Class of 2029

Hi! My Name is Fatima Hafeez and I am an incoming freshman from Baltimore Maryland. I am so excited to join UMBC as a humanities scholar and pursue a double major in Global Studies and Psychology. I plan to pursue both science and law in my future. I find myself wanting to make a difference in the world primarily through public policy and understanding of the world through the lens of my major, as well as my experiences. In my free time I tend to read, cook/bake, and do my Henna. I hope to continue in my love for learning at UMBC and continue to grow and experience things. I hope to also meet new people and learn from them and their journeys, while we experience UMBC together. I am so excited for this opportunity and can’t wait to make the best of it.

Hi! My name is Lila Zink and I am so excited to be a part of UMBC as an Ancient Studies major. I’ve always been interested in ancient history ever since I was in elementary school, but I was only inspired to pursue it as my major later on, by my high school Latin teacher, when I was in my fourth year. During spring break of my senior year, I was lucky enough to be able to travel to Greece with my AP Latin class and that experience really solidified my love for the ancient world, and I hope to be able to go to a similar place on my study abroad as part of this program. Through both my Latin class and my AP Literature class, I explored the complexities of different societies and how we can learn from our past as we work toward our future, which is where I hope to focus my studies here. In high school, I participated in many school clubs, such as being a wing manager in stage crew, an editor-in-chief of my school newspaper and an officer of my school’s Gay-Straight Alliance. In my free time, I enjoy reading, listening to musicals and watching baseball. I’m very excited to be a part of this community, and can’t wait to see where it will take me!

Hi, I’m Anna Vaise and I’m from Anne Arundel County, MD. I’m majoring in English and double minoring in Creative Writing and Art History & Museum Studies. I’ve had a passion for writing since I was very young, and am a total reading nerd. I’m excited to travel abroad through the HUM program next year and continue to participate in all the fun events it has to offer. In my free time, I enjoy reading, watching films, and listening to music (think Henry Moodie, Gracie Abrams, 5SOS, Tate Mcrae, etc). You can always find me in the library or a nearby art museum, probably staring off into space.

Hello, my name is Quinn Ondra, and I am so excited to be joining the Humanities Scholars this fall! I am from Baltimore County and a History major. Outside of school, I love making music, writing, learning languages, and playing guitar. I don’t know yet what my focus will be. But, I love learning about the Cold War era, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Ancient Mesoamerica. However, Czechia’s history is my Roman Empire, as they say. I am looking forward to and so grateful for this opportunity.

Hi! I’m Claire Haase, and I’m from Pasadena, Maryland. I’m majoring in History and plan to minor in Art History & Museum Studies (with a possible major or minor in English eventually). I want to become a Museum Curator or Archivist, but any job actively involved and working with history will make me happy. Some of my hobbies are painting, drawing, collecting vinyl, playing guitar, watching movies (my favourites are the 2005 Pride & Prejudice, the Lord of The Rings trilogy, and anything by David Lynch), listening to music (especially goth, punk, classic rock, grunge, & more), and reading (particularly classic literature). I hope to take as many history classes as possible and travel abroad multiple times during my time at UMBC. The Humanities Scholars Program has made me really excited for college, and I can’t wait to meet cool people and learn cool things.

Hello! My name is Athena Gregg, and I am pursuing a double major in Modern Languages and Linguistics, with a focus on German and French, as well as a major in Geography and Environmental Studies. I have lived in Baltimore, Maryland, for my whole life, alongside my parents, grandmother, and twin. I enjoy reading, singing, and love spending time with my 6 pets, plus any other animals I can find. I love to play D&D in my free time, and am excited about joining new clubs and meeting new people here at UMBC!

Hi, my name is Kate Bradshaw. I’m originally from Baltimore city, but I’ve lived in Denver for the past ten years. I’m studying history (and potentially adding global studies) because it is my passion; I always looked forward to my history classes. Being a music person – I play a multitude of instruments – I love Eurovision, which combines my love for global relations and history with my love of music. I will also be on the pre-law track, because the American justice system needs changing from the inside and I’ve always known that my purpose in life is to help others. In high school I was in Girl Scouts, DECA, marching band, our school’s newspaper, School of Rock, and helped found a crochet club at my school. I am a superstitious person: Astrology, tarot reading, crystals, and I dabble in palmistry. I love reading historical fiction, dystopian sci-fi, and murder mysteries. My whole family is happy to be back out east, and I personally love Chevy’s, Otterbein’s, and Royal Farms. And despite what Marylanders would have you believe the weather is significantly more tame out here (especially compared to Colorado). I’m really excited to be a humanities scholar, and a part of the greater UMBC community.

