Suite News: February is Financial Aid Awareness Month!

Posted on February 16, 2017 by USG
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Taz Vargas

As the Financial Aid and Scholarship Specialist at USG, my goal is to help students make the best choice when it comes to funding their education. With State and institution deadlines right around the corner, I want students to have access to all of their available resources. During the month of February, students have the opportunity to get assistance with completing their FAFSA, attend workshops, and learn about the financial assistance options that will work best for them!

vision-boardOn February 23rd, I will be hosting a Financial Vision Board Workshop. What does a vision board have anything to do with financial aid awareness? Well, a lot! From speaking with students, I have learned that the thought of student loans after graduation can be extremely daunting. While planning workshops for Financial Aid Awareness Month, I want to incorporate workshops that will benefit students long after graduation. I think that creating vision boards can be an innovative way to get students thinking about their financial goals well before they finish school. Plus, it’s fun and easy!

The main benefit of setting these goals is to motivate students to set priorities and keep them on track with overall financial management. In many instances, student loans are the first time individuals are managing debt. I try to encourage students to borrow responsibly and to start thinking about repayment options early so that they can keep their payments affordable and avoid paying extra interest cost. From experience, I know how overwhelming it can be, I want to help alleviate any confusion and prepare students in advance!

I encourage you to attend all of our Financial Aid workshops this month:

Financial Aid Awareness Month Events and Workshops:

Financial Aid Q&A: Tuesday, February 21st 5:30-6:30pm Building III-2125

Financial Aid Vision Board Workshop: Thursday, February 23rd 3:00-4:00pm Building III-2131

Check out #TweetTuesdays! Each week we will cover topics including: Financial Aid, Scholarships, Loan Repayment options and much more! @USGStudentLife

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Suite News: Experiential Learning – What is it and Why Does it Matter?

Posted on February 9, 2017 by USG
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Jennifer Oliveira

Looking to secure a job or internship? Most likely, as a student at USG, you are. As a former student and alumnus of the Robert H. Smith School of Business’ General Business and Entrepreneurship Program at the Universities at Shady Grove (USG), I once was as well! As a student at USG, I utilized both Career Center resources from my home campus (UMCP) and USG to weigh my internship options while in school. I engaged in various on campus networking events offered by both USG’s Student and Academic Services Suite and the Smith School. I also participated in as many extracurricular activities as possible – being the Student Council President and sitting on the USG Board of Advisors in 2010-2011. After landing an investment banking job at Morgan Stanley and managing a team in Guadalajara, Mexico, for five years, I reflect back on how important my interactions while a student at USG were.

Today, I currently serve as the Acting Assistant Director for Employer Relations, previously a Career Advisor, within the Career and Internship Services Center at USG. The Career Center frequently hears students ask, “How can I make myself competitive and differentiate my qualifications from other applicants when applying for jobs?” The answer is summed up in one word — experience. Employers seek experience in any candidate, and experience will land you the internship needed to land the job. Experience must also start early, and must take place often.

The Career and Internship Services Center (CISC) provides opportunities for students to gain exposure to diverse industries, companies and employers prior to graduation through experiential learning. Through experiential learning, students have the ability to build upon existing knowledge of a particular industry and add value to their resume. Experience, in compilation to academic coursework, will contribute to the competitiveness of a student when seeking internships in school and jobs post-graduation.

So, how can students begin the experiential learning process? Start by visiting CISC, located in the SAS Suite (1st floor of Building III) to learn about upcoming internships, activities, and events. Students can easily search for available jobs and internship opportunities by making a Career Connector account. Schedule a career coaching appointment for resume and cover letter reviews, job search strategies, interview preparation and much more. The Career Center also encourages all students to attend these upcoming events:

First Look Fair
Tuesday, February 14, 11:30 am – 1:30 pm, Bldg. III Lobby

Spring Etiquette Dinner
Guest Speaker Carol Campbell Haislip, Director of The International School of Protocol Wednesday, March 8th, 5:00pm – 8:00pm, Bldg. II-1422, Multipurpose Room

Professionalism in the Workplace Workshop
Presented by Dr. Elliot Lasson, Program Director, UMBC I/O Psychology Program
Thursday, March 30th, 4:30pm – 5:30pm, Bldg. III-2203

LinkedIn Lab
Wednesday, April 5th, Photos: 12:00pm–6:00pm, Workshop 4:30pm–5:30 pm

Federal Job Opportunities Workshop
Presented by Corliss Jackson, President and CEO, Federal Job Results
Tuesday, April 25th, 2:00pm – 3:00pm (Undergrads) ; 4:00pm – 5:00pm (Grads)

For additional information visit the Career and Internship Services Center’s webpage or visit us in the SAS Suite. Also, be sure to connect with us on LinkedIn!

