I’m asking some of the people you might encounter on the UMBC campus, including students, faculty and staff, to answer a few questions about themselves and their experiences. These are their responses.
Hometown: Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Q: How long have you been at UMBC?
A: 1.5 years.
Q: In 12 words or less, what role(s) do you play on campus?
A: I am a UMBC storyteller.
Q: What aspect of your UMBC role(s) do you enjoy most?
A: I love hearing students' stories and sharing their successes through writing, photography and videos.
Q: What is the most important or memorable thing you learned in college/have learned at UMBC?
A: The most important thing I learned in college was how to communicate. When I say "communicate," I don't necessarily mean in the academic sense. Sure, I learned how to structure a story and how to give a presentation to a room. But more importantly, I learned how to communicate with people - how to listen to their stories, share some of my own and establish meaningful relationships with others. (I should note that I am still, and continuously, learning how to be a better communicator.)
I also learned the importance of friendship by surrounding myself with an insanely talented and beautiful group of people. My dad always said you are who you surround yourself with.
Q: Complete this sentence: “I am a big fan of __________”
A: Lobsters. But not to eat. Just to look at and decorate with. And admittedly, it's more like an "obsession" than a "big fan."
Q: Do you have any UMBC stories, little-known facts about UMBC, favorite spots on campus, or anything else you’d like to share?
A: Even though it gets crowded quickly, the RAC has become a second home for me (especially when it's too cold outside to run). One day a few months ago, I was running on the treadmill and noticed this girl staring at me. I figured it was my mismatched outfit or the food on my face (that I always feel is there for some reason - even if it's not). Instead she shouted across treadmill noise and pounding sneakers that I looked familiar. I told her she was probably thinking of someone else, that there was no way we knew each other. It turns out she was a student, had read my blog before and remembered my picture from the site. "Does your blog have something to do with lobsters?" she asked. I immediately starting laughing.
This is just one example of the many "small world" connections I've made at UMBC. I keep meeting people who know people that I know or know me; it's great! It was also my first blog sighting, so that was pretty cool :).