PROFILE: Michelle McGrain
Meet Michelle!
Michelle grew up in Columbia, Maryland. In high school she was heavily involved in the performing arts, playing flute in the marching band and wind ensemble, singing in the choir, and participating in plays and musicals. She was president of the debate team as well as Tri-M, the music honors society and was also active in the National Honors Society, the International Thespian Society, and the French club. She is a sophomore government and politics major at Maryland.
What have been some of your proudest accomplishments or most memorable experiences in college so far?
One of my proudest accomplishments in college so far was earning a 4.0 my freshman year. This has taught me the importance of time management, and that keeping up with readings and assignments throughout the semester really helps when studying for exams.
My most memorable experiences have been my Honors classes, particularly the seminar I took my first semester, "The Spiritual Heritage of the Human Race." The professor, Dr. Bushrui, taught not only the course material, but life lessons, and took a real interest in every student. At the end of the semester he hosted a dinner for the entire class and invited special guests representing many different cultures and religions. His morality, kindness, and humility taught me that in many cases learning from another person is so much more valuable than learning from a textbook. It encouraged me to interact more with not only Dr. Bushrui, but with other professors as well.
What do you plan to do after you graduate?
After I receive my undergraduate degree, I plan to get my Master's in Public Policy through the five year BAMPP program here at the University of Maryland. After that, I plan to work in the field of government and public policy. I'm not exactly sure what I want to do—I'll figure it out as I go!
What sorts of things are you involved with on campus?
In addition to Honors Ambassadors, I play the flute in the University Band. It is a band for non-music majors, and it meets for only two hours every Wednesday night. I am also a member of the Primannum Honor Society, which is an honor society for students who have made academic achievements in their first year of college.
How would you spend a free week?
My main pastimes are hanging out with friends and anything involving music. If I had a free week, I would probably spend my time catching up on reading, going to concerts and plays, practicing the flute and piano, visiting my family and of course hanging out with friends. If it was warm, we would definitely play frisbee in front of the dorm.
What advice would you give to incoming freshman?
The main advice that I would give to incoming freshmen is really get
to know all of the opportunities available at the University of Maryland.
Your plans will definitely change, but as long as you know all of your
options and you have a tentative plan, it will make things seem much less
overwhelming and you will be better prepared for unexpected opportunities
that may come up. There are so many resources available so don't be afraid
to ask about them! Also, It is good to not only have a tentative long
term plan, but to have monthly and even weekly plans and schedules so
that you stay on top of all your work and you can manage your time effectively.
College is very different from high school—you don't have teachers
reminding you every day about homework, so it's up to you to get everything
done on your own!