Hi! My name is Divya Raj and I’m from Howard County, Maryland. I plan to major in history as well as mathematics. My favorite subject has always been English. However, as I started reading more classic literature, I realized I was even more interested in learning about the context behind the story, including the time period and the author’s background, which often unconsciously influence the way that the story was told, hence my decision to major in history instead. Throughout high school, I was extremely involved with my school’s National Art Honor Society and Model United Nations club. I taught middle and elementary schoolers art and helped run my school’s Model UN conferences. I also was the co-president of the classic literature book club. In my free time, I love to make art, write, journal, and bake. I’m looking forward to get to know everyone at UMBC!

Hello! I am Khizar Qazi (KIZ-AHR KAH-ZEE), a Political Science and American Studies double major and a Class of 2029 Humanities Scholar!! This program truly captured everything I was passionate about and being accepted was the driving force that confirmed my enrollment in UMBC. In high school, classes like history, spanish culture, english language, philosophy, etc., were where I really felt the most at home. As a Humanities Scholar, I look forward to analyzing these powerful forces and working alongside a cohort of students who are just as passionate about these topics as I am. After UMBC, I hope to attend law school and find a career in law or politics! Outside of academia, I love volunteering and service and hope to continue finding opportunities to do so both on and off campus. I love reading, video editing, photography, watching shondaland shows, and playing video games!! I can’t wait to kickstart this next chapter of my education, especially as a part of this program!

I’m Duncan Winger, a philosophy and psych major from Sussex County Delaware. I’m a lover of wisdom, art and learning. Sometimes, I worry it’s a bit too off-putting… I actually enjoy school (What?!?). I’d often feel alienated for trying too hard, for taking everything seriously. But when you look at my biggest fear it makes sense: I’m mortified that I will go through live taking everything for granted just to at the end have wasted it all. Therefore, I really try to live by my priorities, to open up my mind to new experiences and subjects and combine lofty idealism with hard work. Here with the humanities scholars, it’s a lot easier to be myself. A few Scholars I’ve met already have expanded my sense of self, and I’m ecstatically anticipating our upcoming Humanities discussions. All my acts in life are about love. It’s really hard to keep your mind and soul open, living with a grace and reverence for the small things and forgetting yourself in your desire to help others. But to truly live, we must love. I’m unapologetically a lover rooted in my concern for the well-being of the community. Nothing will take that away from me. If you find yourself with a brimming fire in you to do something, to create works of art and imagine new worlds or to run a marathon or to read dozens of books or to give back to the community that has given you so much already… we will welcome you with open arms.

Hi!!! My name is Elon Nolan and I’m an English major with a minor in Creative Writing. I’m from Maryland, specifically Harford County, and can’t wait to meet you all! In the past I have been involved in my school’s drama company, choirs, and literary and arts magazine. I actually got the privilege to be editor in chief my senior year. I love music, writing, singing, reading, and learning about anything new. If you ever want to talk or just need a buddy I’m always here! 🙂

Hello! My name is Neha Mathew, and I’m a current freshman double-majoring in Anthropology and Biochemistry. I’m from Silver Spring, Maryland, but was born just outside of  Baltimore. I discovered my interest in the humanities quite young; I loved, and still love, reading and writing as a kid, and had a fascination with classics and ancient history. I have aspirations to pursue a career in the archaeological field, with an emphasis on biological archaeology and research. Interdisciplinary topics are very interesting, and I find that the Humanities Scholars Program can help me foster an environment where I can grow intellectually. During my free time, I enjoy reading, writing, and thread crafts, such as crochet, embroidery, and some sewing. I love exploration, and cannot wait to visit museums and local attractions around UMBC.

Hello! I’m Saadya Smith from Anne Arundel County! I am double majoring in Psychology and Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies. I enjoy reading, drawing, music, and watching movies. I also have an irrational fascination with zombies (which has nothing to do with anything but is still a very crucial detail). I am very excited to make lifelong friends with my fellow scholars!

I am Katie Mai Rodgers from Bethesda, Maryland. I’m a sophomore majoring in MLL- Chinese language and culture and a double minor in Asian Studies and Korean language and culture. I am so excited to be part of the Humanities Scholars Program at UMBC! I am a Vietnamese adoptee and grew up not really understanding my culture but moved to where I reside now just before starting high school. This move was the catalyst in me trying to further my knowledge about not only languages but also (mostly) East and Southeast Asian culture to connect with my heritage a bit more. Now I’ve learned French, Korean, and Chinese since middle and high school. I also took various humanities-related classes that I loved. Outside of academics, I love reading, F1, dancing, and figure skating. I absolutely love KPOP and it is one of my biggest interests (I am a fan of over 25 groups and listen to more)! I love music in general and listen to Noah Kahan, Conan Gray, Jeremy Zucker, Olivia Rodrigo, and Gracie Abrams too.