PROFILE: Stephanie Carey
Meet Stephanie!
Stephanie is a sophomore biology major from Bladensburg, Maryland. At Elizabeth Seton High School she was the student government president, played lacrosse, participated in the Scholars and Ambassadors Program and served as a peer mediator. She is devoted sports fan.
What have been some of your most memorable experiences at Maryland so far?
One of my most memorable moments at Maryland was when the students rushed the football field after we won against Boston College in the 2007 season. The entire student section emptied onto the field. The excitement of the students and football players was intense, and I will not forget the school pride that we all felt that night.
What do you plan to do after college?
I hope to attend medical school on the east coast after I graduate. Pediatrics or sports medicine would be my specialty. I also hope to travel frequently and become fluent in Spanish if I have not done so by graduation.
What sorts of things are you currently involved with on campus?
I love to watch UMD basketball games. I attend every game, get there early for good seats, and sit in the same place every game. I have waited in line for over two hours in the cold on more than one occasion. I've participated in intramural dodgeball, basketball, and softball leagues over the past two semesters. The games were so much fun, and it was a great way to meet other people around campus. I'm also a member of the UMD Pre-Med Society. The Society offers community service activities, medical school visits, and guest speakers to prepare us for medical school and the application process.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I enjoy playing sports, watching movies, and traveling. Last year, I watched movies at least three times a week with my roommates and friends from the floor. Our favorites were comedies and Disney classiscs—trust me, you never get too old for Disney movies. I travel a lot with my family. My favorite things have been scuba diving in Hawaii, shopping in Beijing, site-seeing in Rome, and having fun at Disney World.
What advice would you give to incoming freshman?
1. Explore anything that seems interesting to you: When you get on campus,
try everything that seems even slightly interesting. If you don't like
it, you don't have to try it again. Oftentimes students do not want to
be as active or involved if they didn't start in their freshman year.
2. Meet the people from your dorm floor: Your floormates can become your
family in college. I became extremely close with the majority of my floormates
last semester. I did everything with them, such as late night runs to
the diner, intramural sports, weekend outings, UMD events, and movie watching.
3. Start studying at the beginning of the semester: At first, the college
workload will seem similar to high school, but it is very deceiving. Although
you do not get written work as much, you have to study in order to keep
up with the class. If you start learning the material within the first
week, you be well ahead of the rest of your class. STUDY EARLY AND OFTEN!
4. Gladly accept and actively seek out free UMD shirts! Maryland is constantly giving away free T-Shirts. They always come in handy at games, special events, or when rubbing in our basketball team's victories against the top teams to an overconfident relative or friend.
