Annette and Morris Mintz Family Scholarship Fund

Annette and Morris had six grandchildren, one of whom attended University of Maryland and all of whom live in Maryland. Today the family includes lawyers, a former elected official, a doctor, a dentist, successful entrepreneurs, an Emmy-winning documentary maker, pharmacists and a renowned visual artist – each leaders in their respective fields – and 13 great-grandchildren.

Now the Mintzes – including UMCP alums Melvin (’67), Doug (’95) Hillary (’97), Sylvan (’63) and Rina (’66), as well as Lee, Martin (UMAB Pharmacy School ’65), Judy, Paul and Mary – want to give back to the University and the state ensuring that other first-generation college students have increased opportunities to attend Maryland and thrive as leaders here, like the members of the Mintz family have in their chosen fields.

Sereen Aridi is a sophomore at the University of Maryland, College Park concentrating in Business Marketing. One of her most important goals is to achieve a higher education as a first-generation student, aspiring to remodel her family's legacy. Thus, Sereen has worked hard to maintain a well-rounded high school profile, showing heavy commitment to academics, extracurriculars, and community service. At Maryland, Sereen maintained a rigorous academic course load and secured an on-campus job at the STAMP Student Union. She has also served on leadership in different organizations such as Smith's Women Empowerment Institute for Women of Color in Business, Smith Start Mentors for incoming freshmen, Student Entertainment Events, and Leadership and Community Service Learning. Outside of school, Sereen loves to play volleyball with her friends whenever exam season is not lurking around the corner. In addition, she is an active Youth Leader at my church, aspiring to be an example and positive influence among my peers. In her free time, Sereen loves to draw, play video games, learn new skills, and have meaningful connections with others. Post-college, Sereen aims to develop a non-profit organization geared toward helping adolescents build essential skill sets as they continue their educational journey, aspiring to use her college and life experiences to further inspire others with courage and perseverance.

Britney Ayala is currently a junior studying Finance and Information Systems at UMD. Britney is highly involved in the business school specially because she believes in giving back and it has been such a helpful resource in helping her pursue her professional and personal goals. In the business school, Britney serves as on the executive board for the Women in Business Association and The Association of Latino Professionals for America. She is also a part of the Smith Community Council and the Diversity Equity Council.  Britney is also a Smith Ambassador. Beyond the business school she likes to attend UMD Hispanic organizations events. As a first generation student, having these opportunities at UMD has been so eye opening and fruitful. Britney feels fortunate to have a community here at UMD and have thoroughly enjoyed her Maryland experience so far.

Alexander Dobrzycki is a first-generation senior computer science major seeking a minor in statistics. Alexander has always been into computers/math and he discovered his passion for programming late in high school, starting by coding mini-programs on his calculator during math class. Alexander is from Connecticut, and in his free time, enjoys working out and getting outdoors. Alexander can't believe he's  already a senior. His time at Maryland has truly been great. Alexander has made lifelong friends and memories, all while he got to learn topics he’s deeply interested in!

Aniya Sanders is a first year Biochemistry major with a Black Women Studies minor. After her 4 years at UMD she hopes to go to University of Maryland Medical School. She aspires to be an Obstetrician & Gynecology with hopes to care and advocate for women of color in healthcare.

Rahma Abouelmagd is a public health sciences student on a pre-PA track. She is a part of the Muslim Student Association (MSA), on campus. She has also served as the outreach coordinator on the board of Helping Hand at UMD which is a charity organization that helps advocate for human rights and aids with humanitarian crisis relief. She'll be serving as a co-president of helping hand next year to continue with the efforts and events that they have carried out over the years. She's also a member of Mu Delta Alpha sorority incorporated which is a Muslim sorority at UMD that strives to harbor sisterhood and professionalism while emphasizing acts of service and understanding of Islam. Additionally, Rahma served as a peer mentor in the FIRE program which is a research-based program that enables students to learn lab techniques and develop research skills as they carry out research projects of their own interests.  

