My name is Lucas Gonzalez-Rey, and I’m currently a sophomore studying Information Systems and Operations Management & Business Analytics at the Smith Business School. Last summer, I had the opportunity to work as a social media and videography intern for the Capitol Hoops Summer League. The Capitol Hoops Summer League is an offseason basketball league consisting of high school teams ...READ MORE »
Hello CSS Community: My name is Brandon Estime and I graduated from the University of Maryland (Fall 2018) with a Bachelor of Science degree in Community Health. During the Fall 2018 semester, I had the opportunity to intern with the National Cancer Institute. During my internship, I was apart of the Health Behaviors Research Branch under the Division of Cancer ...READ MORE »
Hello CSS Community: My name is Jevaughn Hogan and I am currently a sophomore double majoring in Biological Sciences with a specialization in Physiology & Neurobiology and Public Health Science. The College Success Scholars Program has helped me grow as both a mentor and a student during my time at the University. I recently declared a double degree in Biological Sciences: Physiology ...READ MORE »
Hello CSS Community: My name is Steven Tra and I am a junior pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics. This past summer, I worked as a technology intern at the Republican National Committee (RNC) in Washington D.C. Overall, this internship provided me with additional technical experience in my field, particularly in the ...READ MORE »
Hello CSS Community: My name is Nicholas Stewart and I am a sophomore majoring in Economics. During the summer of 2017, I had the honor of working in the International Finance Division of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. Working within the International Financial Stability (IFS) section of the division, I assisted economists and research assistants with various long-term projects ...READ MORE »
Hello CSS Community: My name is Danno Lemu and I am a junior majoring in Economics and Mathematics with a minor in Business Analytics. This past summer, I had the privilege of interning with the International Finance Division of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, specifically the International Financial Stability section. Reminiscing now, I can say without a doubt that ...READ MORE »
Hello CSS Community: My name is Edem Yevoo and I am a junior pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science & Technology. This summer, I had the wonderful opportunity of studying abroad as part of the Quito Summer Environmental Studies program in Ecuador. The program, based in the capital of Ecuador, Quito, features field studies on issues facing ...READ MORE »
Hello CSS Community: My name is Kirklan Bryson and I am a junior majoring in Finance & Information Systems. During the summer of 2017, I had the pleasure of working at the Maryland Small Business Development Center (SBDC) as a Marketing Analysis intern (The SBDC is an affiliate of the University of Maryland). There was never a dull moment interning ...READ MORE »
Hello CSS Community: My name is Timothy Chang and I am currently a sophomore pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. This past summer, I interned at OrthoBethesda, a Physical Therapy Clinic in Bethesda, Maryland. This experience affirmed my decision to choose Biology as a major and pursue a career track of Physical Therapy post-graduation. The tenure of my ...READ MORE »
Hello CSS Community: My name is AJ Olarinde and I am currently a sophomore pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science with a focus in Cybersecurity. Last summer, I intern for Nielsen, a data analytics and retrieval company. The primary mission of the company is to procure quantitative information pertaining to radio & television viewership of U.S. citizens ...READ MORE »
College Success Scholars was the first thing I knew about at Maryland. I came in not knowing what a bachelor’s degree was, what I wanted to study, or even how to get a degree. All I knew was that I wanted to succeed and work as hard as I could to be the first in my family to get a college degree. Through CSS, I not only was able to learn about how to succeed in college, but most importantly, make friends in order for my experience to not be as daunting. Through Dr. Lester’s unconditional mentorship and support, even when I did not have a dollar for textbooks, I double majored, minored, came out with a full-time job and in the evenings am in the Public Policy Master’s Program. I like to measure my success not by what I have been able to acquire through my education, but the number of lives I am now able to serve as an example for, as well as the students I now mentor based on my past experiences. Thank you CSS and Dr. Lester for believing in me.
Juan Roa
Minor in International
Development and
Conflict Management
2016 MPP Candidate
Education Policy and
International Development
University of Maryland,
School of Public Policy
Head of Development
and Communications
Spanish Education
Development (SED)
Center, Washington, DC