Real People Profiles: Andrew Brow

Sun, 05 Apr 2015 19:34:00 -0400
real-people-profiles

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: Andrew Brow

Hometown: Bowie, Maryland

Major: I am majoring in Mechanical Engineering and minoring in Entrepreneurship & Innovation

Q: How long have you been at UMBC?

A: Since Fall 2011.

Q: What is your current title (job or student organization position)?

A: Currently I work part time in Operations at The Commons, am the philanthropy chair for Pi Kappa Phi, serve on the Adaptive Sports Initiative Committee, work with the Sustainability Department at UMBC as a France Merrick Sustainability intern, and serve as the President of the student chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Q: In 12 words or less, what role(s) do you play on campus?

A: I actively search for ways to improve UMBC for everyone else.

Q: What aspect of your UMBC role(s) do you enjoy most?

A: The stories shared by the people I meet. I delve into many different facets of UMBC student life and get to meet some of the most fascinating individuals. Some of those people might seem like your "stereotypical UMBC student" but most, if not all, of them are just as involved or active as anyone. I try to not judge a "book" by its cover because I love being able to get page after page of information from my personal interactions with them.

Q: What is the most important or memorable thing you learned in college/have learned at UMBC?

A: Don't complain. If you're not willing to put in the work to solve a problem then it probably isn't as significant as you think it is. This goes for situations on the scale of the entire university as well as your day to day life.

Q: What is one way you have worked with others to make a positive difference at UMBC or in another community?

A: Last year (Spring 2014) I, along with close to a hundred other UMBC students helped students with severe disabilities, from Maiden Choice School, create various arts and crafts to add to large murals following the theme "Things that make me happy." This was a part of Pi Kappa Phi's Abilities Week, a week of activities to support and raise awareness for our philanthropy, The Ability Experience. The turn out for the event was beyond incredible and the feedback from Maiden Choice still moves me to this day. The awareness spread about our work with the philanthropy as well as being able to interact with Maiden Choice students is an invaluable takeaway from this event.

Q: Complete this sentence: "I am a big fan of __________"

A: Inspiration.

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: Students have a lot more power to create change on campus than they think. I wish I had learned that freshman or even sophomore year so I could have gotten a jump start on where I am now. Don't sit back while the university changes around you. Who knows, maybe you'll be the reason UMBC moves beyond its up and coming status!

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.