Student organizations at UMGC aim to provide students and alumni with opportunities to participate in new experiences, to gain skills that can help them meet their goals, and to provide them with a friendly peer community. Learn more about the 2024 Student Organization Award winners and how they embody these ideals.
Student Organization of the Year
History Student Society
For the third year in a row, the History Student Society has won the top prize! Each year, the History Student Society strives to build upon the previous year鈥檚 successes, which allows them to improve their offerings.
In the past year, the History Student Society held a summer book club, two 鈥淎sk Me Anything鈥 events with a faculty member who teaches history and African American studies, and a second annual International Undergraduate History Conference. By increasing the number of events, planning meetings, and their global reach for the conference, the student organization saw a 49-52% increase in attendance rate when compared to the previous year.
The History Student Society is a leader in demonstrating how students, alumni and faculty can collaborate and work together in maintaining a strong organization. The group is led by the following officer board:
Current students: Ayari Cox, Caitlyn Jennings, Jeffrey McLemore, Katlin Katrina Muller, Ashley Ross, and Nicholas Schnarr.
Recent graduates: Gary Rhodan and Hailey Sanchez.
Alumni: Heather Downing, Matthew Drake, Jessica Landers, Tavenor Lane, Emilie Osterfeld, Stephanie Rodriguez, and faculty advisor Dr. Danielle Skjelver.
Do you have an interest in history? You too can join the award-winning History Student Society for free through or can learn of upcoming events through the .
Student Organization of the Year Honorable Mention
UMGC Power Speakers
The UMGC Power Speakers are receiving an honorable mention due to the consistency of their quality programming. The UMGC Power Speakers, an affiliate of Toastmasters International, hold meetings each month that enable their members to practice public speaking in a comfortable setting of peers. In addition, officers of the chapter participated in Homecoming and in the Student Organization Fair, and the group held a special meeting for a prospective chapter of Toastmasters so that the members of the prospective chapter could observe a typical meeting. The UMGC Power Speakers, who are celebrating their tenth year, demonstrate commitment in engaging students and alumni and to creating a safe community.
The UMGC Power Speakers are led by the following alumni: Carla Harper-Omisore, JuDawn Lowe, Barbara McKinney, and Marsha Mccune. Michael Gannon serves as the Student Organization Advisor. To learn more about the UMGC Power Speakers and how you can join, please visit .
Student Organization Leader Award
Hailey Sanchez, History Student Society
Hailey Sanchez, who completed her bachelor鈥檚 degree in history this spring, is a founding member of the History Student Society. Hailey contributes to the student group regularly by taking the lead on graphic design projects and seeing them through. Hailey has also collaborated to develop posters, graphics for awards, and items for the International Undergraduate History Conference. In addition to all of that, Hailey鈥檚 empathy and ability to mediate difficult conversations has been an asset in many events, helping attendees to feel heard and allowing them to learn from the perspectives of others. As a member of the History Student Society officer board, Sanchez has proven to be an enthusiastic and reliable team player.
Student Organization Leader Honorable Mentions
Gerette Balon, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Chapter at UMGC
Gerette Balon鈥檚 leadership as President for the SHRM Chapter at UMGC has enabled the organization to hold multiple successful events and maintain a strong leadership team. In addition, Gerette has represented the chapter well by appearing at several university events, including Homecoming, the Student Organization Fair, and various career events.
William Ferrand, LGBTQ+ Student Association
As President of the LGBTQ+ Student Association, William Ferrand worked to establish new and exciting content for the group members. From creating a friendly writing contest to initiating a monthly book-club meeting, William has given his time and resources to provide growth to the LGBTQ+ Student Association.
Student Organization Member Award
Ryan Kim, Environmental Awareness Club
When Ryan Kim learned of the opportunity to participate in the Environmental Awareness Club, he volunteered right away, helping with the #MakeClimateAClass events that the Student Organization Advisor was planning. Ryan supported the events by attending the practices, joining early to test out technology, and his active participation prompted others to participate. Ryan鈥檚 willingness to take an active role is a model for other students looking to get involved.
Student Organization Advisor Award
Danielle Skjelver, PhD, History Student Society
As a faculty advisor, Danielle Skjelver consistently works to encourage students to join the planning board and helps to keep them on track for all of their events. She balances helping plan events with empowering the society鈥檚 leaders. Due to her efforts, the History Student Society programming is a true collaboration between the student/alumni leaders and the student organization advisor. With her mentorship and guidance, the History Student Society has prospered.
鈥淏est in Show鈥 Activities and Events Award
International Undergraduate History Conference, History Student Society
After holding an inaugural International Undergraduate History Conference in 2022 that also took this award, the History Student Society leaders built upon the framework they developed to make the second conference even more successful. Changes they made included adding a Code of Conduct, increasing the time between the Call for Proposals and the event, inviting a more global group to participate, collaborating with the researchers to ensure their presentations fit the time allotted, and giving badges to the volunteers. These changes increased the number of proposals received and the diversity of topics being proposed, resulting in increased attendance.
鈥淭his year鈥檚 Conference included students from a wide range of colleges and universities, and it achieved so much more for our students than last year鈥檚 conference,鈥 said student organization advisor Danielle Skjelver, PhD.
Student organization awards nominations open in the spring semester for work done in the past academic year, and a committee within Student Affairs review the applications. Students are encouraged to explore the different student organizations offered at UMGC and to get involved!
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