Hello CSS Community: My name is Miles Harriston and I am a junior majoring in Chemical Engineering. This past summer, I interned with ExxonMobil in Beaumont, TX. Overall, the experience was one of the most fulfilling of my life and allowed me to finally see what it is that chemical engineers can do as a career. I worked at ExxonMobil for a ...READ MORE »
Hello CSS Community: My name is Yannick Alexis and I am currently a sophomore pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Fire Protection Engineering. This past summer I had the opportunity to intern at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab (APL). It was a great experience as I was able to expand my horizons by gaining experience in working with ...READ MORE »
Hello CSS Community: My name is Steven Tra and I am currently a sophomore majoring in Computer Science with an intended minor in Mathematics. This past summer, I was accepted into a research program at The Ohio State University known as the Summer Research Opportunity Program (SROP). I was selected to attend the program, conduct research with a faculty member at ...READ MORE »
Hello CSS Community: My name is Moises Umanzor and I am a senior majoring in Environmental Science and Technology. This past summer, I had the opportunity to participate in the Research Experience for Undergraduates Program (REU) at the University of Arizona, Biosphere 2. This research experience exposed me to the full spectrum of the research process. My research experience spanned over ...READ MORE »
Hello CSS Community: My name is Andrew Tawiah and I am currently a sophomore pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government & Politics. Being a lawyer has been an interest of mine since middle school. That interest was also accompanied by much indecision regarding law school and what type of law I would want to practice. My curiosity, regarding the ...READ MORE »
Hello CSS Community: My name is Daniel Wagner and I’m a Spring 2017 Civil and Environmental Engineering B.S. Candidate in the A. James Clark School of Engineering. In the summer of 2016, I interned at the Department of Energy in the Office of Environmental Management through the Minority Educational Institution Student Partnership Program (MEISPP). I learned a great deal about how ...READ MORE »
Hello CSS Community: My name is Zachary Joyner and I am currently a sophomore at the University of Maryland, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Finance with a minor in Technology Entrepreneurship. From the spring semester to the present, I have been conducting research under Dr. Derrick Heggans, the head professor of the Sports Management Fellowship Program within the Robert ...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