Making the Connection

By Karen Baxter

When Ashina Singh was diagnosed with an intestinal disease at age 15, her doctors were skeptical she would be able to achieve her dream of a career in medicine and science while living with the ailment. "I was told that I should reconsider my future," she says. "This devastated me at several levels, but in the end I decided to go forward with my dreams and what I believed in doing and not let this stand in my way."

Now a junior biochemistry and molecular biology major at UMBC, Singh has found unexpected support of her dreams through the Alumni Association's Pre-Med Mentoring Program. In contrast to the cynicism she had encountered from other medical professionals, Union Memorial Hospital's Chief of Geriatric Medicine Dr. James Richardson, biological sciences and psychology '76, has given her "hopeful confidence" that she can be a good doctor in spite of--and perhaps better because of--her condition.

"This was the first time someone doing what I wanted to be doing was saying this to me. It definitely made a difference," Singh says.

In addition to this emotional support, over the past two semesters Richardson has allowed Singh to accompany him on patient interviews and examinations and has involved her in patient care. "After having shadowed Dr. Richardson for a semester and watching his dedication, his engagement and his care of his patients, I realized that I could definitely see myself spending time with patients in this capacity in the future. All of this solidified my goals and desire to do the combined M.D./Ph.D.," Singh says.

This year, the three-year-old Pre-Med Mentoring Program has 32 students paired with alumni doctors in diverse fields from family medicine to internal medicine, dentistry, emergency medicine, psychiatry, pediatrics, urology, ophthalmology, obstetrics, geriatrics, orthopedics and plastic surgery. Students typically shadow the physicians at work and learn about medical school requirements.

"The program provides an excellent opportunity for students to experience the world of medicine outside of the classroom. It also allows our alumni to help develop and influence the future doctors of tomorrow," says Assistant Director of Corporate Relations Lauren Kean, who coordinates the program.

The pre-med program is one of many ways that UMBC alumni connect with today's students and make a difference in their lives. There are several other structured programs in place and a variety of less formal opportunities for alumni to get involved. The commitment ranges from as little as an hour participating in a campus presentation to as long as a year or more developing a one-on-one mentoring relationship.

Career Connections

Today's employers are looking for more than a college degree, but what exactly that "something" is may differ from field to field. Alumni can demystify the job search process for students by sharing their personal experiences and tips that helped them climb the career ladder. They also can give students a behind-the-scenes look into their job--a "reality check" of sorts--enabling them to decide if a certain career will really suit them.

Mechelle Kerns-Nocerito, ancient studies '96 and M.A., historical studies '99, tries to do just that. An historical archaeologist for the Anne Arundel County Lost Towns Project, she also coordinates the program's internships for high school and college students, many from UMBC. The students gain hands-on experience in excavating, searching records and working in the laboratory. "It's important to realize that archaeology isn't Indiana Jones. It isn't glamorous," she says. "The people who remain in the archeological and historical professions don't do it to become rich."

The same idea is true when it comes to medicine, says Richardson. "Medicine is a difficult career that is often glamorized by the media," he says. "It's difficult to visualize practicing medicine when you spend most of your time in a lecture hall or laboratory. I believe that students need as much information as they can find on the practice of medicine if they are to make an informed career choice."

Internships or "clinicals" are a requirement for emergency health services majors in the paramedic track. UMBC has partnered with the Maryland State Police (MSP) Aviation Division to provide internships to students like senior Stephanie Happel who are interested in becoming flight paramedics. The program's clinical coordinator paired Happel with state trooper and flight paramedic Cpl. Joe McIlhenney, emergency health services '96, at Martin Air Force Base for her MSP clinical.

Happel accompanies McIlhenney on Trooper 1 flights to transport critical accident victims, perform security fly-arounds and assist with police pursuits. "I would definitely like to end up in the air," says Happel, currently an EMT for Howard County Volunteer Fire and Rescue, of her career plans. "I've always been interested in it and interested in the helicopters, but actually getting to do it confirmed what I thought I wanted to do. It's a blast."

In addition to his familiarity with the UMBC paramedic program, McIlhenney has made a good mentor for a number of reasons, according to Happel. "He's got an excellent attitude, a great sense of humor, and he's good at taking the time to explain something. If I have any questions I'm not nervous about asking him. And he's very relaxed up there--good at calming people down," Happel says. "It really has been a wonderful experience."

Sometimes an alumni connection can directly lead a student to post-graduation employment. As a student, Matthew Talley, psychology '00, was paired with alumna Carla Beckford, health administration and policy '96, for an internship in Charlestown Retirement Community's human resources department. The internship and mentoring relationship led to full-time employment at Charlestown's sister community, Oak Crest Village.