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Guest Post: Emily Molleur, Program Management Specialist in the Office of the Executive Director

Posted on February 6, 2017 by USG

The Impact of Poverty on Crime in Montgomery County

emilyOn Wednesday, January 25, 2017, students ViNiceia Carter and Michelle Nyden from the UMBC Social Work program and Camila Thorpe and Andrew Hart from the UMCP Criminology and Criminal Justice program, presented to the Montgomery County Criminal Justice Coordinating Commission (CJCC) regarding the relationship between intergenerational poverty and crime. Dr. Wendy Stickle, Program Director of the UMCP Criminology and Criminal Justice program and Katie Morris, Program Director of the UMBC Social Work program were the faculty advisors on this independent study project. Adam Binkley, of Center for Academic Success (CAS), worked closely with the students to improve their group work, writing, and presentation skills.  The students researched the issue of intergenerational poverty and crime and found disparities between non-impoverished and impoverished populations including health, behavioral health and emotional development, violence and criminality, and education.  These challenges are accentuated when an individual has a criminal record.

The students developed an interview protocol based on their research and interviewed nine county and state employees to pinpoint the challenges within Montgomery County.  The students organized their interview findings into several perspectives—the agency, community, and individual. The interviewees provided a lot of rich commentary.  By organizing in this way, it allowed for more actionable recommendations at the various levels. Findings relating to the individual perspective primarily included individuals having a lack of resources or knowledge about education, housing, healthcare, behavioral health, addiction programs, employment, childcare, and financial support.

The interviews showed that, from the agency prospective, programming options are limited, especially those focused on early interventions, gang involvement, and alternatives to incarceration.  Based on their preliminary findings, the students concluded that the county should focus on providing more programming, improve inter-agency collaboration, and develop a method of tracking criminal outcomes.

Challenges from the community perspective included housing segregation caused by economic status, low-income living challenges, such as educational opportunity disparities, a lack of youth programming, increased police attention, a disconnect from the larger Montgomery County community, and misconceptions of the financial make-up within the county.

Resulting from the literature review and interviews, the students proposed suggestions to the commission about future actions to take within the county. The CJCC strongly supported the recommendations and followed up with some questions and suggestions for the students to include in their work, which the students will continue throughout the spring semester.  Please congratulate them on their success and hard work!

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Left to Right (Back): V. Glenn Fueston, Jr., Andrew Hart, Katie Morris, Marylin Pierre, (Front) ViNiceia Carter,  Camila Thorpe, Michelle Nyden, Dr. Wendy Stickle, and Dr. Raymond Crowel

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Suite News: How the Student and Academic Services Suite can help you succeed!

Posted on February 2, 2017 by USG

judystreeterHello Everyone; my name is Judy Streeter;  you will find me in USG’s Student and Academic Services (SAS). Let me tell you why I love to work here and what our SAS team can do to support you in achieving your goals.  I realized long ago that my college experience was significant in shaping my successes and me; and that is why I am here.

Before joining USG, I worked in the hospitality business world for more than 35 years from entry-level hourly jobs to executive positions. I really wanted to make my second career in academics; contributing to current students’ success.  After retiring from the business world ten years ago, I was thrilled to begin my second career as a Program Director and a Faculty member at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s Hospitality and Tourism Management program at USG. While I continue to teach each semester, four years ago I accepted an offer to join the Student and Academic Services Team at USG.

SAS is all about providing programs and services to help you achieve your goals, whether that be help getting a job or internship, having fun and gaining leadership experience on campus, or being supported when you are feeling stressed.

Let me share with you the many ways we are here to help you.

Office of Student Services (OSS)
Need to get your USG ID? Stop by OSS! Do you need help with scholarships or financial aid? The OSS team can answer your questions. We also support student organizations, veteran and international student services, and leadership development.

Center for Academic Success (CAS)
Need help with writing papers or study skills? The CAS team can help you by providing academic coaching, writing consultations, disability support, and great workshops to help you achieve your academic goals!

Career & Internship Services Center (CISC)
Looking for a job or internship? CISC staff will provide one-on-one coaching to help improve your resume and cover letter, enhance your job search strategies and even prepare you for interviews!  Find jobs and internships on our USG Career Connector.

Center for Counseling & Consultation (CCC)
Need a safe place where you can talk about some life’s stressors or other personal concerns?  The CCC team has licensed therapists who will provide you free and confidential services; including personal/relationship counseling; career and major counseling and skills workshops.

Student Life
Do you want to get involved and make a difference? The team in OSS provides many ways for you to get involved in the USG community. We provide opportunities for you to develop your leadership skills, to take part in community service and to attend social events on campus.

The team of friendly professionals in Student and Academic Services (SAS) are ready to help you succeed! We provide services and programming for all undergraduate and graduate students from all of USG’s nine partner universities.

