Guests enjoyed dances choreographed and performed by UMBC students.

There is no question that one of the secrets to UMBC’s incredible success is our dedicated donors. This past fall, we took an evening to say a special thank you to a very important group of our supporters, the Hilltop Society. These generous leadership donors support the university annually with gifts of $1,000 or more, providing powerful support for research, teaching, student activities, financial aid, and more. Their leadership gifts make an incredible difference to the University—and to every student at UMBC.

In November, we invited Hilltop Society members to join us in the new Performing Arts and Humanities Building. That night, they had the opportunity to meet the students and faculty they are supporting. They also enjoyed dances that were choreographed by some of our talented UMBC students.

Dr. Freeman Hrabowski visits with donors Joy and Kingsley Achikeh and scholarship recipient Marta Stachorowski.

Two UMBC students, Markus Proctor, interdisciplinary studies, and Emily Grace, English, shared their stories with donors. Grace, a humanities scholar, shared her experiences as a member of UMBC’s Engineers Without Borders, a program that gives students a chance to create a more stable and prosperous world by addressing people’s basic human needs, such as clean water, power, sanitation, and education.

Proctor, recipient of the Joseph and Freida Faiman Eisenberg/VPC, Inc. Scholarship, told donors that after a stellar high school career that included captaining robotics teams and internships at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, he set his sights on college. Although many schools offered Proctor admission, UMBC was the only school that also offered him much-needed financial aid.

Markus Proctor, scholarship recipient, shares his story.

That support and UMBC’s culture turned out to be just what Proctor wanted. “UMBC is not too big or too small, but it is the right size to build truly amazing relationships with professors and administrators,” says Proctor. He went on to share that his current and future successes—and those of so many UMBC students—hinged on the support of our donors.

“I have to admit, it is difficult to put into words how thankful I am for your support, however, just know, the magnitude of your impact on our campus is appreciated by every student,” Proctor said, echoing the sentiments of all our UMBC scholarship recipients.

—Meredith Purvis

On behalf of our students, faculty, staff, and alumni, we’d like to say thank you to all those who supported us in throughout the last fiscal year! Your contribution goes a long way in funding the #1 up-and-coming national university in the United States.

Last year’s contributions made a big difference in funding some new and exciting developments on campus, including the grand opening of the Performing Arts and Humanities Building and the men’s soccer team’s journey to the NCAA tournament. Your gifts also provided support for student scholarship funds, new equipment and curricula to academic departments, grants for undergraduate research…the list goes on.

We are very lucky to have a network of donors so committed to UMBC’s message of innovation and engagement. Thank you again for your continued support!

Thanks so much to everyone who came out to the 10th Annual Wine Tasting and Silent Auction hosted by our Chapter of Young Alumni. By attending the event, you helped us raise nearly $5,000 for student scholarships. In fact, since 2009, together we’ve raised almost $30,000 to support UMBC students.

We’re also grateful to our generous sponsors, whose contributions came in at nearly $7,500 this year. Without their support, this event would not be possible.

We loved seeing you all there and hope you had as good a time as we did! We’ve shared just a few photos from the event below, but we hope you’ll check out our full gallery on Flickr.

Every so often, we highlight the importance of student scholarships by introducing you to the very students they help to succeed. Today, we’re featuring Danielle Bouchard ‘15, social work, who is an Alumni Association Legacy Scholarship recipient.

Name: Danielle Bouchard
Major: Social work and print media minor
Extra Curricular Activities: NASW Member, BSW Representative for NASW, Meals on Wheels Volunteer, President of the Social Work Student Association, Vice President of Phi Alpha Honor Society, and avid rock climber.
Scholarship received: Alumni Association Scholarship

Q: Why did you decide to attend UMBC?
I wanted to attend an institution that provided opportunities for research, had a diverse student population, and was in close proximity to Washington, D.C. I was also drawn to UMBC because of the reputation of its social work program.

Q: What’s been the most amazing discovery you’ve made so far as a student here?
I am able to interact and study with students from an array of different ethnicities, races, and cultures. I am able to have intellectual conversations with students who have opposing views on topics discussed in and outside of class.

Q: Tell us about a class or club that has really opened your mind.
My first semester at UMBC I enrolled in SOWK 200 taught by Dr. Guzman-Rae. She opened my mind to the vastness and versatility of a social work degree. I was introduced to the various types of roles social workers can play: macro, mezzo, and micro. We can be brokers, advocates, counselors, educators, facilitators, or a combination of them all.

