Jesse Martin

What made you decide to enroll at the University of Maryland?
I decided to enroll at the University of Maryland for a multitude of reasons, the most prominent being the location and opportunities. UMD is approximately ten minutes outside of Washington D.C., therefore offering a plethora of internship and work opportunities. The amount of opportunities offered outside of the university barely holds a candle to the abundance of opportunities offered by the university itself. My invitation into the Maryland Promise Program and CIVICUS were a large part of my decision to attend as well. No other university that I applied to offered so many leadership and networking programs to me as UMD.

What major/career path do you plan on pursuing and how did you select that path?
I plan on pursuing a major in communications with a focus on public relations. During my senior year of high school, I strongly debated what major I would choose for college. I had been convinced that I would be a nurse until my junior year when I realized that it would not be a good fit for me. I selected this major after taking a community college writing class. I scored a 100% on the final paper after submitting an in-depth research paper on politics and psychology and discovered my love of writing and presenting. Communications is also a major that teaches many transferable skills that can be used in a multitude of jobs, therefore not restricting the careers I can pursue in the future.

Activities I do outside of class or community service/volunteer activities I'm involved with:
Outside of academics, I have led a charity drive for my local food bank annually for seven years. As founder of Operation Christmas Stocking, the charity drive, it is my job to run a non-profit organization to benefit the less fortunate. The goal of this drive is to collect Christmas stockings full of toys and toiletries to hand out to those who cannot afford them during the holidays. I effectively communicate the need for donations by presenting the project in front of my church congregation in a speech. Other outreach activities for the drive include making a Facebook flyer and a video slideshow to explain the project. I then obtain and deliver Christmas stockings to the Food Bank. I was also heavily involved with being a student mentor and tour guide throughout high school.

Aside from academics, what else do you hope to take away from your time at Maryland?
I hope to gain a better understanding of myself and the world around me. I can accomplish this by getting involved in clubs and taking classes that not only meet my major requirements, but also are interesting and engaging. I also hope to gain leadership skills and do multiple internships to learn more about careers for communication majors. With the Maryland Promise Program and CIVICUS programs, I will be able to network and gain connections within the field I want to enter, especially nonprofits.

What are your future goals after graduation?
I am still not sure of what I want to go into after graduation, but my goal is to find a job in or near Washington, D.C. that provides me with the opportunity to help people. I would love to work at a nonprofit organization that directly combats a problem in the world, such as St. Jude's or Best Friends Animal Society. I know that I will accomplish this one day due to UMD's excellent location near D.C., where I can gain access to eye-opening internships and jobs.