EduCo’s University of Maryland, Baltimore County representative, Paul Venghaus, was on hand recently to help greet our international students who commenced in late August at the institution:
As the semester comes to a start here at UMBC, we are excited to welcome your students to the U.S. and to the historic town of Catonsville! Orientation for all graduate school programs was on 17 August and International Education Services (IES) held their Academy for international students this same week. Over the past several weeks, your students have been enjoying the beautiful 70 °F weather and the sunshine. They have been exploring the area on their own and through a variety of activities held by student organisations and IES. EduCo hosted students on a very special ‘Eclipse Luncheon’ where students toured the first monument of President George Washington, received a warm welcome from Dr. Jill Barr, Associate Dean of Graduate Admissions, and viewed the total eclipse throughout the afternoon.
The IES Academy is a series of events held to welcome new international students to UMBC. They find out important information and meet the staff at UMBC who will help them with concerns related to their immigration status and well-being. Once the IES Academy is completed, students find themselves engaged on campus through the many student organisations available within the University and broader community.
Created and run by UMBC students, student organisations serve to enhance education and offer a forum for leadership development, critical reflection and civic engagement. Joining a student organisation can broaden perspectives, open opportunities, and deepen a student’s connection and passion with interests and issues important to them.
Some or the largest and most active student organisations at UMBC are EKTA (Indian Student Org), UMBC Game Developer’s Club, IEEE, UMBC Cyber Dawgs (Cybersecurity Club), and the Chess Club. Last semester, the UMBC Cyber Security club took first place at the 2017 National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition held in San Antonio, Texas.
