Meet Mariam Yaldram ’20, history, a graduate from UMBC at the Universities at Shady Grove with a passion for education, disability justice, and global citizenship. She is a special education 8th-grade English Language Arts (ELA) teacher, and a Teach for America corps member. She also serves on the UMBC Alumni Association Board of Directors and Fulbrighters with Disabilities. Outside of work, she loves writing, collecting antiques, and exploring different cultures. Take it away, Mariam! 

Q: What is your WHY? What brought you to UMBC?

A: I chose UMBC Shady Grove because I had transferred from Montgomery College, where I concentrated in history. Being located in Montgomery County, it felt like a natural transition for me. As a caregiver with many responsibilities, the Shady Grove campus offered the flexibility I needed to balance my academic journey with my personal commitments.

It provided an environment where I could continue to pursue my passion for history while being close to home, allowing me to stay involved in my family’s needs. The campus also offered leadership opportunities, such as serving as the president of the History Student Association and co-founding the UMBC History Journal at Shady Grove. These opportunities gave me the chance to grow both academically and professionally.

Ultimately, choosing UMBC at Shady Grove allowed me to pursue my education and career goals without compromising my family responsibilities—making it a perfect fit for where I was in my life.

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

A: One thing I’d want someone who hasn’t yet joined the UMBC community to know is that you will always find support here—whether academically, professionally, or personally. The faculty, staff, and student organizations truly care about your growth and success. My professors challenged and mentored me, helping me develop critical thinking and leadership skills, while my advisors provided guidance in student engagement, networking, and advocacy.

Q: Who has inspired you or supported you?

A: Andrew Nolan, UMBC history program director at UMBC-Shady Grove, Melissa Blair, lecturer and public history minor coordinator, and Chelsea Moyer, assistant vice provost at UMBC-Shady Grove, have all played crucial roles in inspiring and supporting me throughout my educational journey. Their collective support has shaped my academic and professional path, reinforcing my passion for education, advocacy, and leadership.

My history professors, Dr. Nolan and Dr. Blair, helped me develop strong critical thinking skills in historical analysis, research, and writing. Their mentorship also encouraged me to take on leadership opportunities, such as serving as the president of the History Student Association and co-founding the first-ever student-led UMBC History Journal at Shady Grove.

Moyer, my leadership advisor, was instrumental in my growth as a student leader. Through UMBC Peer Advisory, I gained valuable leadership development experience by assisting with orientations, preview nights, outreach, and student engagement. Her guidance helped me build confidence in networking and creating meaningful connections within the UMBC community. 

Q: How has the UMBC community helped you grow beyond the classroom?

A: Beyond the classroom, UMBC provided me with invaluable opportunities and resources, including being a Returning Women Scholar, serving on the Shady Grove Campus Student Council, and working as a UMBC Shady Grove Blogger. These roles allowed me to amplify student voices, advocate for my peers, and share my educational journey, all while balancing my responsibilities as a caregiver.

With UMBC’s supportive network and mentorship, I was also able to secure a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA)—a transformative experience that reinforced my passion for education and global citizenship. Now, as a special education 8th-grade ELA teacher and Teach for America corps member, I see how these experiences shaped my ability to lead, teach, and advocate for equity in education. 

Photo Left: Mariam during UMBC Spirit Week 2020, showing her UMBC pride from home.

Q: How have you stayed connected with the UMBC community?

A: Even after graduation, the UMBC Chapter of Young Alumni (CYA) and the UMBC Alumni Association Board of Directors have continued to offer a strong support system, allowing me to stay connected, share my journey through panels and networking events, and support UMBC alumni—especially those from Shady Grove, whose voices I am passionate about uplifting. My involvement with these groups has been an incredible opportunity for leadership, advocacy, and community engagement. These organizations have allowed me to stay connected with UMBC while supporting fellow alumni

Through CYA, I have had the chance to participate in networking events, mentorship opportunities, and outreach initiatives that foster connections among recent graduates. Being on the Alumni Association Board of Directors has further strengthened my advocacy skills, as I’ve worked to highlight the achievements and needs of Shady Grove alumni. One of the most meaningful aspects has been sharing my educational journey on panels, where I can inspire current and future Retrievers by discussing my path from student leadership to becoming a special education teacher and Teach for America corps member.

UMBC has been instrumental in my personal and professional growth, from providing leadership roles in student organizations to helping me secure a Fulbright ETA. These experiences have shaped my ability to lead, advocate, and build meaningful connections—all while giving back to the UMBC community that has given me so much.