Stop in the SAS Suite, Building III, first floor for access to our services or find us on the USG website to make an appointment.

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Harvey-Danner Family Awards $85,500 for ACES Scholarships to USG and MC

Posted on January 11, 2017 by USG

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The Universities at Shady Grove (USG) and Montgomery College (MC) have been awarded a $85,500 scholarship fund from the Harvey-Danner Family to support students in the Achieving Collegiate Excellence and Success (ACES) program.

Through a collaboration between Montgomery County Public Schools, Montgomery College, and the Universities at Shady Grove, ACES creates a smooth educational pathway from high school to community college to university using a one-on-one mentoring approach for students often unrepresented in higher education. The ACES program currently serves more than 1,800 high school and college students.

The Universities at Shady Grove will receive a total of $56,000 and Montgomery College will receive a total of $29,500 over five years. These scholarships will be awarded to full-time students in the ACES program who meet certain criteria, and the recipients will continue to receive this award throughout their studies at Montgomery College and the Universities at Shady Grove.

Patricia Harvey commented, “I am very pleased I am able to help support students on their path to earning a bachelor’s degree through the ACES program. I look forward to getting to know them and working with them.”

“We appreciate the support of Patricia Harvey and her family. Through her generosity, ACES students will have the opportunity to stay in school and complete their bachelor’s degree,” said Stewart Edelstein, Executive Director of the Universities at Shady Grove.

“We are so grateful to Patricia Harvey for this generous gift which will have a profound impact on the lives of our students for years to come,” said Dr. DeRionne P. Pollard, President of Montgomery College.

 

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USG Receives $80,000 Florence Nesh Charitable Trust Grant to Help Fund Scholarships

Posted on January 9, 2017 by USG

30535464113_7deae2ef8e_kThe Universities at Shady Grove (USG) has been awarded a $80,000 grant from the Florence Nesh Charitable Trust to support scholarships which helps deserving students majoring in healthcare fields to realize their academic and career goals.

This grant will help address the extraordinary financial challenges transfer students face. Since institutional tuition support often goes to incoming freshmen, transfer students must rely on federal grants or loans if scholarship support is not available. This cumulative burden endangers transfer students’ persistence in attaining a four-year degree, impacting the student, the workforce, and the larger community.

This grant will support scholarships of $2,500 – $3,000/ year for more than 30 academically deserving community college transfer students in healthcare majors. Additional funding will help lift students’ financial burden, allowing them to achieve their educational goals quickly, and remain in the region to address the growing demand for qualified healthcare workers.

“The single greatest barrier to students earning a baccalaureate degree is not lack of academic ability – it is lack of resources to finance their education. In healthcare majors, the financial burden is often magnified – the course work is increasingly challenging requiring substantial classroom study and clinical training commitments. This grant from the Florence Nesh Charitable Trust will help students complete their degree and graduate career-ready,” commented USG’s Executive Director, Dr. Stewart Edelstein.

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Fall 2016 Student Spotlight Video

Posted on December 6, 2016 by USG

The Fall 2016 Student Spotlight video features University of Maryland Eastern Shore student’s Camille Clennon-Hilmy and Beatrice Malondras. Camille and Beatrice talk about their experiences as interns at Hilton hotels and the management skills they learned which will prepare them to graduate career-ready.

The video also features Kimo Kippen, Chief Learning Officer at Hilton Worldwide and Jasmyn Franklin, Campus Recruiter for Hilton Worldwide, who talk about the importance of internships for students and gaining valuable leadership skills.

Beatrice recently accepted a position with Hilton Worldwide and will start working after she graduates this month.

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Guest Post: Sumaiya Latif, UMES Hospitality and Tourism Management Student

Posted on November 22, 2016 by USG

The 2016 Hunger Banquet 

 

USG Scholarship & donor luncheon

Sumaiya Latif, UMES Hospitality and Tourism Management Student

The 2016 Oxfam Hunger Banquet was held on November 15th, 2016 and was planned and organized by The USG Student Council. The Campus Kitchens Project was also involved as the event required food for individuals with Lower Income, Middle Income and Upper Income. The participants got to spend the evening with members of the community learning, experiencing, and working to right the wrong of global poverty and injustice.

This is the first time I got to experience the Hunger Banquet and I was very surprised. I was overwhelmed by the number of people that came to show their support. In the beginning of the school year, when I found out about the hunger banquet, I immediately wanted to help any way I could because I truly believe no one deserves to go to bed hungry. When I was a teenager, I witnessed hunger with my own eyes. Even though I have never suffered from hunger myself, I have seen little children on the side of the road suffering from hunger. I have seen kids begging for money so they could buy a piece of bread and feed their hungry stomach. I wanted to help those hungry kids in Bangladesh but I couldn’t because I was just Fourteen. When I came to United States, I noticed the same problem but this time things are different. I am not a teenager anymore. I am an adult who cares about the community and the people who live here.

