Dear UMBC Community,
I recently attended a theatrical reading on our campus that has stayed with me in meaningful ways. The work was a one-trans-woman show about memory, becoming, and transitioning later in life. It was honest, brave, and funny—inviting everyone in the room into reflection, a shared sense of connection, and laughter.
As I sat in the audience, I was reminded that the work of a university is not just to create and acquire knowledge, but to do so in ways that help us grow in our humanity together—to meet one another’s lives and experiences with openness, respect, and care.
I left the show feeling grateful for the profound talent and scholarship within our community, for the power of artistic expression, for the space our campus provides for courageous and meaningful work, and for the joy that emerges when learning brings us closer to one another.
I hope that this reflection of an example of the inspiration I find every day at UMBC brings some comfort and light in these increasingly challenging times for our country and our world.
With appreciation,
President Valerie Sheares Ashby