Q: How important is it to you as a student to get scholarship support?
If I did not receive any scholarship support, I would have had to postpone attending school full-time and have work another job to offset the expenses of attending school. It is extremely important to me to receive these scholarships so I can focus on my education and my long-term career goals. In addition, without the Gilman Scholarship I would not have the resources to study abroad in Ecuador and Peru this past term.

Q: What are you most proud of accomplishing in your time at UMBC?
My involvement in the Social Work Student Association. A couple students and I reignited SWSA by increasing membership and providing monthly opportunities for all students to become involved on and off campus helping other individuals within the community.

Q: What would you say to the people who provided your scholarship?
I have been fortunate enough to meet with two of the donors of my scholarships and will hopefully meet with the third within the coming months. I expressed my gratitude for their generous donation and explained how the scholarship has helped me further my education.

Q: What do you hope to do after graduation?
I hope to be accepted into the William J. Clinton Fellowship for Service in India. I want to work with victims of human trafficking in rural areas of India. After the program, I hope to attend UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy and School of Social Welfare.

Every so often, we highlight the importance of student scholarships by introducing you to the very students they help to succeed. Today, we’re featuring Danielle Bouchard ‘15, social work, who is an Alumni Association Legacy Scholarship recipient.

Name: Danielle Bouchard
Major: Social work and print media minor
Extra Curricular Activities: NASW Member, BSW Representative for NASW, Meals on Wheels Volunteer, President of the Social Work Student Association, Vice President of Phi Alpha Honor Society, and avid rock climber.
Scholarship received: Alumni Association Scholarship

Q: Why did you decide to attend UMBC?
I wanted to attend an institution that provided opportunities for research, had a diverse student population, and was in close proximity to Washington, D.C. I was also drawn to UMBC because of the reputation of its social work program.

Q: What’s been the most amazing discovery you’ve made so far as a student here?
I am able to interact and study with students from an array of different ethnicities, races, and cultures. I am able to have intellectual conversations with students who have opposing views on topics discussed in and outside of class.

Q: Tell us about a class or club that has really opened your mind.
My first semester at UMBC I enrolled in SOWK 200 taught by Dr. Guzman-Rae. She opened my mind to the vastness and versatility of a social work degree. I was introduced to the various types of roles social workers can play: macro, mezzo, and micro. We can be brokers, advocates, counselors, educators, facilitators, or a combination of them all.

Q: How important is it to you as a student to get scholarship support?
If I did not receive any scholarship support, I would have had to postpone attending school full-time and have work another job to offset the expenses of attending school. It is extremely important to me to receive these scholarships so I can focus on my education and my long-term career goals. In addition, without the Gilman Scholarship I would not have the resources to study abroad in Ecuador and Peru this past term.

Q: What are you most proud of accomplishing in your time at UMBC?
My involvement in the Social Work Student Association. A couple students and I reignited SWSA by increasing membership and providing monthly opportunities for all students to become involved on and off campus helping other individuals within the community.

Q: What would you say to the people who provided your scholarship?
I have been fortunate enough to meet with two of the donors of my scholarships and will hopefully meet with the third within the coming months. I expressed my gratitude for their generous donation and explained how the scholarship has helped me further my education.

Q: What do you hope to do after graduation?
I hope to be accepted into the William J. Clinton Fellowship for Service in India. I want to work with victims of human trafficking in rural areas of India. After the program, I hope to attend UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy and School of Social Welfare.

Every so often, we highlight the importance of student scholarships by introducing you to the very students they help to succeed. Today, we’re featuring Ariana Seidman ‘17, music performance, who is an Alumni Association Legacy Scholarship and Linehan Artist Scholarship recipient. This scholarship is awarded to an undergraduate student who is a child or grandchild of a UMBC graduate, with great community involvement.

Name: Ariana Seidman
Major: Music Performance (Vocal Emphasis)
Extra Curricular Activities: UMBC Stilettos and Musical Theater Club
Scholarships received: Alumni Association Legacy Scholarship and Linehan Artist Scholar

Q: Why did you decide to attend UMBC?
I liked the warm and welcoming music department and the benefits of the Linehan Artists Scholars program. Additionally, my father and older sister attended UMBC and had great experiences.

Q: What’s been the most amazing discovery you’ve made so far as a student here?
I have been amazed by the students at UMBC and the friendships I have made. I love the diversity of the student population and the sense of community throughout the university.

