We were excited to have an in person meeting this year after being locked down in the past two years due to COVID. On Sept. 9, 2022, the ME S-STEM Scholarship Program at UMBC had its annual retreat to welcome new scholars into our program. The Program Director, Dr. Liang Zhu, gave a short presentation on program activities and expectations. Dr. Ronghui Ma, a former undergraduate program director in the department, shared her experience on typical difficulties faced by undergraduate students. The ME department provided lunches. The scholars and faculty mentors in the program had a productive discussion after the presentations. It is wonderful to see everyone in person.