All are invited to Beth Am's Pride Shabbat, in partnership with Hinenu, Baltimore's Justice shtiebl, Repair the World, and many other Jewish and LGBTQ organizations and congregations (including UMBC Hillel)! Register here!

We will subsidize the cost of Shabbat dinner for our CURRENT students and May '23 graduates. Please reach out to Aliza at asilverman@umbc.edu for information.

Full schedule:

Friday, June 23rd | Beth Am Courtyard

5:30 PM | Pre-shabbat nosh and card writing campaign with Repair the World Baltimore.

6 PM | Musical Kabbalat Shabbat Service led by Rabbi Tyler and Rabbi Ariana.

7 PM | Dairy Dinner followed by keynote address by Dr. Harriette Wimms.

Saturday, June 24th | Beth Am Sanctuary

9:30 AM | Sanctuary Services led by Rabbi Dratch.

12:30 PM* | Kiddush Lunch followed by LGBTQI+ panel discussion.

*Approximate time

Meet Hope Weisman ’14, psychology, M.A. ’18, applied sociology, a Transfer Academic Advocate and member of the UMBC community for 10 years and counting. As a transfer to UMBC herself, Hope has found the perfect professional role for herself at UMBC’s Academic Success Center. Thanks for sharing your story, Hope!

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

A: I came to UMBC as an undergraduate student because it felt like it was the right fit for me. I was transferring from a local community college and I had never even been to UMBC. I did a campus tour with my mom and I knew from that moment that this was the environment I wanted to be in. UMBC checked all the boxes I wanted in a place of higher education. I wanted an environment that would challenge me academically and provide me with the tools and resources to be successful. As such, I took ownership of my undergraduate career and utilized the many opportunities for me on campus and continued my studies in the Graduate School. Now, as a professional staff member, I can definitely say I made the right decision applying to UMBC all those years ago. My life would be surely different without UMBC! 

Q: How did you transition from transfer student to transfer advocate?

My world at UMBC is transfer related—all day, every day! As an undergraduate, I served as a Transfer Student Network Leader in Off-Campus Student Services (OCSS). I wanted to share my own experiences as a transfer to help other students with their transitions to UMBC. Now, I get to do that in a professional role as the Transfer Academic Advocate in the Academic Success Center.

Q: What part of your job do you enjoy the most and why?

A: As my title is ‘Transfer Academic Advocate,’ it is no surprise that my favorite part of the job is getting to work with our transfer students! I get to work with a population that is so near and dear to my heart to provide them with the resources and support so that they can achieve their goals and dreams, just like I did. I love getting to hear their stories and help them along on their UMBC journey. Getting to see them walk across the stage and have a huge smile on their face brings me so much joy.

Additionally, I enjoy the connections I have made by working with fellow campus partners together to best support our students. I also have to give a shout out to my fantastic team in the Academic Success Center who deeply care about student success AND have fun doing so!

Q: What’s the one thing you’d want someone to know about the UMBC community?

Weisman, left, along with a colleague Alison Larsen and UMBC’s campus dog, Chip.

A: Relationships are everything at UMBC. From my own experience, I have gained some of the most incredible friendships (one of my bridesmaids!) and partnerships. I value relationships and partnerships that foster a supportive and collaborative community to best support our students. 

I would also like to share that UMBC gives you the opportunity to grow. When I started as a student, I was very shy and introverted. However, I took the steps to come out of my comfort zone and try new things. For example, I signed up for a public speaking course and served as one of the Transfer Student Seminar (TRS) Peer Leaders. I wanted to become more confident and these opportunities have been helpful as I continue in my professional role. 

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

A: There are many people at UMBC who have inspired and supported me during my time here. Many of my former professors, supervisors, and colleagues have each fostered learning opportunities in order for me to grow and develop as a student and a professional staff member. I’m grateful for each person who has helped me get to where I am today. 

Specifically, I’d like to recognize two UMBC community members who have helped pave the way for me at UMBC. Christine Mair from the Applied Sociology Program advised me as a graduate student. Dr. Mair encouraged me to explore my own academic/educational interests, and always provided unwavering support during my master’s program. Second, Amanda Knapp, associate vice provost and assistant dean, has provided endless guidance and support to me within the Academic Success Center. She has allowed me to grow professionally and has always believed in me. Most notably, Dr. Knapp always creates an environment where I feel supported and always pushes me to succeed. I am truly grateful! 