"I had just completed my volunteer responsibilities at Sheppard Pratt and wasn't sure that mental health was the direction I wanted to go in," Talley recalls. "Human resources interested me, and I started to work with The Shriver Center to find an internship opportunity in the field." The internship with Beckford helped Talley see how the things he was learning about in the classroom "played out in real life," he says. For example, by observing Beckford interview prospective employees, he picked up new ways to uncover important information in the candidate screening process.

"I was also able to meet a large number of folks in the company," he says. "Part of my success has come from that network of contacts I developed. The HR staff at Charlestown spoke highly of me, which helped me get the entry-level position at Oak Crest and opened the doors that let me advance into a generalist role."

Schmooze or Lose

On a fall afternoon, Margie Anne Bonnett, American studies '92, stands in front of a dozen UMBC students and recent alumni wearing one of her trademark big hats. The vice president of the Sandler Training Institute, she calls herself "The Hat Lady." It may seem a bit silly, but Bonnett is making a serious point. When you're in room full of potential job candidates and want employees to remember you, you have to find a way to stand out from the crowd.

Bonnett's message is part of a workshop, "Schmooze or Lose," sponsored by the On-Campus Alumni Chapter, aimed at teaching students how to network. "I see it as extremely important to prepare students for the workforce, not just academically, but teaching business and interviewing techniques. Students need to know that finding a job means not only Monster.com and the newspaper, but networking at the chambers, associations and volunteering," she says.

Bonnett is one of 84 alumni who came back to campus in the 2002-2003 school year to share their experiences and offer career advice in the Alumni Association's Backpack to Briefcase programs. "The students really appreciate the fact that busy alumni take the time to help them explore different career opportunities and give them some insight into the 'real world,'" says Samantha Stern Davis, director of alumni relations.

The hour-long programs are held throughout the year, and each focuses on a different major. Information systems, psychology and the life sciences are among the majors that have been highlighted in the past. Visual arts, modern languages and linguistics and economics are slated for this spring. Alumni briefly introduce themselves to the group of students and then spend some time networking, answering any career-related questions the students may pose.

"The program has really taken off in the last year," Davis says. "The word is spreading that this is a great opportunity to stay connected to the University in a meaningful way. The alumni also really like the fact that they get to network with other professionals in their field."

A Warm Welcome

Students from more than 70 different countries‹mostly graduate students‹attend UMBC. Volunteers in the International Student Friendship Program (ISFP) help them adjust to American culture by showing them around town, assisting them with errands like banking or clothes shopping and including them in holiday celebrations and family outings.

Susanne Ogaitis-Jones, biological sciences '84, and husband Bill Jones, mathematics '81 and M.A., mathematics '83, are volunteers in the ISFP program, having hosted four students. Susanne initially read about ISFP in Generations.

"We try to invite them to things that we might be doing anyway, but that would be unique and fun for them," Susanne says. "We took one student to see the Christmas lights at the 'Miracle on 34th Street' in Hampden, and recently our student joined us and some preschool friends for trick-or-treating in our neighborhood. I think he took a lot of photos to send home to his family in Poland, where he says the holiday is very sedate."

A Mutually Beneficial Endeavor

Students are not the only ones who can benefit from alumni-student pairings. Employers like Nick Witherspoon, information systems '93, have come to rely on UMBC students as valuable assets to their companies. "When I hire a UMBC student, I am assured that a level of competence and 'outside-the-box' thinking arrive with them," says Witherspoon, chief technology officer for KAWG&F Public Accountants in Towson.

Witherspoon especially looks to students in his fraternity, Lambda Chi Alpha, for internships, special projects and full-time employment. In addition to the technical skills, he says he has found that his fraternity brothers possess the necessary social skills to be successful.

Greg Cangialosi, English '96, has hired three UMBC student interns at his company, Blue Sky Factory, a full-service provider of e-mail marketing solutions. "As an alumnus I am very familiar with the quality of education that UMBC offers, particularly in the area of computer science and engineering," he says.

Cangialosi personally mentored one of the interns, teaching him client communications and media buying for the e-mail marketing industry. His business partner worked closely with the other two students on developing new versions of the company's e-mail technology. "It worked out great because the areas where we needed assistance as a company were the areas the students wanted to learn more about," he says.

Hosting the student interns has had its personal rewards as well. Cangialosi sees it as a way of giving back to the University. "I believe in supporting UMBC programs and students and plan on doing so in the future. UMBC provided me with a great educational experience and the opportunity to develop tactical leadership skills."