All posts by: Sarah Hansen, M.S. '15

Emily Escobedo, record-setting swimmer, to pursue career in special education

Emily Escobedo
B.A., Psychology
Cum Laude
Hometown: New Rochelle, New York
Plans: Early childhood education certificate, UMBC

When I was invited to be a part of the swim team at UMBC, I never would have thought I would be able to accomplish so much. The coaching staff and my teammates have helped me do more than I ever dreamed I could have over the last four years.

With six school records, six America East gold medals, and an NCAA championship bronze medal to her name, Emily Escobedo is graduating from UMBC as one of the most decorated swimmers in university history.

Escobedo participated in NCAA championships for all four of her undergraduate years, and in her senior year has been named an NCAA All-American. She was the America East Rookie of the Year as a freshman, and has since been named the conference’s Swimmer of the Year four times. This past summer, she was selected to participate in the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials, placing 10th in the 200-meter breaststroke.

While winning medals in the pool, Escobedo has also excelled academically, making the America East Honor Roll for 2013-14, the America East All-Academic Team in 2014-15, and earning America East All-Academic Honors for 2015-16. She credits her coaches with pushing her to succeed both athletically and academically, and her teammates for their support.

Escobedo particularly enjoyed studying psychology and early childhood education at UMBC, and a student teaching placement at the Marley Glen Special School cemented her interest in special education as a career. After graduation, she will work at a camp for children with disabilities before returning to UMBC to finish her early childhood education certificate in the fall. Following the certificate, she will begin a graduate degree program in special education.

Portrait by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Heather Frank to pursue Ph.D. at Harvard after Summers Lab nurtured her passion for HIV research

Heather Frank
B.S., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Summa Cum Laude
Hometown: Rawlings, Maryland
Plans: Ph.D., Harvard University

The amazing mentorship I have received at UMBC has brought me the courage and confidence I needed to apply to competitive graduate programs and pursue my Ph.D.… The environment here provided me all the opportunities so I could become my best self.

Heather Frank is an accomplished biochemist whose experiences in Michael Summers’s lab have grown and supported her passion for research. From her work in the lab, “I learned how to push myself to work hard even when experiments did not go well, and how to utilize results that were unexpected,” she says. “I also learned to truly love the process of research, whether it is a success or a failure.”

Frank’s work, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, has contributed to characterization of the HIV genome and the virus’ interaction with accessory proteins. She shares, “I developed a passion for understanding how processes work at a molecular level and performing research that can be utilized in the development of new therapies for patients.”

Frank is a member of the inaugural cohort of Hill-Lopes Scholars, a UMBC program that supports women in STEM fields. She also received the American Chemical Society Chesapeake Chemist Award and UMBC Faculty Award for Excellence. In addition to her work in the lab, Frank serves as the lead resident assistant in UMBC Residential Life..

Thinking back on her time at UMBC, Frank says, “The environment here provided me all the opportunities so I could become my best self.” Accepted to several top-ranked graduate programs, she will pursue a Ph.D. in biochemistry at Harvard University.

Portrait by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Kayla Smith, student health advocate, to attend Brooklyn Law School

Kayla Smith
B.A., Interdisciplinary Studies (Public Health Advocacy)
Hometown: Laurel, Maryland
Plans: J.D., Brooklyn Law School

Iron sharpens iron, and at UMBC I have been given the space to interact with and learn from people who challenge me and push me to be my best.

Kayla Smith has steadfastly dedicated her time at UMBC to serve as an advocate and educator for fellow students, particularly in areas related health and wellbeing.

Smith is a three-year peer health educator, worked as chair of the Sexual Health Committee in the Health Promotion Office at UMBC University Health Services, and served as executive director of the Student Government Association’s Department of Health and Wellness. She has also served as both an intern and a student staff member for the Women’s Center, and worked as an Introduction to an Honors University peer facilitator.

Smith received the Black Girls Rock Community Activist Award for her work to raise awareness about sexual assault and mental illness. She has also served as a campus representative for the sexual health website Bedsider, operated by the nonprofit National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.

In keeping with her legal aspirations, Smith has served as a justice on the Student Judicial Programs Hearing Board and a member of UMBC’s Mock Trial team. Throughout her years on Mock Trial, she has received eight awards for her performance on the team, which recently competed for the first time in the national championship tournament, hosted by UCLA.

Through all of these experiences, Smith says, “UMBC has given me the opportunity to learn in an environment that fosters growth. I have grown in my ability to advocate for myself, achieve my goals, and most importantly, live up to my fullest potential.”

Smith will attend Brooklyn Law School in New York City after graduation.

