Meet Patty Hathaway ’97, M.S. ’03, who earned her B.A. in economics and M.S. in information systems while working at UMBC. After 23 years of service to UMBC, Patty went on to work at three other universities, including the University of Maryland, College Park, where she retired. Patty now works with U.S. Navy veterans as the secretary/treasurer of the USS Hamner DD-718 Association and is the owner of Hathaway Photography of Bowie. Patty recently authored a book for the Hamner association, An American Destroyer: USS Hamner History in Photographs. Take it away, Patty!

Q: What’s one essential thing you’d want another Retriever to know about you?

A: I am a Retriever in many ways: a double alum, a former employee, a UMBC parent (twice), and a past Hilltop Society Member. I was a staff member for 23 years and earned my B.A. and M.S. while working on campus. I worked for three other universities after UMBC, and I now am loving my work with our Navy veterans. I am certain that I would not be where I am today without UMBC.

Q: What’s the one thing you’d want someone who hasn’t joined the UMBC community to know about the support you find here?

A: I would emphasize the feeling of being a “part of the campus family.” It’s not too big and not too small. You just feel like you “fit.” I felt that way as an employee and as a student, and when I visit, I still feel like I am coming home. UMBC was and continues to be a huge part of my life and the person I am today.

Q: Tell us about someone in the community who has inspired you or supported you, and how they did it.

A: UMBC had an atmosphere that made it feel like you were with family. A lot of that was encouraged by Freeman Hrabowski. Although he was the president of UMBC, he found time for employees and students, and was able to be a mentor, supporter, and leader for many. Although I have been away from the UMBC campus since 2005, I have been able to keep in touch with Freeman.

Left: Hathaway waving to the photographer at her 2003 UMBC graduation.

Q: Tell us what you love about your academic program or an organization you’re involved in.

A: During my time at UMBC, I also made time to help with non-profit veterans’ organizations. I was able to use the skills I learned on campus to help these groups. After retiring from paid employment, I have concentrated on my photography business and the USS Hamner DD-718 Association. The Hamner association is dedicated to preserving the memories of the ship and the crew who served on her.

My most recent accomplishment for the Hamner association is the book I authored for them: An American Destroyer: USS Hamner History in Photographs. This book is the sequel to a book I edited for the association in 2022. The history of our veterans needs to be told and I am very happy to be a part of that. Without the skills I acquired and the confidence I developed at UMBC, I would never have been able to edit or author a book.

Q: If you’re currently working, what’s your title and where do you work? What do you enjoy most about it?

A: I am the secretary/treasurer of the USS Hamner DD-718 Association (non-paid office). The relationships I have developed with these Navy veterans is like those at UMBC—we are family!

Q: Tell us about your primary WHY, and how it led you to UMBC.

A: I first came to UMBC in the fall of 1976 as a freshman. I have to admit, I was not ready to be a full-time university student so I pursued my associate degree on a part-time schedule instead at Catonsville Community College. There was something about UMBC that drew me back, and in 1981, I was hired to work in the accounting department. Within four years I had completed my A.A. degree and began the pursuit of my B.A. degree in 1989. I loved working on campus and I enjoyed being a student again. I worked with great people and many friendships developed at UMBC that would last for decades.

Right: Hathaway and her granddaughter at a USS Hamner Reunion.

Q: Where have you found support in the UMBC community?

A: I had several people who helped me along the way, sometimes just with encouragement as I tried new positions or pursued a new path in life. Friends who are now gone, Diane Taylor ’76, Jim Milani ’73, and Gary Rupert always had an encouraging word or good advice as I selected courses or applied for the next job opening on campus. Their confidence in me meant more than I can put into words.

In both my work life as well as academic and personal life, David Gleason, M.S. ’04, would always be there to help me find the confidence I needed to move forward. He would always know how to convince me that I could take that next step. His friendship is one I still treasure.

Q: What’s your favorite part of being a part of Retriever Nation?

A: I am proud to be a part of Retriever Nation both as a alum and a former employee/retiree. I enjoy seeing UMBC grow and being able to feel like I was part of that growth.

Q: What drives you to support UMBC?

A: I have tried to support UMBC whenever I can. I hope to be able to continue and do more in the future.

* * * * *

UMBC’s greatest strength is its people. When people meet Retrievers and hear about the passion they bring, the relationships they create, the ways they support each other, and the commitment they have to inclusive excellence, they truly get a sense of our community. That’s what “Meet a Retriever” is all about.

Learn more about how UMBC can help you achieve your goals.

In honor of National Veterans Week, we’re chatting with UMBC senior media and communications major Alexandra Hulett, a veteran of the United States Army. Behind the scenes these days, you might find Hulett filming or editing promotional videos of student events and campus engagements for her video production internship with the Office of Institutional Advancement, building off skills she first put to work in the Army.

Can you tell us a little bit about your work before you came to UMBC?

When I joined the Army I worked as a combat photographer/videographer. The last position I held before I transitioned out was an instructor for basic still photography at the Defense Information School on Fort George G. Meade, Maryland. I trained new Soldiers and Marines on the technical skills they needed for their careers.

Why did you decide to take the path of service?

