's nondiscrimination policy.
Dear UMBC Undergrad Students,
We're conducting a research study titled "Measuring College Students' Reliance on Generative AI in Academic Writing: Impacts and Insights from a Mixed-Methods Study." This study aims to investigate how undergraduate students utilize generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, and the impact these tools have on their writing. Our goal is to understand how these advanced technologies are transforming writing practices and behavior.
To participate, complete the "Reliance on Generative AI" survey via Qualtrics, which should take no more than 10 minutes. All information you provide will be kept anonymous and confidential. Participation is completely voluntary, and you can withdraw at any time without any negative consequences. As a token of appreciation, ten lucky participants will each receive $100, selected through a random lottery among all survey completers. Additionally, participants may choose to take part in a brief follow-up online interview (<1 hour) for an extra $25 cash incentive.
Eligibility for this study requires you to be a current UMBC student who has used AI technologies for academic purposes. If you have any questions, need more information, or have concerns about this study, please feel free to contact Shahin Hossain at shahinh1@umbc.edu or call (443) 478-6437. You can also contact Dr. Ramon Goings at rgoings@umbc.edu.
For questions about the review process or your rights as a research participant, you can reach out to the UMBC Office of Research Protections and Compliance at (410) 455-2737 or via email at compliance@umbc.edu.
Your participation is highly valued, as your insights will greatly enhance our understanding of the role of AI in literacy development within higher education. To join the survey, please follow this link: https://umbc.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6KBpfotc3SrbwMe
Kindest regards,
Shahin Hossain
Ph.D. Candidate, Language, Literacy, and Culture
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