Image: Portrait by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Danielle Allison advocates for student veterans on campus

Danielle Allison
B.A., Political Science; B.A., Asian Studies
Magna Cum Laude
Hometown: Columbia, Maryland
Plans: U.S. Department of Defense

During orientation, all incoming students were encouraged to be involved on campus…in civic agency as students who could have an impact on the direction of UMBC’s culture and policies…[and] in research and conferences, even at the undergraduate level. This all sounded too good to be true at the time. Yet my experiences at UMBC proved it to be true.

As both a student veteran and the first in her family to go to college, Danielle Allison wanted to pursue her education in a place where she was confident her experience and perspective would be valued. At UMBC, she not only found that place, she was also able to advocate to make that place better for students like her.

Allison has served as project manager for the Veteran Peer Mentors program, regularly working with staff, faculty, and administrators across UMBC to expand and streamline supports for veterans. Initiatives included everything from reviewing and improving services available to student veterans to increasing their visibility and recognition on campus.

Reflecting on her time at UMBC, Allison shares her gratitude for the supportive faculty and staff she found on campus from the very beginning. She says:

When I was deciding whether I wanted to transfer to UMBC I made an appointment with a professor in the political science department and the director of Asian studies to get some advice. The fact that they both made time for me impressed me a great deal on how UMBC prioritizes its students. They listened to my concerns patiently and gave me honest opinions. I knew then that UMBC was the place for me.

Allison is a recipient of both the Outstanding Scholar-Leader Award in political science and the Academic Excellence Award in Asian studies. Her academic excellence has also been recognized through induction into multiple honors societies, including Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, and Omicron Delta.

Portrait by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Daniela Mujica-Martorell, undergraduate researcher and polyglot, studies design across cultures

Daniela Mujica-Martorell
B.A., Asian Studies; B.A., Global Studies; B.F.A., Design
Magna Cum Laude, Certificate: Honors College
Hometown: Arequipa, Peru
Plans: Applying for a Fulbright scholarship to South Korea

My professors and mentors at UMBC have never told me to curb my ambitions or endeavors, and have thus helped me find my best self. I am convinced that UMBC has given me unique opportunities no other university would have, and for that I am incredibly grateful.

A passionate undergraduate researcher, Daniela Mujica-Martorell is interested in how the concept of “design” can shift and change in different cultural contexts. As a U.S. immigrant who frequently transferred between schools growing up, Mujica-Martorell is no stranger to change, and says UMBC has given her a strong sense of belonging and community not felt anywhere else. She is thankful for the campus’ inclusive culture, which she says has provided her many opportunities to explore what it means to be a global citizen.

This past year, she worked with Kyung-Eun Yoon, modern languages and linguistics, on an URCAD project that explored the impact of globalization on design processes in South Korea, and in 2015 she studied abroad at Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan. During her time at UMBC, she has also been involved with the campus Korean Dance Club and the Japanese Student Association. Already fluent in Spanish, English, French, and Japanese, she is working on adding Korean to her repertoire. More recently, she has performed translation work on a research project for the psychology department.

japan_sushi class photo

Mujica-Martorell is a member of several honors societies, including Phi Beta Kappa, Omicron Delta Kappa, and Golden Key. She has served as senior managing editor for Bartleby, UMBC’s literary arts journal; an architecture and engineering assistant for Facilities Management; a student reviewer for the visual arts department promotion and tenure committee; and as a teaching assistant for an undergraduate course in international law. She has also participated in UMBC’s Camerata.

Mujica-Martorell plans to apply for a Fulbright scholarship, where she hopes to travel to South Korea to continue her research on the role of design in shaping national and cultural identities.

Portrait by Alison Kreckmann.

Kaitlin Smith, leader in vibrant campus life, to pursue graduate study in student affairs

Kaitlin Smith
B.A., Media and Communication Studies
Cum Laude
Hometown: Perryville, Maryland
Plans: M.A., Morgan State University

Finding my place in college is one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me… My involvement in student life, admissions and orientation, and student affairs connected me to people who believed in my abilities, gave me the support and strength to pursue many different avenues…and gave me the opportunity to help others find their passions and place at UMBC.

As a freshman, Kaitlin Smith was performing well in her classes and making friends, but she had a nagging feeling that she wasn’t making the most of her college experience. That changed when a staff member encouraged her to get involved in the Orientation Peer Advisor program, which opened the door to her involvement and leadership in campus life.

Smith completed an internship focused on campus safety with the Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs, joined the service-focused Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority, became a coach for STRiVE (an intensive student leadership development program), served as a Woolie (a UMBC Welcome Week leader), and became a trainer with the Green Dot bystander intervention program.

In her senior year she has served as undergraduate fellow in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and Orientation, and as president of UMBC’s highly active Student Events Board (seb). On the academic side, she also served as president of the Media and Communications Studies Council of Majors.

