Kayla Tomas ‘23, information systems, maintained a challenging schedule during her undergraduate years. There were days she rose early, studied, and attended classes in the morning and afternoon, headed to volleyball practice in the late afternoon, paused a half hour for dinner, and then dashed off to lead a dance class in the evening. “It was the support of my friends, my family, and the mentors here at UMBC that made it easier,” she says.

Despite the challenges of a hectic schedule, she wouldn’t have it any other way, given what she gained from each opportunity. As a student athlete, Tomas says that one of her best undergraduate experiences was being on the Division I women’s volleyball team that won the America East Title three years in a row.

“The friendships I made, the breakthroughs I experienced, and the challenges I faced, made me a stronger individual, and this couldn’t have happened without an amazing group of girls I had the privilege in sharing the court with,” Tomas says.

Valuing the whole person

Tomas was a member of the Center for Women in Information Technology (CWIT) Scholars Program, which anchored her not only financially but also psychologically.

“One person I really have to give credit and thanks to, and someone I will continue to maintain a connection with, is Erica D’Eramo, assistant director at CWIT,” Tomas shares. “She has helped me a lot. We have one-on-one meetings, and if I have a question that I can’t figure out, she always knows who to direct me to. But it doesn’t even have to be about school—it can be about just how I’m doing emotionally, mentally, or physically.”

Tomas has also received support from UMBC alumni through the Alumni Endowed Scholarship. “Receiving that award was such a proud moment, because I knew these scholarships are very competitive.” she shares. “They saw a young woman’s drive to make a difference, to support her community.”

Creating a new student group

Beyond her academic work and competition on the volleyball court, dance has played a major role in Tomas’s UMBC experience. She had enjoyed dancing from a young age, and while at UMBC began to attend dance classes and workshops in the Baltimore-Washington area. She noticed the lack of Latin dancing on campus and she knew of other students who shared the same passion, “and so I did something about it,” she says.

Tomas started to offer evening Latin dance classes in the Public Policy Building. “That was a lot of fun, seeing my friends support me,” she says, “and also support dance genres of different cultures.”

“So many students here at UMBC are self-motivated” to try new things, observes Tomas. “They’re go-getters—that’s their mentality. And I love it because it rubs off on me, and I’m sure on other people.”

Emerging as a leader

The experiences of other graduating students mirror those of Tomas. When she began her undergraduate studies at UMBC in 2019, Sianna Serio ’23, computer science, had only one thought in mind: to focus on her academic studies. But within a short period of time, she became involved with the Resident Students Association, began to work for Residential Life, and gave President Valerie Sheares Ashby her first tour of campus.

In her four years on campus, Serio participated in the Society of Women Engineers, Sign of Life, First Generation Network and the UMBC Crafters club. She credits faculty, staff and students alike for keeping her going, saying, “When you’re super focused on doing everything at once, sometimes you don’t get a chance to reflect on how that’s impacting you. My mentors did a really great job of providing support and checking in on me.”

Coaches support a student researcher

Emily Ferketic ’23, physics, enjoyed the remarkable distinction of having a paper published in a peer-reviewed journal under the mentorship of Sebastian Deffner, associate professor of physics. “He saw potential in me that I didn’t see in myself,” she shares.

Despite her rigorous academic schedule, she also excelled on the volleyball court, becoming captain of UMBC’s Division 1 team. In 2021, she won the coveted America East Elite 18 award. Her coaches, too, have been especially engaged. “A few weeks ago, I was presenting my research at Undergraduate Research and Achievement Day. All of my coaches showed up, not only to support me, but also to learn about the work I’ve been doing when I’m not in the gym,” she shares.

A diverse, supportive community

Students who complete double majors face especially challenging demands. Avni Patel ’23, biological sciences and gender, women’s and sexuality studies, achieved academic excellence in both fields of study and also became a community leader at UMBC, revitalizing the Hindu Students Council. “The best part of my UMBC experience was finding a diverse community of peers and mentors where I was appreciated and encouraged to reach my full potential,” she says.

One theme strongly resonates through the experiences of all these students: the UMBC community values the whole person. Whether a student is focusing on academic work, participating in student organizations, competing as an athlete, or engaging with any number of other activities, the university’s culture of mentoring and support is there to help them succeed.

Kayla Tomas

Degrees: B.S., Information Systems
Hometown: Silver Spring, MD
Post-grad plans: Cybersecurity Consultant for KPMG

Kayla Tomas cites UMBC’s Center for Women in Technology (CWIT) Scholars Program for empowering her and giving her a sense of community, especially as a Latina woman in STEM. In CWIT Scholars, a merit-based scholarship for talented undergraduates in computing and other technical fields, she developed friendships, found mentorship, and was able to create a close network of colleagues.

A star athlete, Tomas played on the women’s Division 1 volleyball team all four years of her time at UMBC, and helped guide the team to championships in three consecutive years. She participated as a member of the Hispanic Latino Student Union, and started her own Latin dance team. As a Grit Guide, she gave more than 50 tours of campus.

UMBC’s alumni community has celebrated and supported Tomas through one of the university’s coveted Alumni Endowed Scholarships, awarded to six students each year through support from UMBC’s Alumni Association.

Has there been a mentor or fellow student who influenced your time at UMBC?

“Gina Ralston, a coordinator in admissions and orientation, was a staff mentor who influenced my time at UMBC. She continuously reassured me of how much of a positive impact I have. Gina was my boss when I worked as a Grit Guide. She made me feel appreciated and seen. I loved this job because I got to share my knowledge with younger students who are new to this process, maybe even women looking to be in STEM.”

What has been the best part of your UMBC experience?

“The best part of my UMBC experience would have to be winning the America East title in volleyball three years in a row. So much hard work, time, and dedication went into training, and it truly paid off. The friendships I made, the breakthroughs I experienced, and the challenges I faced, made me into a stronger individual and this couldn’t have happened without an amazing group of teammates. It has always been a dream of mine to play collegiate volleyball at the highest level and I achieved that. Seeing my family at every home and away game always put a smile on my face. They are my rock and have been through the highs and lows with me.”

When UMBC’s volleyball team headed to the University of Southern California (USC) for a tournament, Athletics reached out and invited West Coast Retrievers to an LA happy hour before the game. Eager to reconnect with their alma mater and meet other alumni in the area, folks gathered together and new friendships were formed. 

Despite the decades between their UMBC experiences, Matt Sheriff ’00, political science, and Nathenael Dereb ’21, computer science, bonded over a quintessential California connection—surfing. Specifically, Dereb, a recent relocator, wanted to learn how and Sheriff, who’s been on the West Coast for years, had the skills to teach. Since then, the pair has been meeting before work in the mornings catching the waves. They carved out some time to share the experience with UMBC Magazine. 

UMBC Magazine: We know how you two met—can you tell us how you hit it off?

Sheriff: I attended graduate business school at USC, so when I read about a tournament volleyball game at USC that the UMBC team was invited to attend, I was simply amazed that my undergrad school was coming to USC. At the alumni pre-party, I met Nate Dereb, who, like me, also relocated from Maryland to LA. He was interested in learning to surf, so I’ve been introducing him to the sport when our schedules align. The beauty of living in Los Angeles is we can surf in the morning and be at work by 9 a.m., even earlier if necessary!

UMBC Magazine: What are your best surf tips?

Sheriff: Take it slow in terms of expectations and remind yourself that the best surfer is the one having the most fun.

UMBC Magazine: How was the change from Maryland to California?

Dereb: Relocating across the country to a city I’ve never been before was an overwhelming experience, but I was fortunate to have my family around me during my relocation. One of the shocking things was finding myself outside only in shorts and a shirt in February! I’m still amazed by that.

UMBC Magazine: What are you up to now?

Sheriff: I’m a senior advisor at Southern California Edison where I lead regulatory economics projects and represent the company before the California Public Utilities Commission as an expert witness. Most of my work is finance-related but the communication and analytical skills I learned at UMBC are immensely helpful.

Dereb: I am working as a software engineer at Adobe within the analytics organization. On the side, I’m still maintaining and adding data for the platform I built during my senior year that assists students and faculty in retrieving data regarding course grades, course evaluations, and professors at UMBC.

UMBC Magazine: What was your experience at UMBC like? 

Dereb: My involvement in the Center for Women in Technology organization, as a Cyber Scholar, is an experience I will always cherish. I was also fortunate to win several awards and scholarships, get multiple internship opportunities, become a teaching fellow for Computer Science 202, and do innovative research as part of the Interactive Robotics and Language lab on campus. I am a proud Retriever!

Sheriff: More than anything I feel like I grew into a young adult who was ready for the world.

At the 2022 Homecoming alumnae volleyball scrimmage, Kasey Crider, who joined UMBC as head volleyball coach earlier this year, got a firsthand view of the connections the program has forged over the last 50 years—connections that he considers the foundation of the team’s success. “I exist in that ecosystem of this legacy, which hit me like a ton of bricks. I’m walking out of there going, ‘Man, this is why you do it. You have these incredible people.’”

The volleyball players over the years would tell you that common values and hard work unite a team that comes from all over the world. Robbin Lee ’13, visual arts, remembers the process of bonding with her teammates, even in some unexpected ways: “We spent the preseason meshing and melding our languages—like the way we talk and the slang we use,” she says.

“By the end of the season we all sounded like each other.” This only reflected the close bonds they’d forged. To hear Lee tell it, “our team was a group of sisters. We loved and annoyed each other a lot. But, at the end of the day, we held each other accountable and we pushed each other to be better off and on the court.”

Earlier alumnae recount a similar sisterhood. Elizabeth (Straley) Beckelman, ’90, psychology, played in the ’80s under the nickname “Biff” and met her lifelong best friend Melissa (Diehlmann) Little ’90, psychology, on the first day of tryouts.

“I was a walk-on,” Beckelman remembers. “I didn’t even know if I would make the team.” And yet she did, and now fondly remembers her coaches keeping her grades on track, getting “more competitive” as the program grew, and strenuous running drills. “It really grounded me and kept me focused and kept me on a track and on a path,” Beckelman says.

As the newest member of the team celebrating their 50th anniversary this year, Crider came in as coach with one question on his mind: “What’s best for the players?” It sounds like the program is well-equipped to answer him.

Each week of the 2020 athletic season, Retriever athletes, coaches, and fans held their breath to see what games would be cleared to play. After making it through 2020 with men’s and women’s basketball holding down the proverbial fort, 2021 marked a new year and new development for UMBC sports—all unplayed fall and spring sports would return to action in spring 2021. 

Though there was no shortage of challenges when it came to playing in a pandemic (diligent symptom monitoring, regular testing, periods of isolation), student-athletes rose to the occasion and added several new chapters to UMBC record books this year. 

Serving success

For the first time in program history, UMBC women’s volleyball earned a share of the America East regular season title, splitting the honor with UAlbany. Then, on April 2, the team traveled to Albany to take on the Great Danes for the America East Championship, and they delivered, winning their first America East Championship in program history.

“The first day we met UMBC’s then-new athletics director, Brian Barrio, in 2020, he showed us an empty photo frame on his wall,” says Anouk Van Noord ’21, psychology, a right side hitter. “He told us that he was saving it for when we win the America East championship. I am so proud to graduate from UMBC in May with that spot filled on his wall.”

The Retrievers competed in the first round of NCAA tournament play and ultimately fell to Pepperdine, but they’re just getting started. 

“My goal when I took over this program was to establish this program as a perennial America East championship contender and that is what we are building here,” says head coach Cristina Robertson.

Shooting for a win

For the first time since 2007 – 2008, UMBC men’s basketball nabbed the America East Regular Season Title, sharing it with the University of Vermont. UMBC finished the regular season with a 10-4 conference record. The Retrievers ultimately fell during America East playoffs, but the team collected numerous honors on and off the court. Several players were named to All-Conference teams, and Keondre Kennedy ’23, media and communication studies, was named Sixth Man of the Year, the first awardee in program history. Kennedy’s contributions coming off the bench, playing in all 19 games, but starting just two, landed him this honor.

Ryan Odom ended his coaching career at UMBC on a high note, earning the America East’s Coach of the Year honor. Odom announced in early April that he’s continuing his career at Utah State, and Retriever Nation welcomed Jim Ferry from Penn State as UMBC men’s basketball new head coach. 

“The sincerity and the love for this place, it just came through,” says Ferry. “This is one of the fastest-growing universities in the country and I’m excited to be a part of this family and such an outstanding basketball program.”

Netting a legacy

Coach Pete Caringi, Jr. has been a force at the helm of UMBC men’s soccer for 30 seasons and to mark such an impressive tenure, his players decided to give him a very appropriate gift— his 300th win. In a double-overtime win against George Washington in February, Caringi improved his overall mark to 300-186-75, a winning percentage of better than 60 percent.

“He is one of the most respected coaches in Maryland, and there’s a reason for that,” says goalkeeper Quantrell Jones ’22, sociology, who was named to the America East Conference Men’s Soccer Second Team in 2021. “He wants to make the players better and wants to win championships, and that all I’ve ever wanted to do.”

Lapping the competition

Though they fell just short of defending their America East Title, UMBC men’s swimming and diving performed impressively at this year’s competition. Niklas Weigelt ’23, economics, was named Most Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet, and Kai Wisner ’21, mechanical engineering, earned the David Alexander Coaches Award. 

Women’s swimming and diving also captured second at this year’s America East tournament. Natalija Marin ’21, mechanical engineering, closed out her senior year on a high note, earning the David Alexander Coaches’ Award for accruing the most points over the course of the four America East Championship meets.

Senior captains Vanessa Esposito ’21, psychology, and Abbey Farmer ’21, health administration and policy, share, “This year has thrown so many challenges our team’s way.  Just a few weeks ago we did not think we would be competing at our conference championships. To climb all the way up to finish second overall is truly a testament to our women’s team.”

The Retriever swimmers and divers also welcomed new head coach Matt Donovan, former head coach at Long Island University, this spring. 

“Matt brings the experience, work ethic, and integrity that this program will need to continue its growth into national prominence,” saysBarrio, director of athletics. “He is a great fit for our UMBC community and I’m excited to connect a leader like Matt with the superb student-athletes we have at UMBC.”

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Volleyball photos courtesy of America East.

One of the things that makes UMBC great is how wonderful our alumni, students, faculty, and staff are. Because of these amazing people, UMBC often finds itself “in the news,” so each week, we’ll be sharing with you a round-up of the most newsworthy achievements from our community.

• Dr. Hrabowski appeared on Comcast Newsmakers to stress the importance of inclusiveness in STEM fields.
• Erle Ellis, geography and environmental systems, told The Guardian that all human activity, even our conservation efforts, has an impact on how species evolve.
• Thomas Schaller, political science, discussed the Republican party’s shift towards the right in The Week.
• Marie DesJardins, computer science, tells us how we can integrate computer science education into the nationwide K-12 curriculum, providing more opportunities for female and minority students in the process.
• Patricia Joseph, former special assistant to the Provost, along with her husband Mark, have promised a $3 million gift to the Baltimore Museum of Art to help pay some of the costs of the museum’s new center for education and creativity.
• Light Point Security, a cybersecurity company founded by former NSA employees and based at bwtech@UMBC, is profiled in the Baltimore Sun.
• Women’s volleyball beat Hartford 3-0 on Sunday, while women’s soccer scored a 2-0 victory over New Hampshire for their Senior Day game.

For more newsmaking moments and campus updates, check out UMBC Insights!

One of the things that makes UMBC great is how wonderful our alumni, students, faculty, and staff are. Because of these amazing people, UMBC often finds itself “in the news,” so each week, we’ll be sharing with you a round-up of the most newsworthy achievements from our community.

• We’re number 41! On GrubHub’s list of the most caffeinated schools in the country, that is. Makes you wonder if we should be drinking more or less coffee…
• UMBC researchers are partnering with UMass Amherst and Williams College on a project that aims to improve electricity use based on meter data.
• Many lawmakers are pushing for fair wages for NFL cheerleaders, but Dennis Coates, economics, has a few points for them to consider.
• Huebots, a game designed by UMBC undergrads, is now available on Steam.
• Don Norris, public policy, says that it was Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake’s “race to lose” for re-election, and that her decision to bow out changes everything.
• Joshua Enszer, a former lecturer in chemical engineering at UMBC, has joined the University of Delaware’s Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering as an assistant professor of instruction.
• Yvette Mozie-Ross, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management and Planning, praises the federal College Scorecard.
• UMBC Volleyball was featured in the America East Volleyball Weekly Honors, and has wins over Morgan State and Fordham under their belts as the season gets under way.
• Men’s Lacrosse will be participating in the Fourth Annual Capital Lacrosse Invitational on Sunday, October 11 at the Landon School in Bethesda, joining Cornell, Penn State, and Loyola University Maryland.
• Women’s Cross Country placed second in last weekend’s Wolfie Invitational at Stony Brook University.