I’m asking some of the people you might encounter on the UMBC campus, including students, faculty and staff, to answer a few questions about themselves and their experiences. These are their responses.
Name: Carlos UrtechoHometown: Ellicott City, MD
Q: How long have you been at UMBC?
A: Two years.
Q: In 12 words or less, what role(s) do you play on campus?
A: President and Founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, Founding Father of the Delta Chi Fraternity, Resident Assistant, Tour Guide, and a student of political science.
Q: What aspect of your UMBC role(s) do you enjoy most?
A: I really enjoy making a difference in the lives of my residents, starting up new student organizations, and leading campus tours for prospective students and their parents. Being a student leader has further enhanced my college experience here at UMBC and in turn I am able to make UMBC a better place by being involved in different areas of student life.
Q: What is the most important or memorable thing you learned in college/have learned at UMBC?
A: The most important thing I’ve learned at UMBC is time management. Because I am very involved in student life, I have had to learn how to balance my extracurricular activities along with my academics. Along with time management, one of the most important things I learned at UMBC was that it's okay to say "no." I remember when I was a freshman, I wanted to join every student organization and be a part of every club on campus. Learning to say "no" was a big deal for me because I always wanted to say "yes" to everything. Eventually over time, I learned to say "no" to different things and realized that I don’t have to please everybody.
Q: Complete this sentence: “I am a big fan of __________”
A: The UMBC Men’s Basketball Team. This year has been a rough year for us but I am very confident that we’ll bounce back to the top of the America East Conference next year. I usually go to every basketball game and love being loud and crazy and supporting our UMBC Retrievers. You can usually point me out at the games because I’ll be the guy wearing a big yellow wig and yelling like crazy!
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: There are many favorite spots that I have on campus. My favorite spot on campus would have to be Starbucks! I love hanging out there and engaging in conversation with my fellow peers. Another one of my favorite spots is a lake behind the Research and Technology Park. I went there once for SCIENCE 100 class and immediately fell in love with the place. Often times I'll go there when I want to be alone or think things out.
As far as anything else I’d like to share, I would like to encourage everybody to get involved in a student organization or in Greek Life. There are over 200 different student organizations here on campus and if there’s not a student organization here for you then it’s really easy to start one up. I’ve had the unique opportunity of starting two student organizations here at UMBC and it has been a phenomenal experience for me. Getting involved in student life has made my college experience complete. I would also encourage you to seek as many internships during your time here at UMBC. Go to the Shriver Center early on, even as a freshman, and start applying for internships. Take advantage of everything that UMBC has to offer. Finally, be proud that you are a UMBC Retriever. UMBC is such a young institution and for such a young university we have accomplished so much. Can you imagine what UMBC will accomplish in another forty years? So, to recap, get involved on campus, check out the sweet internships at the Shriver Center, wear black and gold, and be proud to be a UMBC Retriever. GO RETRIEVERS!