Name: Vanessa Barksdale

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: International Social Services - USA

Major(s)/Minor(s): Social Work with Certification in Intercultural Communication

Expected Graduation Year: May 2017

Briefly describe your internship, co-op, research, or service-learning opportunity, including your day-to-day tasks, responsibilities, and assignments.

International Social Services is a very unique organization, and I'm very honored to be selected to work with them. Basically, we do two things: repatriation, and intercountry casework. In casework, we do things like help make international custody battles a little easier on the social workers by being the point of communication between, say, New Jersey and Germany. This definitely produces some interesting conversations and experiences; I definitely learn and do something new every time I come through the door. It is my responsibility to be of assistance in any way possible to the caseworkers on staff here. This can entail anything from asking Puerto Rico's Social Services to run a background check in Spanish (my language of study - very cool to put in practice!) to even copying a 50 year old case file. My job, specifically, is to handle the smaller cases, which usually entails looking for the family members of children in need. It’s very rewarding, and it’s always a good time.

Describe the process of obtaining your internship, research, or co-op opportunity.

Networking! Networking! Networking! In the spring of 2014, I had an opportunity to volunteer with the organization CHOICE through the Shriver Center (also a great opportunity). One of the interns in charge of my volunteer site worked in ISS as well, and she recommended me for the position.

Which of the following resources did you use to find your current experience?

Student Organizations/Scholar Groups, Student Connections

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization/company?

I love every minute that I'm in the office, to be honest. I suppose that most of all I love the real world practice and application of the things that I've learned to help advance the mission of such a wonderful organization.

What have you gained from your experience that you could not have gained from another opportunity?

I've definitely gained a sense of agency and self confidence. I've gotten a chance to do, learn, and be a lot of things here, for which I'm grateful.

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?

Find something that pushes your envelope all the way open, that you have a passion for, that's a little unconventional, and then go do that. These are the places that you learn something new. Also, don't just look at working with the "Big Wig" corporations. Look at volunteer internships with the little nonprofits; they definitely need you, and there's plenty of work to go around.

Please provide a short quote about what you liked most about your position / earning internship credit / the internship placement process.

Find something that pushes your envelope all the way open, that you have a passion for, that's a little unconventional, and then go do that. You'll ALWAYS learn something new.

Dr. Freeman Hrabowski hosted the fourth annual 1966 Society dinner on September 15 in the University Center Ballroom Lounge at UMBC.  The 1966 Society celebrates those individual members who have identified the UMBC Foundation in their estate plans.

Before dinner, guests walked over to the Meyerhoff Building and toured the labs with Dr. William LaCourse, Dean of CNMS, and Zeev Rosenzweig, Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, where they learned about the exciting research being done by UMBC faculty.

Some of the faculty — Dr. Marie-Christine Onuta, Dr. Marcin Ptaszek, and Dr. Ryan White — then joined 1966 Society members for dinner.

Please contact Kim Robinson at kim.robinson@umbc.edu if you would like information about estate planning.

Every so often, we highlight the importance of student scholarships by introducing you to the very students they help to succeed. Today, we’re featuring Bria Hamlet ‘15, who is an Alumni Association Scholarship recipient.

Name: Bria Hamlet
Major: Health Administration & Policy Program, Track II – Health Policy
Extra Curricular Activities: Peer Health Educator, President of the Women of Color Coalition
Scholarship received: Alumni Association Scholarship

Q: Why did you decide to attend UMBC?
My decision to attend UMBC was not an easy one, as I initially had my heart set on going out of state for college. I quickly learned that UMBC was not only a great place to study, but a perfect fit for me. I love being a Retriever and making the most of every day on campus. I fell in love with our school spirit, academic strength, and comfortable community. I can honestly say I would not want to be anywhere else.

Q: What’s been the most amazing discovery you’ve made so far as a student here?
The most amazing discovery I’ve made so far as a student at UMBC is my sense of unity with my fellow students. We’re all in this together, whether it’s overcoming our hefty workloads or bonding over a power outage on campus. I feel very at home here and hope many other students feel the same.

Q: Tell us about a class or club that has really opened your mind.
I have been a Peer Health Educator through University Health Services for three semesters. I am quickly approaching my fourth and final semester, as I am aging out. This program has really shaped both my experience at UMBC, but also my career aspirations and goals. I LOVE health education. I love helping other students feel empowered to take care of themselves, but also understand risk and make informed decisions. We put a lot of time and effort into creating fun and engaging programs for our classmates; we would not show them anything we wouldn’t sit through ourselves. I take so much pride in being a part of this amazing, elite group of students and I am grateful for every moment spent with them.

Q: How important is it to you as a student to get scholarship support?
Right before I chose a college, my parents and I had the talk about making wise financial choices. While there was never any doubt that I was destined to attend college, my parents had the foresight to avoid mountains of debt through going out-of-state. My decision to attend UMBC was the smartest choice financially, but that did not mean there were not struggles. I still have loans, I still worry about how I’m going to pay for graduate school, and I wonder why it costs so much to help people grow scholastically. However, this scholarship support shows me that there are great people out there who want me, as well as other students, to [succeed] too! It’s a great feeling and I plan to pay it forward someday.

Q: What are you most proud of accomplishing in your time at UMBC?
I am very, very proud of the work I put into building my GPA this past school year. Out of 10 classes, I received A’s in eight. I have always been studious, but I hit bumps in the road that no longer made my GPA a reflection of me. I have worked hard to pull it up, and will continue to do so in my final semesters here.

Q: What would you say to the people who provided your scholarship?
Thank you so much for seeing in me a student worthy of your support and kindness. I have never received a scholarship before and I am thrilled that you changed that for me. I will try my hardest to make you proud, and represent your alma mater in the best way I possibly can.

Q: What do you hope to do after graduation?
I plan to attend graduate school to obtain my Masters in public health. Afterwards I will gain my PhD in population, family and reproductive health. My short-term goal is to become a health educator, and my long-term goal is to open up my own non-profit healthcare center. I also hope to donate back to UMBC.

Support the UMBC Alumni Scholarships today!

Dr. Freeman Hrabowski hosted the fourth annual 1966 Society dinner on September 15 in the University Center Ballroom Lounge at UMBC.  The 1966 Society celebrates those individual members who have identified the UMBC Foundation in their estate plans.

Before dinner, guests walked over to the Meyerhoff Building and toured the labs with Dr. William LaCourse, Dean of CNMS, and Zeev Rosenzweig, Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, where they learned about the exciting research being done by UMBC faculty.

Some of the faculty — Dr. Marie-Christine Onuta, Dr. Marcin Ptaszek, and Dr. Ryan White — then joined 1966 Society members for dinner.

Please contact Kim Robinson at kim.robinson@umbc.edu if you would like information about estate planning.

Dr. Freeman Hrabowski hosted the fourth annual 1966 Society dinner on September 15 in the University Center Ballroom Lounge at UMBC.  The 1966 Society celebrates those individual members who have identified the UMBC Foundation in their estate plans.

Before dinner, guests walked over to the Meyerhoff Building and toured the labs with Dr. William LaCourse, Dean of CNMS, and Zeev Rosenzweig, Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, where they learned about the exciting research being done by UMBC faculty.

Some of the faculty — Dr. Marie-Christine Onuta, Dr. Marcin Ptaszek, and Dr. Ryan White — then joined 1966 Society members for dinner.

Please contact Kim Robinson at kim.robinson@umbc.edu if you would like information about estate planning.