On Thursday, February 16th, my fellow student ambassadors & I were invited to represent the Universities at Shady Grove at the Dinner of Regents alongside the USG Board of Advisors, The University System of Maryland Board of Regents, and Dr. Shanika Hope from Google! I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of such a fantastic community!
Of all the events I’ve been involved in as an ambassador, this has been the second most exhilarating one. I must say open houses are still my absolute favorite. To start off the night, the ambassadors and I were approached with happy and welcoming smiles. After getting checked in, hors d’oeuvres were being passed around and we all gladly accepted–despite how nervous we all were. There were endless bowls of fruit salad, veggies with dip sauces, pita bread, steak crostini, beef bites, and so much more.
Quickly, a flood of people came through and we were approached by the board members. Chair of BOR, Linda Goodmen took the time to learn about me, my educational journey, and asked for my input on what I’d like to see improved at USG! Among these inspiring individuals, Louis Pope also approached my peers and I. Louis Pope is currently Treasure for the BOR and President/Owner of Century 21 Trademark Realty, Inc., a full-service real estate company with offices both in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties.
Once everyone was seated at their designated tables, USG Executive Director, Dr. Anne Khademian presented a spectacular speech on her appreciation for everyone there, especially the students. She then introduced Dr. Shanika Hope, CS Impact and Outreach Director from Google. Google has provided USG with a gift of $500k to support the development of educational pathway analytics, with a long view of systemic change in the way higher education serves the “fluid” learner of today and tomorrow. This partnership and initiative will serve to help create new career opportunities through skill development and new pathways to the workforce.
As everyone dined, stories were told, memories were made, and the room was filled with joy, laughter, and inspiration. Everyone was served a delicious plate of spinach salad, a preferred choice of entree, and a slice of strawberry mango cake. Seated to my left, the Chair of the BOA at USG, Kevin Beverly shared stories of his time at UMD and was sure to make everyone at our table laugh until our stomachs were aching.
On behalf of all of the ambassadors at USG, I’d like to thank our Interim Recruitment Coordinator, Tiffany Flowers, as well as USG for being a campus where all students are intentionally seen, heard, and supported. And lastly, thank you to the USG BOA, USM BOR, and Google!
Ashlynn
Aisha Sowe
Chelsea L
Kaitlyn Davis
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USG
The Universities at Shady Grove (USG) 