Q: Are you involved in any campus organizations? Tell us about what you love about them!

A: This past year, I served as a mentee for the Professional Staff Senate. It was a wonderful experience and I enjoyed getting to have a mentor who was a fantastic support. I’m also involved in the Financial Literacy Education Committee which works to provide resources and educational tools for financial wellness—a topic that is of interest and importance to me having worked in the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships! Additionally, I serve on many different transfer-related committees where we work together to create initiatives that will best support our transfer student population.

Q: What would you tell someone who is considering a career at UMBC?

A: UMBC was a great place for me as a student and continues to be a great place to be as a staff member. I value the relationships and connections I have formed that continue beyond UMBC. I appreciate that every day is a brand new day and I have an opportunity to learn and grow within my role. I have been a part of the UMBC campus for ten years and I’m looking forward to what the future brings us!

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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.

Each week, UMBC President Valerie Sheares Ashby invites students to her office hours to chat about their lives and their experiences at UMBC. Today, she’s speaking with Viridiana Colosio-Martinez ’22, modern languages, linguistics, and intercultural communication, and M.A. ’24, intercultural communication, who emigrated from Mexico and is currently working on community-engaged research with immigrant communities in Baltimore’s Highlandtown neighborhood. Read more about Colosio-Martinez’s life and work in Shared Stories, Shared Purpose.

UMBC Magazine: Viridiana, you have such a compelling personal story. When you first met Dr. Sheares Ashby, what was the most important thing you wanted to convey to her about your story and why?

Colosio-Martinez: President Sheares Ashby has been very inspiring to me. Because in my experience as a student and also as a Latino woman in the U.S., through the many institutions I’ve attended…I haven’t seen the presence of women, especially in positions like this. For me, it’s really inspiring and it gives me hope as a woman to know what is possible, because sadly in our society, we’re still dealing with a lot of discrimination and misconceptions.

Having this opportunity is really important. It makes me feel that any student—no matter if you’re Latino, or if you’re African American, or if you are Haitian American, or Asian, or international—can have the opportunity to meet people in power. You can connect and mak bridges and share your needs and experiences.

UMBC Magazine: President Sheares Ashby, you’re meeting with many students in your first months here through your regular office hours and in other ways. How does it impact you as a leader to get to know people on an individual level? 

President Sheares Ashby: I am a teacher at heart…it is in my heart and my mind. I love teaching because it gives me the opportunity to look for greatness in my students and then help them see it for themselves. And so, I love it when a student comes to me and I can get to know who they are, where they come from, and how I can be supportive.

I am sitting here looking at you [Viridiana] thinking, “Okay, who is she going to become? And what is possible for her?” And the fact is, everything is possible. She is going to run and she is going to make a big difference in the world. And now I can ask myself, “How can I support her and help her do that?” That is what my brain is always doing. And so, I love it. I love when students come to me.

Colosio-Martinez: I feel like you’re very approachable. In September, there was a meet-and-greet for the Latino/Hispanic Faculty Association. I was there supporting my professors, and I saw you there talking with every single person. I saw how you wanted to give us space and recognize our community. 

UMBC Magazine: You’re finishing up your master’s degree, Viridiana, and like the president, you’re a teacher. What will you take from UMBC with you after you graduate?

Colosio-Martinez: I would like to become a professor. When I have my office hours with students now, I’m always thinking the same thing: “Who are they? And do they need help with anything?” I want to help others…I would like to continue with my research in the Latinx community, to make space for the wonderful stories of people who are doing good things and all the challenges that our communities experience.

And what will I take with me? I will take all the passion, all the knowledge from my professors and mentors, like my mentor Tania Lizarazo, and all of the skills. I will take the friendships of my classmates…and the wonderful experience of teaching undergrads. I’m taking every single experience and I will remember every single student, and I’m taking all of those things with me to make sure that I use them in the future. 

President Sheares Ashby: You are so inspiring, Viridiana. Thank you for sharing your story!