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Meet the Scholars
Sondheim Public Affairs Scholars are among the most active students at UMBC. An essential quality of each Scholar is an interest in community service and Scholars typically seek out new opportunities to serve at UMBC and in the Greater Baltimore Community. Scholars willingly seek leadership roles in campus-affiliated organizations while maintaining their commitment to academics and interest in new experiences.
Achsah Joseph
Senior, Interdisciplinary Studies in International RelationsGoal: Work with an international non-profit to promote human rights
Achsah plans to work improving human rights conditions in Eastern African countries like Uganda, Kenya, Sudan, and Rwanda. Last year, Achsah studied abroad in Uganda and Rwanda, learning about post-conflict transformation and researching peace-building in northern Uganda. Achsah is the Vice-President of Invisible Children United at UMBC, which works towards ending the civil war in Uganda and rescuing the child soldiers involved. As a CHANGE leader with Oxfam, a leading non profit aid organization, Achsah helped coordinate campus awareness events to educate students about the disparities in hunger problems across the globe.
Juan Collazos
Senior, Economics and Political ScienceGoal: graduate school in economic development
I was born and raised in Colombia and moved to the United States when I was 12. This was an enlightening experience that taught me that the world was much bigger, tougher, and more complex than I had initially thought. This period of acknowledgment was mainly fueled by personal experiences such as being exposed to an extensive immigrant population and by seeing them--my mom and myself included--struggle for survival and adjustment. The lack of resources for people to rise out of poverty in many countries around the world is something that concerns me. As a Sondheim Scholar at UMBC, I volunteered at My Brothers Keeper in Baltimore, teaching low-income community members basic computer skills. I studied abroad in Morrocco to improve my French and Arabic language skills, and I am the Social Media and Research Assistant for Global Awareness Project Consulting. I won the Institute for International Public Policy Fellowship, which has provided me with summer institutes at other universities and scholarship money for graduate school, which I will attend after an internship working with a non-profit organization abroad.
Madeline Hall
Senior, Environmental StudiesGoal: applying environmental values to public policy
I care about nature and how humans affect and protect it. I also feel passionate about teaching people about the importance of their natural environment and what they can do to conserve it for generations to come. I help lead UMBC’s Chapter of Students for Environmental Awareness, which has been instrumental in our campus’s Climate Change Initiatives, including carpooling, Zipcars, farmer’s markets, and annual Eco-Fest. I have also volunteered on the nearby The Great Kids Farm and with Baltimore City’s Irvine Nature Center Schoolyard Discovery Program, helping urban youth understand the environment. Although very interested in Environmental Education, I am also interested in the role of environmental science within public policy as well as the environmental implications of food production and consumption. I interned with the Environmental Protection Agency this summer, and studied abroad last year in New Zealand, learning environmental management and working on organic farms.
Collin Wojciechowski
Junior, Political ScienceGoal: public service with government
Collin's interest in public policy and education led him to a student position on his county's Board of Education while in high school. While at UMBC Collin has served as a delegate to the University System of Maryland Student Council, the Director of the Student Government Associations Office of Government and Community Affairs and an Editor of the student newspaper, The Retriever Weekly. He has also volunteered as a coach with the Baltimore Urban Debate League and has participated in the Governor's Summer Internship Program, where he worked at the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development.
"I've always had a strong belief that politics can be used to help people and make their lives better. Being a Sondheim Scholar has allowed me to explore how I can do just that, not only through the classroom, but also with real life experiences on campus and in Baltimore and Annapolis."
Laurentina Cizza
Senior, Political ScienceGoal: career with the US Foreign Service
As a US State Department Intern, Laurentina worked at the US Consulate in Florence, Italy, helping American citizens abroad and helping in the political/economic section. Laurentina conducted research in Jordan on National Identity of Youth while perfecting her Arabic language skills. As a first year student, Laurentina served with the Foreign Immigrants Resettlement Network, tutoring recent immigrant teens from Burma/Mynmar.
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Carlyn Rubin
Sophomore, Health Administration and PolicyGoal: graduate school in public Health
In her first year at UMBC, Carlyn volunteered for an organization called Health Leads, working as case manager to connect limited income individuals and families to public benefits and community resources, such as food assistance, public health insurance, utilities subsidies, affordable housing, and employment assistance. This summer, Carlyn interned with the Summer Youth Nutrition Program in Montgomery County, teaching youth nutrition and fitness skills. At UMBC, Carlyn is the head of the Student Government Association’s Department of Health and Wellness, working with faculty and staff to improve the health of the campus.