I decided to get involved and that’s also why I decided to serve as the president of Campus Kitchens Project for this school year. Events like The Hunger Banquet are so crucial for our society because it makes a big difference when it comes to informing others about how serious hunger and poverty is. Many people know that hunger exists in our community but they don’t know how badly it affects individuals. I truly believe a lot of the people who came to this event learned a lot as it was an interactive experience designed to raise awareness about poverty in a fun and enlightening way. It was an honor to be a part of such an amazing event and I am sure a lot of the other attendees can say the same.

 

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Guest Post: Gabriella Faty, USG Career Services Coordinator

Posted on November 7, 2016 by USG

MAKE THAT CONNECTION COUNT!

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I am a product of The Universities at Shady Grove (USG). I first started at USG as a student in the Political Science program at UMBC. During that time, I became a student worker for the Center for Academic Success (CAS). I was the receptionist and first point of contact for students looking to schedule appointments with a writing coach. Fast forward two years and I’m now working as a Career Services Coordinator in the Career & Internship Services Center (CISC). One of the most fulfilling parts of my job is spreading awareness about resources that are available to students that can help further their professional development.

One thing that I emphasize with students, is the importance of networking and creating a LinkedIn profile. Having your LinkedIn profile up-to-date and active is highly recommended. What’s even better is knowing how to use LinkedIn to your advantage. One tip that I like to offer students is to connect with people who visit your LinkedIn profile. When you see someone from an awesome company in the «Who’s viewed my Profile » section, reach out to them ! That is what networking is all about.

You can also research companies to see if they’re currently hiring for any positions that fall in line with your experience. If you find one, pull the required documents together and apply! Then, head back to that person’s profile and send a personalized connection request. Here is an example:

Hi Jen,

Great to connect with you here!

I see you work as an Account Executive at Company X. I recently submitted my application for an open Sales Representative position there, and I’m looking forward to finding out more about the opportunity—it seems like an awesome place to work!

Best,

Joe

Another good tip is to see if you have anything in common with the person, like going to the same school or volunteering for the same cause, and feel free to mention it. LinkedIn can be bring you great results in your job search if you put in a little bit of work. Plus, people are always impressed by personal touches. Now head over to LinkedIn, create your profile, start making those connections and don’t forget to connect with The Universities at Shady Grove on LinkedIn!

To learn more about LinkedIn attend the upcoming CISC LinkedIn Workshop:

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Guest Post: Haminat Kareem, Political Science Student Organization Co-President, UMBC Political Science Student

Posted on November 2, 2016 by USG

The Election of 2016: Brief Reflections on this Deviant Cycle

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Haminat Kareem (left) and Bianca-Marie Livioco (right)

This semester, I am taking a course on the U.S. Presidential Election; as a co-president of the Political Science Student Organization (PSSO) at UMBC-Shady Grove, I knew we would host an election related event and I wanted to have a better understanding of the process. In addition, I thought it would help me to understand the chaos of the Republican primaries, which we all watched cringing at almost every turn.

Now, mid-way through the semester, I realize that the election so feverishly covered by the media and the ‘deciding moments’ that are endlessly replayed and ‘analysed’ by the media (and everyone else) do not tell as much as one would think about how and why a candidate wins an election. It turns out the process is much more complicated and it is predictable with sufficient examination of patterns from past elections. However, there are deviations from patterns and this cycle provides a great example.

This current election cycle challenges some patterns, for instance we saw unconventional candidates on the Republican and Democratic sides rise to prominence in a political context where parties appeal broadly to a coalition of supporters. These candidates gained a lot of support in a political context that considers their positions to be extreme, too much ‘on-the-fringe’ for both sides—Donald Trump in the Republican Party and Bernie Sanders in the Democratic Party.

The socialism purported by Sanders was criticized for being too far-left for the Democratic Party, yet he got overwhelming support, especially from younger Americans. Ultimately, it was not enough support and Hilary Clinton secured the Democratic nomination. Usually a candidate like Trump does not win the nomination of a major political party, he did not set up a strong field organization and he did not organize a fundraising base. Yet he won the Republican nomination, and amassed great public support in the process.

This cycle, beyond the drama and great dislike between the two major candidates, shows the great disaffection Americans have with the current two-party system. Although the full effects of this unusual cycle remain to be seen, there is now a large group of Americans who desperately want to see change in the system and their sheer number and collective disaffection raises some important questions. Will the Republican Party or the Democratic Party be able to absorb and represent the interests of these disaffected Americans? Will this force a reorganization of the parties? If so, will the parties survive a thorough reorganization?

Students at USG, join PSSO on Tuesday, November 8th from 7-10pm in the Green Grove Cafe to learn about the electoral process, the candidates, and see who will win.

 Don’t Forget to Vote!

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