Nhu Le is a Class of 2023 student majoring in Microbiology and is on the Pre-Medicine track. Grew up in Nha Trang, Vietnam, and moved to the United States when she was 12 years old, Nhu is very proud of both her birth country and her adopted country. At UMD, she serves as the Secretary of the International Student Union, an organization that aims to bridge a connection between international students and the UMD community. In addition, Nhu had worked as a Chapel Garden Research Assistant at the STAMP Student Union-Research and Assessment Division. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she served as a Testing Ambassador for the university's COVID-19 testing center. Outside of UMD, Nhu is a research assistant at the Calcium Signaling Lab at the Veteran Affairs Medical Center, a permanent K-12 tutor with the Latino Student Fund (a free tutoring organization for underserved and immigrant communities), and a member/scholarship recipient of the Esperanza Education Fund (a DC-based scholarship organization for immigrant students). She hopes to continue her undergraduate education and plans on attending medical school post-UMD.

Frederique Wandji is studying community health at UMD. Frederique is a  Resident Assistant, and holds the Vice President position for Public Health Action Through Civic Engagement. Additionally, Frederique  created a social impact initiative, The Hopeful Project, that addresses food insecurity and health inequality in PG County. 

My-Asia is a senior graduating in May 2020 majoring in Global Health Equity and Advocacy, which she designed through the Individual Studies Program. On-campus she serves as the Black Student Involvement Community Organizing Student Intern (COSI) in the Multicultural Involvement and Community Advocacy (MICA) office, President of the Pre-Student Osteopathic Medical Association, and Vice President of the Petey Greene Program. She is very passionate about health equity, advocacy, health policy, and healthcare access for the underserved. My-Asia is a published student researcher through the Snider Undergraduate Research Program, an alumnus of the Rawlings Undergraduate Leadership Experience as well as the Beyond the Classroom Living-Learning Program. In the future she hopes to become a physician and policy influencer so that she may advocate on behalf of her patients and bring about change on a national level.

Erin Farley is a sophomore Criminology and Criminal Justice major with a double minor in Cybersecurity (ACES) and Global Terrorism Studies. Striving to create change around campus and in the residence halls is a major goal of hers. On campus, she has been involved in several student organizations such as the University Student Judiciary, Student Success Leadership Council, Residence Hall Association, National Residence Hall Honorary, and Do Better Community-Improvement Inc. Executive Board. She is employed part-time under the Division of IT working in McKeldin's Terrapin Tech Store as a Tech Consultant. Erin is also joining UMD Resident Life and becoming a Resident Assistant (RA) for the 2019-2020 school year. These activities have exposed her to opportunities to improve her personal integrity, critical thinking skills, and passion for the wellness of the community; things that are all important in the law enforcement field. Being a part of the CCJS community has inspired her to add her two minors and narrow in on what type of career she wants to pursue. She plans on graduating in Spring 2021 and finding a career in a federal agency focused on national security, intelligence, or counterterrorism.

Hibist Bedasso is a sophomore graduating in May 2022 majoring in Public Health Science. She is a College Park Scholar in the Justice and Legal Thought Program. She is also an active member of the University of Maryland’s Gospel Choir and has made it on the dean’s list all semesters thus far. She was raised in Silver Spring, not too far from the University of Maryland’s campus. On-campus she serves as a Cabinet member of the Black Honors Caucus and is also on the fundraising committee for Charles R. Drew Pre-Health Society. In the summer, she sets time aside each week to volunteer at Washington Adventist Hospital to observe doctors, and most importantly spend precious time with the wonderful patients. Aside from that she works at a non-profit after-school program that gives children the opportunity to expand their academic/recreational horizons despite their economic status. In the future, she aspires to open her own non-profit health organization in order to alleviate health inequities among the minority population.

Valeria Morales is a senior graduating in December 2018 majoring in GIS. She grew up down the street from UMD in Beltsville, MD and is very proud to come from Prince George's County. She serves as the finance Community Organizing Student Intern (COSI) in the Multicultural Involvement and Community Advocacy (MICA) office and also works at the front desk of the Geographical Sciences Department. In addition to working on campus, she also served as the president of Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Inc., a Latina-based sorority, for the past three semesters and was the Vice President of Operations for the Multicultural Greek Council. This past summer, she had the opportunity to intern on campus in the GLAD lab through the BSOS Summer Research Initiative program. In the past she has been involved in the Coalition of Latinx Student Organizations and in Alternative Breaks where she had the opportunity to lead a service experience to Guatemala. She hopes to continue her education and become part of the 4% of Latinas who achieve graduate degrees.