Stories

An outstanding Notre Dame of Maryland University student leader was recognized for her community involvement with the prestigious Newman Civic Fellowship by Campus Compact, a national coalition of colleges and universities working to advance the public purposes of higher education. “It is a great honor to be a part of so many communities and use my voice to promote change on a local and national level while advocating for those whose voices are silenced or ignored,” said Thompson. "My commitment to leadership is demonstrated through my acts of service, love, and compassion."

“Notre Dame really helped me to dive into what it means to be an instructional leader and to take the time to explore how I can look at data to effect change, make knowledgeable decisions, and look at all areas of the building to make myself an effective administrator. Having classes that were accessible to me while I was still working as a teacher allowed me to think about my career pathway once I finished my master’s degree and how I wanted to move toward being an administrator.” Deana was named the state’s Middle School Assistant Principal of the Year by the Maryland Association of Secondary School Principals (MASSP).

“I consider all my students young intellectuals. The arts are impactful and can create social awareness, foster the social and emotional needs of students, and assist in academic achievement as a cross-curricular activity,” she said. “My classroom art studio is a place of rigor, growth, and empowerment for all my students.” Camille, who teaches at Golden Ring Middle School and leads the art department, was named the NAEA’s Eastern Region Middle Level Art Educator of the Year.

Jolisse combined her love of service and politics in an eight-week summer leadership program, Leadership + American Presidency, through The Fund for American Studies (TFAS). She had the opportunity to live in Washington, D.C. while immersing herself in hands-on simulations and case studies that examined some of the greatest leadership challenges in history.

Before coming to Notre Dame, I knew I had potential, but I was lacking the confidence to go after what I wanted. In every course here, my instructors challenged me to get better and better. By the time I graduated, my self-esteem improved a lot, and I think that is one of the most valuable things I gained from NDMU.

Patient care is my number one priority. Before I came to pharmacy school, I wanted to help patients in need. Notre Dame was the right choice for me because they offer various community outreach opportunities. We went to communities in downtown Baltimore and helped patients in need at women’s health centers. Our instructors were always right there with us, advising us to do better.

Notre Dame has truly helped me become a leader. I’ve had so many opportunities to grow beyond my comfort zone. As an Elementary Special Ed major, I’ve been able to work in multiple schools already, even before starting my student teaching. Overall, I’ve been able to become the best version of me.

Being an adult learner and coming back to school after many years, I found the faculty at Notre Dame to be so accommodating and understanding. It always felt like there was an open door policy here. You could come to a faculty member with any concern, and they would help you sort it out.

One of the unique aspects of the nursing program at Notre Dame is that we learn about caring science. It’s a term I was not familiar with before coming here. The faculty emphasize that we as nurses need to take care of ourselves before we treat our patients. We ourselves need to be ok in order to treat someone who’s not ok. I’ve carried that with me throughout my work experiences so far, and I know it will stick with me in the future.

The small classroom environment at Notre Dame has really helped my confidence. I feel comfortable taking risks, which has translated into my profession at school with my students and also with my teammates. I feel like I’m taking on more leadership opportunities because I have that confidence. Notre Dame was a safe place to foster that, and I’m very thankful.