There was always a nagging desire in me to join the military. It was after I found out that the Army has an occupation that combined my love for photography and videography that I decided to join and embark on a 9-year ride to places like Afghanistan and Germany.

How do you bring those experiences into your role as a student today?

The experiences I had in the military have been so invaluable to me as a student now. I gained the self-confidence and work ethic that I needed to help me persevere through the many challenges that life (and school) has thrown at me. Also, I learned that teamwork is critical because no one gets very far without the support of others. 

What do you most enjoy about being a student? What is most challenging?

I love being able to learn new things and engage with my professors. I enjoy the many places UMBC has to offer for places to study and relax between my classes. The most challenging thing about college to me is making friends as I am much older than a typical student with different life experiences and lifestyles that make it hard to relate to others.

What do you hope to do after you graduate?

I plan to stay in Baltimore with my husband and dog and continue to pursue video editing as my career.

What would you like other students to know about what it’s like to be a veteran?

It can be difficult for veterans to interact and make connections with other non-veteran students. Personally, I deal with this internal balancing act of blending in while still trying to put myself out there and meet others. I would challenge other students to befriend the veterans in your classes. We’re a fiercely loyal bunch and experts at knowing how to have a good time.

Learn more about UMBC Veteran Services here.

Header Image: Retired U.S. Army Col. Martin Downie, former Commandant at the Defense Information School, Fort George G. Meade, Md. and Hulett. All photos courtesy of Hulett.

Bridging the gap between military service and becoming a civilian university student isn’t always easy for our nation’s veterans. That’s why Veteran Student Services (VSS)—formerly Vets to Vets—in Off-Campus Student Services (OCSS) works to make those transitions easier for UMBC’s own veteran population.

Air Force veteran Donovan Garrett ‘19, business technology administration, switched to the reserves in order to attend school full time. He joined VSS in December 2016 as an undergraduate assistant so he could help other veterans make the leap. Since then, he has worked to find ways of serving the community he is so much a part of.

“What we’ve done in OCSS is revamp the program to where we’re a lot more active in the veteran community,” said Garrett, whose focus is helping UMBC’s more than 550 veterans make real connections with people and resources on campus. “Not only with the benefits, but with the way we reach out.”

The semester begins with a welcome event and tour of the campus, with introductions to people who can help them in all aspects of their time at UMBC, including academic advising, health services, and career planning.

“We organize a resume/transitional outlook workshop to prepare them for the Career Fair later on in the year,” said Garrett. “Christine Routzahn—the director at the Career Center—met with the veterans a few weeks before the Career Fair to review their resumes, and help them translate their military service skills into a civilian workforce-style resume.”

VSS also builds community by offering fun social opportunities for vets—like monthly coffee talks, movie nights, and games of laser tag—as well as November Veterans Week events that build awareness of veteran issues, including mental health services.

“It’s something that has helped us create community and consistency in the community, and hopefully it will help us grow our number of veterans served each semester,” he said.

Support For Those Who Serve

Randy Deinlein ‘19, mechanical engineering, says it’s helpful to be around other students with similar life experiences.

“Veteran Student Services reiterates that I am not the only one that is in my situation,” he said. “Being an adult learner or a non-traditional student, sometimes it’s hard to relate to other students, because we’re older and tend to have more real life experiences…Just being around other veterans in and of itself has supported me and encouraged me to complete my goal.”

Alleviating isolation among veterans is only one part of the equation. The GI Bill has helped many veterans go to college, but it doesn’t cover all financial burdens. In 2016 the Leslie and Courtney Wilson Fund for Veterans was established through a bequest to provide support for veterans attending UMBC who are experiencing financial difficulty. This can include funds to help a veteran pay for a fifth year of school; finance a veteran’s graduate degree at UMBC; or allow VSS to hire additional graduate assistants.

“My father was a World War II vet,” said Leslie Wilson ’74, MA ’76, psychology. “He always taught us that we were very fortunate and a privileged family because of the opportunity he was given to go to college on the GI Bill. As a family we knew that his service changed his trajectory of his life and ours. My father’s dreams had never included anything like a successful career at Westinghouse until his Navy experiences revealed that he had a very strong talent in radar and engineering. I wanted to do what I could to support today’s veterans, to pass it on, and make sure that they have the ability to make their dreams come true. Veterans have a lot to offer, and I want their families to have the opportunity to have a better life.”

“Coming back—after a number of years serving in that capacity—anything we can do to help them reintegrate, re-educate, and jump start their careers is really where my heart is,” said Courtney Wilson. “Both of us having a heart for people that have served our country is really the incentive for us to step up and support the program.”

Veteran Student Services will continue to make improvements in the coming year as the new director of OCSS, M. Antonio Silas, works to strengthen the veteran community and realize his vision for the program with more veteran-specific programming and a peer-to-peer program to help veterans become more acclimated to student life.

“If we are not serving our veterans like we serve everyone else I believe we’ve failed as an institution,” said Silas. “They deserve to have a world class education like everyone else.”

– Eddie Jenkins

Header image: Donovan Garrett ’19 helps a veteran student in the office of Veteran Student Services. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC Magazine.