Smith’s experiences have inspired her to pursue a master’s degree in higher education and student affairs administration at Morgan State University, to ensure future students have access to the same kinds of college experiences that brought so much meaning to her time at UMBC.

Austin Maduka, dedicated mentor, to pursue M.D./Ph.D. at Duke University

Austin Maduka
B.S. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Cum Laude
Hometown: New Carrollton, Maryland
Plans: M.D./Ph.D., Duke University

UMBC has provided the best environment for me to challenge myself, discover new passions, and grow both personally and academically. I know that the network of friends and mentors I have made at UMBC will continue to support my growth for years to come.

Austin Maduka graduates from UMBC with a wealth of research experience and an ongoing commitment to supporting up and coming STEM students as they discover their passions and work through early challenges in their studies.

During his time at UMBC, Maduka worked in research labs at Johns Hopkins University for three years, in addition to spending two summers conducting research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He credits these experiences with helping him develop his confidence as a scientific researcher and his science communication skills. He further refined those skills through award-winning presentations at professional conferences, serving as a chemistry tutor at UMBC, and publishing his work as co-author of a peer-reviewed article in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Maduka is a Meyerhoff Scholar and MARC U*STAR trainee at UMBC. He received the ASBMB Marion B. Sewer Scholarship for Undergraduates, recognizing his deep interest in a biochemistry and molecular biology career and his commitment to enhancing diversity in science. As a UMBC junior, he also received the Lisë K. Satterfield Scholarship, which honors an exceptional chemistry student with research experience. Additionally, he is a founding member of the Phi Delta Epsilon Medical Fraternity.

Maduka’s commitment to giving back to fellow aspiring scientists runs deep. With Daniel Ocasio [link], he co-founded Achievement and Inspiration through Mentorship (AIM), which provides long-term mentoring to underserved teens in Baltimore City. He tutors in chemistry and biology at UMBC and is a Meyerhoff peer advisor, as well as an Eagle Scout.

Writing about his own educational path, and what motivates him to mentor younger students, Maduka recently shared in ASBMB Today:

“It is crucial to realize that support can change a person’s trajectory in life, especially for people in minority, inner-city communities… Although I had a positive outcome, many like me do not. Whenever possible, be a source of support for others. It may have a bigger impact than you would expect.”

This fall, Maduka will pursue a combined M.D./Ph.D. at Duke University.

Portrait by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Jaelyn Bos applies passion for ecology to teaching biology in Mozambique

Jaelyn Bos
B.A., Biological Sciences; B.S., Environmental Science
Summa Cum Laude, Certificate: Honors College
Hometown: Columbia, Maryland
Plans: Biology teacher, Peace Corps, Mozambique

My experiences with the Shriver Center were my most meaningful at UMBC, and they showed me how to incorporate social change into my future ambitions. I appreciate how UMBC encourages and empowers students to create change on and off campus.

Jaelyn Bos has long been committed to leadership through service, and throughout her time at UMBC she has sought out experiences to grow her ability to impact local and global issues, from her time in the Shriver Living Learning Community to her study abroad experience in Ecuador.

Bos served as the community outreach coordinator for Arbutus Achievers, a group that supports students at Arbutus Middle School who are striving to move past challenges. She won a BreakingGround grant to organize Service Fest, an on-campus event that brought together local non-profits with potential student volunteers. She also created the “One UMBC, One Baltimore” interactive online map to share information about Shriver Center outreach activities. By her senior year, Bos was named France-Merrick Fellow for her “exemplary commitment to service, leadership, and civic engagement on the UMBC campus and in Baltimore City.

Bos bridges her commitment to social justice with a passion for ecology, undertaking internships at the National Park Service and Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, and holding a research assistant position with Matthew Baker, professor of geography and environmental systems. It is this combined interest in community engagement, ecology, and passion for learning that has inspired Bos’s next step after graduation: teaching biology to secondary school students in Mozambique as a Peace Corps fellow.

Portrait by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Emily Melluso to continue social justice work through applied sociology master’s at UMBC

Emily Melluso
B.A., Biological Sciences; B.A., Sociology
Magna Cum Laude
Hometown: Union Bridge, Maryland
Plans: M.A., UMBC

My experiences have shown me the importance of self-determination and the need for students to recognize their own power within their communities and beyond them.

Emily Melluso arrived at UMBC with a broad vision of serving communities facing challenges. Over the course of her undergraduate years, she refined that vision and strengthened her commitment to social justice work through on-and off-campus experiences that helped her “consider the ways in which people struggle at UMBC and in our neighboring communities in Baltimore City.”

