Alumni Association News - Fall 2018

Letter from the Executive Director

There’s never been a better time to be a Terp! Fearless alumni are starting new businesses, launching initiatives to Do Good and leading their communities. The Terp network is nearly 369,000 strong, stretching from San Francisco to Boston to China.

Now, you can take advantage of this vast network through our powerful new Alumni Directory. Just search for alumni from your class year, major or specific industry. Plus, you can use your Alumni Directory profile to let us know what field you’re interested in so we can tailor our communications to best fit your needs.

Want to meet like-minded Terps near you? We can invite you to professional development events in your industry, in your neighborhood or even at your company.

The budding Terp Attorney Network and the Terp Entrepreneur Network are just two new ways to interact with fellow alumni. Keep an eye out for Terp Business Connect, our upcoming program to bring alumni business owners together and help Terps in their communities find them.

I’m also excited to introduce Aubrey McLaughlin MBA ’16, director of professional networks. Check out our interview with her below to learn more about the many opportunities for professional development for alumni.

No matter your stage of life or career, remember that your Alumni Association is here to help you stay connected and develop professionally. I invite you to reach out to your fellow alumni—you never know what connections you may form.

Go Terps!

Amy Eichhorst
Executive Director
University of Maryland Alumni Association

“We Brought Him Back Home”

Terps Return to Father's Homeland Through Alumni Association Trip 

Leslie Lancaster ’01 grew up helping her parents in their Silver Spring, Md., grocery store, Casa Veiga. Lancaster says she inherited a lot of things from her father: a passion for community service, a love for her Cuban heritage and an appreciation for family. She watched her father give her mother a bouquet of red roses on her birthday every year, a tradition for 46 years of marriage.

This year was to be the family’s first without the tradition. Lancaster’s father, Jose Antonio Veiga, died in July 2017. Though he accomplished much, he never got the chance to return to his birthplace.

So she and her family did it for him this past spring, through a trip hosted by the University of Maryland Alumni Association.

“I thought what better way to honor his memory around the timeframe of his one-year anniversary of passing away, than to go to Cuba?” she says. “My mom’s 79th birthday is also in May, and it would be her first birthday without him.”

In Havana, the family walked the streets of her father’s neighborhood and saw his own family’s grocery store. “Thinking about how he helped his grandfather, just like how I helped him growing up, we were all overwhelmed with emotion,” Lancaster says.

Her brother, Mauricio Veiga ’01, says their father also instilled in them the motivation to pursue education. The family took advantage of educational sessions offered on the trip and met locals to find out about the country’s rich history.

“We had a little sadness we were never able to do this with my dad, but we all felt him with us the entire trip,” Veiga says. “He would have been so happy we were all together and we brought him back home, even if it was only through memory.”

While the trip brought a range of emotions for Lancaster and Veiga, they wanted to make sure it was especially meaningful for their mother. The Alumni Association and Go Next travel team ensured that on her birthday, Myriam Veiga received a dozen red roses for the 47th year.

“I can only thank them all for making this a much more memorable experience for all of us,” Lancaster says.

—Daryl Lee Hale, Alumni Association staff

The Professional on Professional Networks

Aubrey McLaughlin MBA ’16, the director of alumni professional networks, answers questions about upcoming Alumni Association initiatives:

What professional development services does the Alumni Association offer?
We have a few exciting new initiatives to help Terps enrich themselves and their careers. Our industry-focused networks are communities of Terps who work in the same field and come together. The Terp Entrepreneur Network is launching this fall, followed by Terp Alumni Attorneys. Stay tuned for future networks!

How can Terps help current students and fellow alumni seeking professional development?
Terrapins Connect, our virtual networking and mentorship platform, is a great resource for Terps to provide guidance to students and alumni maneuvering their careers or educational growth. Alumni can search by location, industry, company or even industry groups. Plus, alumni can volunteer from anywhere in the world—their couch, hotel room or office—on their own time. We’ve also partnered with the university’s Career Center to provide opportunities for alumni to host current students as an Intern for a Day, share their expertise at career panels and more.

What professional development events can alumni attend?
Virtually, our biweekly Webinar Wednesday series and our book clubs offer something for everyone. We’ve hosted webinars on topics ranging from agile storytelling and branding to extreme couponing. In person, our Terrapin Professional Network events foster quality business networking nationwide. We also recently launched Mornings with Maryland to allow Terps to mingle at their company.

How can alumni network with others in their city or industry?
In addition to Terrapins Connect, our new Alumni Directory helps you find fellow alums where you live or work by setting your industry preferences and signing up for networking events. Our LinkedIn group of more than 30,000 Terps features daily discussions, tips and news. The Careers4Terps program also hosts career resources and networking opportunities. Terps love supporting each other, so I highly suggest reaching out.

The Plot Thickens

Virtual Book Clubs Starting

The Alumni Association is turning a new page, with the formation of virtual book clubs for University of Maryland alumni.

In these online communities, alumni can connect with each other and enjoy books related to lifelong learning, professional development, fiction or education. Alumni can join multiple groups, and there is no cost to participate—just get a copy of the book to enjoy.

Stay Connected

EnTERPreneurs in the City

Chris Boone and Inga Beermann ’12 explored alumni and student startups in D.C. on April 17.

Terps in the Harbor

Hao Li ’17, Kelly Liu ’09, John Chickering ’85 and Angela Sorensen ’15 networked with fellow alumni on May 17 in Boston.

Maryland in Manhattan

The University of Maryland honored some of its excellent alumni at the annual evening of celebration at the Edison Ballroom on April 25. Attendees included Giannina Brancato ’17, Vinny Patel ’97, Leanne Hug ’13, Paige Pennington ’14 and Katherine Pepe ’14.