We're asking some of the people you might encounter on the UMBC campus, including students, faculty, staff and alumni, to answer a few questions about themselves and their experiences. These are their responses.
Name: Romy Jones
Hometown: Borna, Germany
Q: How long have you been at UMBC?
A: Since January 2008.
Q: What is your current title (job or student organization position)?
A: Community Liaison in the Office of Graduate Student Life/Graduate Student Association.
Q: In 12 words or less, what role(s) do you play on campus?
A: Ph.D. student in Language, Literacy, and Culture (LLC); Community Liaison; Orientation Advisor.
Q: What aspect of your UMBC role(s) do you enjoy most?
A: I mostly enjoy the discussions with my fellow LLC students in my role as Ph.D. student. Because of the interdisciplinarity of the program, there are always new insights to gain and new perspectives to discover. These discussions remind me to keep an open mind and to check my assumptions and beliefs.
As Community Liaison I enjoy collaborating with fellow graduate students, the university administration, faculty and staff. There is so much work behind the scenes that contributes to the unique character of UMBC, and I am very excited to be part of that process.
In my role as Orientation Advisor I greatly enjoy welcoming incoming undergraduate students and aiding them in their transition to UMBC. Having transferred to UMBC during my junior year, I know firsthand the importance of a friendly smile and advice during a time of transition. I am glad to now be one of the first individuals to greet new students and make an impact on their university experience.
Q: What is the most important or memorable thing you learned in college/have learned at UMBC?
A: There have been so many...One of the most important pieces of advice is probably to be prepared to be changed when doing ethnographic research and/or qualitative interviews. Because of my research interests, I tend to interview individuals who are marginalized and experience discrimination. Their stories and experiences undoubtedly make me see our society more critical and thereby change my perspectives and assumptions.
Q: Complete this sentence: "I am a big fan of __________"
A: Reading, traveling, watching documentaries.
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: One of my favorite spots on campus is the Fireside Lounge. The big window is great for reading and I enjoy the loungy atmosphere.
Co-Create UMBC is a blog for and about UMBC, written by David Hoffman and Craig Berger from the Office of Student Life. Join the Co-Create UMBC group on MyUMBC. Like Co-Create UMBC on Facebook. And follow David and Craig on Twitter.
