Any other major, minor, certificate, and/or honors that will be on your graduation records

• BA in Social Work

Degree Mentors 

• Jayshree Jani, Associate Professor for UMBC School Social Work
• Jennifer Mata-McMahon, UMBC Associate Professor-Early Childhood Education
• Eric Brown, Assistant Teaching Professor, Individualized Study 

Why did you choose to major in INDS?

When pursuing a second area of concentration for my social work major, I found there was so much I was interested in that did not fit cleanly into one other major. Classes from education, sociology, psychology, American studies, and public affairs all interested me. INDS provided me an opportunity to explore my passions of social justice, child development, and education from a variety of perspectives through building my own degree plan and pulling from many different disciplines. 

What are your plans for after graduation, and how do you see using your INDS degree?

After graduation, I plan to pursue a Masters of Social Work (MSW) with a child and family or early childhood mental health concentration with the goal of becoming licensed clinical social work. I would love to work within a school or early learning center to make a difference for both the children I am working with and their families, as well as the larger community. The wide scope of knowledge I have gained from my INDS degree will help me approach large social issues from multiple perspectives and be able to contribute to change from both micro and macro levels. 

Were you involved in any clubs or organizations? Did you hold any leadership positions? URCAD? URA? Off-campus internships? On-campus research experiences?

• Peer Mentor to Freshman, The Sondheim Public Affairs Scholars Program 
• Social Work Intern, Furman Templeton Elementary School, Baltimore City
• President, UMBC Social Work Student Association
• Bass Player, Symphony Orchestra
• Student Staff 2024-2025, UMBC Office of Student Disability Services

Getting involved at UMBC has expanded my experiences so much, allowing me to try new things and meet all sorts of amazing people! 

Ada was the 2024 recipient of the Zainab Damji Memorial Scholarship. Congrats Ada!

For More information on Ada's INDS journey please click here:

Indicate any other major, minor, certificate, and/or honors that will be on your graduation records

• Psychology Minor

Degree Mentors

• Michelle Starz-Gaiano, Biological Sciences
• Fernando Vonhoff, Biological Sciences
• Jose Arenas, Individualized Study

Why did you choose to major in INDS?

When I entered UMBC I was initially a biology major, but after looking over the required courses for the degree, I realized that it was not the right path for me. In choosing a major that encompassed only one field of study, I would not have been able to adequately represent the interdisciplinary nature of neuroscience that makes it so interesting and unique.  By choosing to major in INDS however, I was able to seamlessly incorporate all of these diverse, yet equally important perspectives.  In doing so, I feel that I've created a degree that prepares me to both continue my neuroscience education, as well as for any future career endeavors in the field.

What are your plans for after graduation, and how do you see using your INDS degree?

After I graduate, I plan to attend graduate school in the hopes of obtaining a PhD in Neuroscience. This will be necessary if I hope to achieve my ultimate goal of going into neuroscience research, focusing specifically on neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. My INDS degree will be supremely useful for these endeavors, as it has not only helped me to gain specialized knowledge of my field, but also skills and experience that will make me a more well-rounded candidate when applying.

EXTRACURRICULAR

• Eco-Ambassador, STEM LLC
• Orientation Peer Ambassador (OPA)  
• Volunteer, Catonsville YMCA Branch of MS Aquatics, through the Shriver Center (UMBC)
• Internship as Program Coordinator, STEMcx Bioethics   
• Researcher, Gigantest lab, under on Dr. Anne Le
• Researcher on proSAAS effects on Abeta, as well as structure-function analysis of proSAAS, Dr. Iris Lindburg's Lab, University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB)  
• Research Presenter at URCAD 2024| Investigating the Potential Role of the Molecular Chaperone ProSAAS in Protecting Neurons against Degeneration 

For more information on Madison's INDS journey please click here: