UMBC News Staff featured Humanities Scholar Tess McRae on May 12 2022. Read the entire article here.
"The lesson I have learned from STRiVE and from the Center for Democracy and Civic Life's work, and from all of the people I've met at UMBC who have held up undistorted mirrors for me, is that I am worthy as my authentic self. That has radically altered everything I thought I knew about myself and the world, and has profoundly deepened my sense of community, connection, and purpose. And that clarity and sense of belonging are indescribably empowering and healing, even in moments of doubt."