Closing the Gap - UMUC

CLASS NOTES
CLASS NOTES
Kimberly Lewis ’01
Alexandria, Virginia, joined the U.S. Army
and moved to Jackson, South Carolina, for
basic training. She will be working as a linguist.
She wrote, “Very exciting, but also very
terrifying.”
Brenda K. Taite ’01
Ellicott City, Maryland, was accepted into the
Vermont Law School class of 2002.
Adekunle Adebanjo ’02
Baltimore, Maryland, wrote, “I came to the
U.S. from Nigeria in 1998 and enrolled at
UMUC in the fall of 1999. Since then, my
life has turned around for the good. With the
help of online classes, I was able to combine
work and study—thanks to UMUC.”
Adam D. Birnbaum ’02
Virginia Beach, Virginia, recently accepted a
position as a business analyst in the HIPAA
division of AMERIGROUP Corporation. He
previously served as the company’s manager of
communications.
Sherwynne P. Hughes ’02
Germany, wrote, “[UMUC’s] night classes
were perfectly scheduled and allowed me to
finish up my degree despite having two very
active baby boys at home. I plan to go on to
graduate school (as soon as my husband completes
his undergraduate degree with UMUC
as well). UMUC gave me hopes and helped
me achieve my dream!”
Dennis Joyner ’02
Richmond, Virginia, chose to attend graduate
school at UMUC because of its reputation for
excellence in distance education. He wrote,
“Having also received my undergraduate
degree via the distance education format, I was
very much aware of how online education can
benefit busy adults in the workforce. I would
highly recommend UMUC to those who
value a quality education.”
Adam L. Thor ’02
Fair Lawn, New Jersey, completed his bachelor’s
degree four years after graduating from
high school and plans to attend law school in
September 2003, after completing his enlistment
in the U.S. Navy. He wrote, “Without
the online freedom, I don’t think that I would
have been able to complete my degree on time
due to my job.”
UMUC JOINS FORCES WITH MORGAN STANLEY
TO CHANGE LIVES
As a corporation, Morgan Stanley is dedicated to creating a more diverse
workforce, a commitment that company officials consider one of their highest
priorities. In keeping with this philosophy, the company’s foundation—which
made gifts totaling $40 million last year—underwrites numerous community
initiatives that further diversity and economic opportunity for women, minorities,
and people with disabilities. So, for Morgan Stanley, UMUC’s Better Opportunities
Through Online Education was a natural fit—so much so that it recently
presented the university with a gift of $450,000, over three years, to expand the
program into Delaware and New Jersey.
The partnership is a big win for everyone. As Joan Steinberg, vice president and
director of community affairs at Morgan Stanley, says, “Even though the program
is online, it’s set up to help students feel truly connected to the institutional
environment, rather than simply hooking them up to a [personal computer].
We also like that UMUC works so hard to meet the needs of these students,
who are usually working moms for whom their first priority is their kids.
UMUC has developed a program that takes that into account—working
around family lifestyles.”
The Morgan Stanley gift will allow UMUC to offer its Better Opportunities
program to qualified participants in three new markets, all of which are communities
where Morgan Stanley offices are located—Wilmington and Dover,
Delaware, as well as Jersey City. This proposed expansion will underwrite 33
“Morgan Stanley Scholars” over the three-year grant period, all of whom may be
considered for jobs in the company once they have completed the program.
“We’ve been extremely impressed with the quality of student enrolled in the
Better Opportunities program,” said Steinberg. “These are individuals who
already have a strong commitment to the workforce, but who can’t move ahead in
it for one reason or another. They are also highly motivated to improve their
chances, especially when you consider that most of them have families and fulltime
jobs. So, when you combine those qualities with the certificate training
they receive through the program . . . well, these are women we would love to
have working for us.”
According to Beverly Lucas, UMUC’s director of Special Programs, Better
Opportunities became a reality two years ago when the university joined forces
with its first community partner, Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake. The
idea behind the program—which now enrolls 45 students—was to offer free,
high-quality, online professional certificates to lower-income workers, who are
often stuck in dead-end jobs that don’t afford them the opportunity to further
their education or broaden their skills. Moreover, program courses are fully
transferable as credits toward four-year degree programs.
22 ACHIEVER
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