Q: Tell us about a class or club that has really opened your mind.
I have loved being a part of the Stilettos (UMBC’s all-female a cappella group). The a cappella environment is very friendly at UMBC and all the groups are very supportive of each other. I look forward to leading the Stilettos as music director this year.

Q: How important is it to you as a student to get scholarship support?
It is very important to me to receive scholarship support. After graduation I hope to continue my education in graduate school, so support now can help me to go further later.

Q: What are you most proud of accomplishing in your time at UMBC?
I was very proud to be elected Music Director of the Stilettos. It is a position with a lot of responsibility and I’m flattered that the members trust me to do the job.

Q: What would you say to the people who provided your scholarship?
I would thank them repeatedly for supporting my education and allowing me to continue to study what I love both now and in the future.

Q: What do you hope to do after graduation?
I hope to continue on to graduate school to study music therapy, speech therapy/pathology, or vocal pedagogy.

Support UMBC’s scholarships today!

Every so often, we highlight the importance of student scholarships by introducing you to the very students they help to succeed. Today, we’re featuring Ariana Seidman ‘17, music performance, who is an Alumni Association Legacy Scholarship and Linehan Artist Scholarship recipient. This scholarship is awarded to an undergraduate student who is a child or grandchild of a UMBC graduate, with great community involvement.

Name: Ariana Seidman
Major: Music Performance (Vocal Emphasis)
Extra Curricular Activities: UMBC Stilettos and Musical Theater Club
Scholarships received: Alumni Association Legacy Scholarship and Linehan Artist Scholar

Q: Why did you decide to attend UMBC?
I liked the warm and welcoming music department and the benefits of the Linehan Artists Scholars program. Additionally, my father and older sister attended UMBC and had great experiences.

Q: What’s been the most amazing discovery you’ve made so far as a student here?
I have been amazed by the students at UMBC and the friendships I have made. I love the diversity of the student population and the sense of community throughout the university.

Q: Tell us about a class or club that has really opened your mind.
I have loved being a part of the Stilettos (UMBC’s all-female a cappella group). The a cappella environment is very friendly at UMBC and all the groups are very supportive of each other. I look forward to leading the Stilettos as music director this year.

Q: How important is it to you as a student to get scholarship support?
It is very important to me to receive scholarship support. After graduation I hope to continue my education in graduate school, so support now can help me to go further later.

Q: What are you most proud of accomplishing in your time at UMBC?
I was very proud to be elected Music Director of the Stilettos. It is a position with a lot of responsibility and I’m flattered that the members trust me to do the job.

Q: What would you say to the people who provided your scholarship?
I would thank them repeatedly for supporting my education and allowing me to continue to study what I love both now and in the future.

Q: What do you hope to do after graduation?
I hope to continue on to graduate school to study music therapy, speech therapy/pathology, or vocal pedagogy.

Support UMBC’s scholarships today!

Thank you for supporting UMBC during Homecoming! Thanks to events like the Alpha Kappa Alpha Reunion, the 5th Annual RATT Reunion, and the Alumni Awards Ceremony, we were able to raise nearly $8,000 toward our student scholarships as of October 16.

Your continuous commitment to the university – whether it’s through donations, sponsorships, or volunteer efforts – helps make UMBC the innovative institution it is today. Not to mention the support it gives students to continue their education without a financial burden holding them back.

Thank you from all of us here at UMBC!

Thank you for supporting UMBC during Homecoming! Thanks to events like the Alpha Kappa Alpha Reunion, the 5th Annual RATT Reunion, and the Alumni Awards Ceremony, we were able to raise nearly $8,000 toward our student scholarships as of October 16.

Your continuous commitment to the university – whether it’s through donations, sponsorships, or volunteer efforts – helps make UMBC the innovative institution it is today. Not to mention the support it gives students to continue their education without a financial burden holding them back.

Thank you from all of us here at UMBC!

UMBC’s fiscal year ended on June 30, 2014. As we pause to reflect on accomplishments of last year, we’d like to thank the generous alumni, faculty, staff, family, and friends who make our great work possible. Because of Retriever Believers like you, our students have fantastic opportunities here at UMBC.

Throughout this fiscal year, our alumni – including 456 first-time donors – pulled together to give back $396,415, surpassing the goal for alumni by over $46,000. Parents of our students and alumni donated $143,521.02, and our wonderful faculty and staff contributed $81,399.46. Thanks to every gift, big and small, UMBC received $621,335.48, which is over $55,000 more than the fiscal year for 2013.

Thank you to all those who supported UMBC – we’re excited for the 2015 fiscal year. Go Retrievers!

Give back to UMBC today!