Melluso has served fellow students through such leadership and mentorship roles as an SGA ProveIt! coordinator, IHU peer facilitator, STRiVE coach, resident assistant, and Imagining America undergraduate fellows coordinator. This year she co-led the “Seeing Baltimore” alternative spring break trip, which connected students to social justice work in the city.

In recognition of her academic excellence, Melluso has been recognized as a member of Alpha Kappa Delta (the international honors society for sociology) and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. After graduation, Melluso will pursue a master’s in applied sociology at UMBC while continuing her community education and organizing work in Baltimore.

Portrait by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Ryan Atkinson, ice hockey MVP, to attend medical school on U.S. Air Force scholarship

Ryan Atkinson
B.S. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Summa Cum Laude
Hometown: Vacaville, California
Plans: M.D., University of Southern California School of Medicine

Playing hockey at UMBC has helped me grow so much as an individual and as a leader. The people I encountered playing hockey are a huge reason why I am heading to medical school this fall.

Ryan Atkinson has excelled as a scholar-athlete at UMBC, and also as a scientist. Atkinson served as captain and president of UMBC’s club ice hockey team during his junior and senior years, receiving UMBC Club Sport Athlete of the Year and league MVP honors, as well as the 2016 Lou Cantori Award, given to an outstanding UMBC scholar-athlete in a club sport.

Ryan Atkinson playing hockey with teammate

While competing, Atkison also maintained a 4.0 GPA and contributed to two journal articles based on his research in Suzanne Rosenberg’s immunology lab. This fall, he will head to the University of Southern California School of Medicine on a U.S. Air Force Health Professions Scholarship.

“UMBC has helped me achieve my goals by pushing me academically while also providing the resources to explore potential career pathways until I settled on one that was right for me,” Atkinson shares. “The professors on this campus were instrumental in providing guidance and opportunities throughout my time here.”

Portrait by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Da’Kuawn Johnson, future M.D./Ph.D., combines commitments to research and peer mentorship

Da’Kuawn Johnson
B.S., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Cum Laude, Certificate: Honors College
Hometown: Baltimore City
Plans: M.D./Ph.D., University of Maryland, Baltimore

Having the guidance from the Meyerhoff program has allowed me to come in with a dream and leave with it being reality.

UMBC’s supportive environment and game-changing guidance offered by peer and faculty mentors have inspired Da’Kuawn Johnson to focus on what he could give back as a mentor to others—in the classroom, in the lab, and in campus life. “UMBC embodies students giving back to their peers,” he says. “I spent my college career in a give and take relationship where older students provided guidance, and my classmates and I worked as a team to achieve success.”

As a Meyerhoff, HHMI, MARC U*STAR, and Kevin Yang and Katelyn Niu Scholar, Johnson has taken advantage of research opportunities in Jeffrey Gardner’s bacterial physiology lab, earning an Undergraduate Research Award for his work and presenting at the Summer Undergraduate Research Fest. Meanwhile, he served as a Learning Resources Center tutor, undergraduate teaching assistant in biological sciences, and justice on the UMBC Student Hearing Board in the Office of Student Judicial Programs, which promotes “personal integrity, civility, self-responsibility, citizenship, and appreciation for diversity” at the university.

“I did all of these things because other students did them for me,” Johnson shares.

On top of his research and service, Johnson is a classical pianist. Next, he will pursue a combined M.D./Ph.D. at the University of Maryland, Baltimore.

Photos by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Brandon Enriquez, USM student regent, heads to economics Ph.D. at MIT

Brandon Enriquez
B.A., Economics; B.S., Mathematics
Summa Cum Laude, Certificate: Honors College
Hometown: Ellicott City, Maryland
Plans: Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology

There are many talented and intelligent college graduates in the world against whom I must compete. My advantage comes through the support I receive from my school, through how I am pushed by mentors to be innovative and creative. UMBC provides that support.

How do financial aid packages affect retention rates for low-income college students? What would happen if remedial courses stopped after the two-year community college level? These are the kinds of challenging, highly complex higher education policy questions that interest Meyerhoff Scholar Brandon Enriquez, which he’s examined through research at Harvard and MIT, and service to the University System of Maryland as student regent for 2016-17.

As student regent, Enriquez is a voice for over 18,000 students systemwide. On campus, he is president of the UMBC College Democrats, co-president and founder of the UMBC TED Club, a member of the Phi Kappa Phi fraternity, and has served as an Alternative Spring Break trip leader.

In recognition of his leadership and exceptional academic and extracurricular accomplishments, Enriquez was named a finalist for the Marshall and Rhodes scholarships this year. After considering opportunities in doctoral programs at Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and the University of Chicago, and he has decided to pursue his Ph.D. in economics with a full fellowship at MIT.

Image: Portrait by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

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