For anyone considering a partnership with UMBC, I’d say it’s a great investment in a dynamic, diverse, and innovative community. UMBC fosters meaningful connections, leadership opportunities, and global impact, making it an incredible place to collaborate, support, and grow together.

Q: Tell us more about your current job. What do you like most about it?

A: I’m a special education 8th-grade ELA teacher at Ingenuity Prep and a Teach for America corps member. What I enjoy most about my work is helping students find their voice through reading, writing, and critical thinking. Seeing my students grow academically and gain confidence in their abilities is incredibly rewarding. I also love creating an inclusive and supportive classroom environment, where students with diverse learning needs feel empowered to succeed. My role allows me to advocate for educational equity and disability justice, ensuring that all students have access to meaningful learning experiences. Every day, I get to make a difference in their lives, and that’s what makes my job so fulfilling!

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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.

The Career Center will be closed on Tuesday, May 13, for a staff professional development planning day. We will reopen on Wednesday, May 14, at 8:30 AM.

Thank you for your understanding. We look forward to assisting you when we return.

Best wishes on your exams.

We are pleased to announce that we have completed our transition to the AIMS parking management system. This system will enhance the user experience, increase reliability, support customer service efforts, modernize our operations and allow for additional functionality. Go to umbc.aimsparking.com to visit the portal. 

We encourage faculty, staff and students to use the new parking portal when making changes to an account or for addressing parking citations. We also ask everyone to log-in and view the vehicles associated with their permit to ensure accuracy and up-to-date records.

Some advantages of the new system include:

- Easier navigation

- Real-time notifications on citations, appeal receipts and judgements

3)    -   The information you need including remaining permits, outstanding balances and more

-     -   Ability to purchase additional permits when you get down to two remaining 

4)    -  Text Updates…Opt-in to receive text-updates on citations, construction, lot closures and more.

We will resume adding late fees, vehicle flagging and fee referral processes on Tuesday, May 13.

Please reach out to us at parking@umbc.edu if you have any questions or concerns.

The following message was shared with the UMBC community on May 12 to announce the naming of a new vice president for UMBC’s Office of Institutional Advancement:

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Dear UMBC Community, 

I am delighted to announce the appointment of Patrick Roche to the role of vice president for institutional advancement. Patrick will begin in the role July 1.

Patrick joins UMBC from the University of Minnesota Foundation, where he is currently vice president for principal gifts and interdisciplinary initiatives. The foundation is a separate nonprofit organization from the University of Minnesota that serves as the central development office for the university. Prior to assuming his current role in 2024, Patrick served for three years as associate vice president for central programs.

At the foundation, Patrick’s role as a member of the senior leadership team has focused on developing strategies for the university’s next comprehensive campaign, cultivating transformational philanthropic relationships with the university’s most prominent donors, and developing university-wide plans for interdisciplinary initiatives. He has led the foundation’s planned giving, international fundraising, regional development program, and leadership annual giving program in raising $130 million in Fiscal Year 2024, up from the $100 million the teams raised in FY 2023 and $70 million raised in FY 2022.

As important as his fundraising success are Patrick’s leadership abilities, his strategic mindset, and his dedication to the mission of higher education. He is incredibly thoughtful about the purpose of philanthropy in advancing mission and vision and the critical role of alumni in moving an institution forward. I know he is inspired by UMBC’s vision and its identity as a public research institution that sees inclusive excellence as its core defining value.

Before returning home to his native Minnesota to serve in leadership with the foundation, Patrick held numerous roles in advancement in California and New York. Most recently, he was vice president of development for Goodwill of Southern California, where he secured the organization’s largest single gift in 2020, grew and developed the staff, and implemented a strategic plan and new methodologies for fundraising programs and collaboration across the organization.

His advancement career in higher education includes four years as vice president of development and alumni relations at Clarkson University in Potsdam, NY, where he achieved three consecutive years of record growth in fundraising, as well as several leadership roles at Claremont McKenna College and annual and major gift fundraising roles at the California Institute of Technology. Patrick, who earned a bachelor’s degree in management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, began his career in business development and sales management in the technology sector.

We are delighted that Patrick has accepted our offer to lead the OIA team and serve in this pivotal role as a partner to our senior leadership team and me. My sincere thanks to Kevin Yang ’07, president of the UMBC Alumni Association Board of Directors, and Karl Steiner, vice president for research and creative achievement, for their leadership of the search committee, as well as to all the members of the committee for their service.

I am deeply grateful to Stanyell Bruce, director of alumni engagement, and Kim Robinson, director of major gifts, who have served admirably in temporary co-leadership of OIA. Thank you, Stanyell and Kim, and welcome, Patrick!

Sincerely,

President Valerie Sheares Ashby