Intern Positions

Affiliate (Peer Leader) Positions

Spring Semester Open Forums

Congratulations to Megan Jackson and Christina Cuglovici Abrao for being awarded a BreakingGround grant! Their project – "Maryland Public Service Scholars Training Program" – will contribute to UMBC's continued commitment to fostering collective thriving and civic agency.

The Maryland Public Service Scholars Training Program will provide a cohort of UMBC students early exposure to public service careers through a spring semester pilot combining weekly service site placements, professional development seminars, and industry mentorship. The program offers stipends to ensure equitable access while students serve at partner sites and attend weekly seminars featuring guest speakers from government and nonprofit sectors. Students will develop foundational professional skills, learn asset-based service approaches, and build networks through formal mentorship to prepare them for competitive opportunities in public service careers.

Megan Jackson said about this project:

Offering this training program is a pivotal moment for MPSS, opening up our 39-year-old program to freshmen and sophomores for the first time and providing crucial early-career public service opportunities. We are delighted to begin this work with these UMBC students, and we are incredibly grateful to Breaking Ground for their support of this pilot!

The BreakingGround initiative provides grants of up to $2,500 to UMBC faculty, staff, and students who want to launch or strengthen educational and community-building projects. These projects should, as a part of their work, foster civic agency: the ability to initiate and make meaningful contributions to social change. For more information, visit the BreakingGround website at civiclife.umbc.edu/breakingground.

"STRiVE gave me a community unlike any I've experienced before, and I am incredibly grateful to be a part of it. Learning in STRiVE was incredibly empowering with what I've learned about myself, my place in my community, and what I can do as a leader." — Lexi Malenfant '29, computer science

• Ben Bazarsuren '27, mechanical engineering (vice president for external programming, Student Events Board (seb))
• Carly Shearer '26, computer science (evaluation intern, Center for Democracy and Civic Life)
• Francheska Burrola '28, biological sciences (senator, Student Government Association (SGA))
• Keven Guruswamy '27, biological sciences (interfaith fellow, The Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-Being)
• Maryada Bhattarai '28, information systems (treasurer, Student Government Association (SGA); special projects intern, Center for Democracy and Civic Life)
• Nate Cullen '26, psychology (captain and president, UMBC Men's Rugby Team)
• Vannessa Morant '27, mechanical engineering (digital fabrication researcher, Designing pArticipatory futuREs (DARE) Lab)

• Dr. Ciara Christian, M.A. '18, applied sociology, Ph.D. '22, language, literacy and culture (co-director, Center for Social Justice Dialogue)
• Dr. James DeVita (assistant vice president for academic partnerships & high impact experiences, Division of Student Affairs)
• Dr. Jasmine Lee (associate vice president for community and culture, Division of Institutional Equity; co-director, Center for Social Justice Dialogue)

"STRiVE created a space for me to reflect on what kind of person I am and what kind of person I want to become in terms of leadership. It also created a space for me to acknowledge my strengths and weaknesses, and continue to work on ways to improve myself." — Nneamaka Ibe '26, biological sciences

• Angelina Jenkins (assistant director, The Mosaic: Center for Cultural Diversity, Student Engagement and Belonging)
• Matt Hoffman (director, Center for Religion, Spirituality, and Pluralism, Student Engagement and Belonging)
• Michael Canale (assistant director and Deaf & hard of hearing coordinator, Office of Student Disability Services)
• Dr. Ricky Blissett '11, bioinformatics and computational biology (associate director, Center for Democracy and Civic Life)
• Tiffani McGronan (health educator, Office of Health Promotion)
• Tori Ciorra (assistant director for student organizations, Student Engagement and Belonging)
• Trentqual Rhone (coordinator for political engagement, Center for Democracy and Civic Life)
• Wendy Low (coordinator, Center for Social Justice Dialogue)

"[By the end of STRiVE] I became a version of myself I had never seen: Uplifted, encouraged, and instilled with confidence and curiosity." — Olivia Robinson '29, biological sciences

"I adored this program and it helped me build a stronger sense of self. This is necessary in order to grow as a person, as a leader, and a community member/citizen. I'm so glad I participated in this as a freshman so I could implement it into my 4 years." — Kamarya Buckley '28, biological sciences

"Reflective, emotional, connective, and actionable, this program transformed how I see and move within spaces entirely by making me realize our collective agency. Want to learn how to make a change? Do this program." — Duncan Winger '29, philosophy and psychology

Program Agenda

• [5:30 - 5:55 p.m.] Program Start, Welcome, and Introductions
• [5:55 - 6:10 p.m.] What's On Your Plate?
• [6:10 - 6:20 p.m.] Two Dimensions of Thriving
• [6:20 - 7:15 p.m.] Values Alignment and Well-Being
• [7:15 - 7:30 p.m.] Program Closing

Community Standards

Food Menu

On Monday, February 2, we will host Dinner with Friends, an engaging, facilitated conversation that will connect you with other members of the UMBC community. 

Our conversations will be focused on two interrelated questions:

1. "How do you live your values in community?"

2. "How do you live a life that sustains you?"

We will explore challenges with thriving, share resources to support thriving, and generate ideas about how we, as a UMBC community, can improve thriving on campus.

This program, as a part of Winter Welcome Retrievers, will take place on February 2, 2026 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. in the University Center, UC 312. A catered dinner will be provided.

This program is a collaboration between the Center for Democracy and Civic Life and Student Belonging.

Please RSVP by January 28, 2026 to reserve your seat at this popular dinner program!

Alternative Spring Break (ASB) is a five-day immersive learning experience for UMBC undergraduate and graduate students to explore the systemic and human dimensions of complex social issues in Baltimore. Participants will spend much of the week in Baltimore City connecting with local leaders, policymakers, organizations, and community members, to gain a nuanced understanding of the resources and challenges related to their topic areas. The program supports students in linking their knowledge and interests to local contexts, and in identifying pathways for long-term community engagement.

This year's ASB program will take place from Monday, March 16 to Friday, March 20, 2026. Participants spend much of the week in small groups, each co-led by UMBC students trained by the Center for Democracy and Civic Life, exploring a specific topic in depth. 

This year's focus areas are:

• Housing Equity and Access
• Justice in Psychiatric Care
• Fostering LGBT+ Belonging in Schools

Complete the ASB 2026 application by TONIGHT at 11:59 p.m. EST. Accepted and waitlisted applicants will be notified via email in late January.

ASB is hosted by the Center for Democracy and Civic Life. More information is available on the the Center for Democracy and Civic Life website.

ASB is open for full participation by all undergraduate and graduate students 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.

Alternative Spring Break (ASB) is a five-day immersive learning experience for UMBC undergraduate and graduate students to explore the systemic and human dimensions of complex social issues in Baltimore. Participants will spend much of the week in Baltimore City connecting with local leaders, policymakers, organizations, and community members, to gain a nuanced understanding of the resources and challenges related to their topic areas. The program supports students in linking their knowledge and interests to local contexts, and in identifying pathways for long-term community engagement.

This year's ASB program will take place from Monday, March 16 to Friday, March 20, 2026. Participants spend much of the week in small groups, each co-led by UMBC students trained by the Center for Democracy and Civic Life, exploring a specific topic in depth. 

This year's focus areas are:

• Housing Equity and Access
• Justice in Psychiatric Care
• Fostering LGBT+ Belonging in Schools

Complete the ASB 2026 application by December 19, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. EST. Accepted and waitlisted applicants will be notified via email in late January.

ASB is hosted by the Center for Democracy and Civic Life. More information is available on the the Center for Democracy and Civic Life website.

ASB is open for full participation by all undergraduate and graduate students 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.