Every so often, we shine a spotlight on alumni who have made the news recently, in Baltimore and beyond. Today, we’re featuring two alums who are making an impact through creative expression, whether through storytelling or visual art.

Asif Majid ’13, interdisciplinary studies, former class valedictorian and current instructor at UMBC, will relay his tale of getting lost on a pilgrimage to Mecca at the February 10 Stoop Storytelling event at the Senator Theatre in Baltimore. Stoop Storytelling is now in its 10th year, and was created to “foster empathy and build a community” in Baltimore, both by empowering citizens to tell their own unique stories and give audiences a different perspective on other people’s lives.

John Alexander ’98, visual arts, has mounted a solo photography exhibit at the Savannah (Ga.) Jewish Educational Alliance art gallery called “Connecting with Nature.” As an artist, Alexander is inspired by Claude Monet, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Mary Cassatt, and says that being out in nature is his “great escape.” The Columbia native has established himself as a wedding, portrait, and commercial photographer since graduating from UMBC.

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