UBalt’s dedicated staff bolster student services, build lasting connections
The best college experience includes more than a degree. It’s enriched by the people you meet on the way to graduation.
The University of Baltimore was founded on the principle that regardless of a student’s background—be they a single parent, working adult, first-generation college student, or some combination—our community’s opportunities and experience can fuel their passion to learn and lead.
The University’s staff and the services they sustain help our unique population of students from Day 1 through graduation. These staff members turn traditional services into memorable connections. Join us for a trip through the academic journey as experienced by our students and the staff that love working with them.
Starting Line: Admission
Inam Oki started looking at the University of Baltimore when she was still living in Nigeria. She liked the location and program offerings. Now she just needed to get in, which, as an international student, would come with a lot of steps. Eventually, her progress stalled.
She was struggling to get her certificate of eligibility issued so she could enroll in a cybersecurity master’s program and needed help navigating the process. So, she registered for a virtual event hosted by the Office of Admission. There, she met Michelle Walters-Johnson, a graduate counselor and UBalt alum, and found the answers she needed.
“I shout out to Michelle Walters-Johnson. She was very good help to getting here. It felt like I had a relationship with someone here before I even got here,” Oki said.
Now on campus, Oki occasionally will drop in the Admission office just to say hello.
WATCH: Michelle Walters-Johnson shares what she loves about her work
Our counselors have the benefit of getting to usher in new students and help connect them to the broader University.
Amadou Bah, a UBalt alum and graduate student hired as an admission counselor, called the work fulfilling “because it allows me to witness their growth and transformation firsthand.”
“Guiding them through their academic and personal challenges and celebrating their successes is truly rewarding,” Bah said. “I enjoy being a part of their journey, helping them navigate their paths, and seeing them achieve their goals. Knowing that my support can make a positive impact on their lives is what makes this work so meaningful to me.”
Finding Guidance: Advising
At a diverse University like UBalt, advisers play a significant role in student success. They guide them in choosing a program that aligns with their passions and career goals. They direct course planning to avoid overwhelming workloads. They keep their doors open for questions that seem unanswerable.
For Shawn Frankton, returning to UBalt after a 10-year hiatus seemed impossible without the guidance he received from Kathea Smith, assistant dean in the Merrick School of Business, and Matt Mazick, business school adviser.
“Those two together were really good team. … I felt like I had them in my corner, and that did encourage me,” Frankton said. He graduated in May 2023.
Smith has spent two decades working in higher education and sees herself as both a guardian and guide to help students like Frankton. And she’s loved the role she gets to play in students’ lives.
“I can show you the path down the road so that you can achieve your dreams and your goals because that sets you up for a lifetime of learning, and can set up your family and your community,” she said. “So, I’m not just helping one person, I’m helping people I will never know or meet to make learning something that is an integral part of who they are.”
Carey Miller, director of student success and retention, appreciates that his job allows him to connect early with students and remain part of their college experience. He considers the relationship reciprocal.
“I do what I do for all students, but specifically first-year students, because I believe in students having an opportunity to get an affordable and quality education. Their determination and grit are things that motivate me, and I think, as a staff member, I have to match their energy. I also believe in giving back. I was fortunate enough to have a mentor as a college student, and they were instrumental in helping me navigate the pitfalls of college.”
The University offers a mentorship program designed to support transfer students. UBalt Connects introduced Jemia Bell-Sandy to Llatetra Brown Esters, dean of students and a fellow first-generation college graduate.
“She was the person that pushed me to keep going, that reminded me that I’m almost finished,” Bell-Sandy said. “Everything that I prayed for—my prayers are being answered.”
RELATED: Jemia discusses her path to graduation —and who helped her get there
Finding Help: Academic Support
David Kelly is a UBalt alum who now oversees The Writing Center in Robert L. Bogomolny Library.
He said some students arrive with negative perspectives about their writing skills. He strives to help them develop their voices as writers and engage more intentionally in the writing process, because that’s what the center did for him.
“It wasn’t until I started working at the Writing Center that I more explicitly explored who I am as a writer and what my process looks like,” Kelly said. “That’s why I love my job at the Writing Center so much! I get to train tutors to think about the writing process and what it takes to help writers become more skilled and confident.”
The more he learns, he said, the more he can support the writing tutors and students.
“I’m interested in our students being able to more fully explore their ideas and to engage in the many facets of the writing process. I want our students to see the value in their lived experiences and their place within a discourse community, through writing.”
Marta Baffy, director of academic success for UBalt Law and professor, approaches her work like a coach. That stems from her own difficult time as a law student.
“I think, broadly speaking, it’s an intensive experience that a lot of students just aren’t prepared for. You’re not prepared for it academically, you’re not prepared for it emotionally, and I wasn’t prepared. I really didn’t know what to expect.”
She stuck with law school, but knew she wanted to find a better way forward and went on to earn a doctorate focused on the language of law school. Baffy came to UBalt three years ago with a commitment to help law students avoid the struggles she had.
“One of the toughest things for me as a law student was recognizing that I’m not the best at this anymore. I was always a straight A student, but I wasn’t in law school. It was a big slap in the face. I thought I knew how to write. Well, I didn’t know how to write for law. I had to learn how to do that. It was a long, painstaking process, and so I can really empathize with the students. I teach law now, and I get to teach it in a way that I wish someone had taught me law.”
Beraka Bland is a recognizable face around campus. As the lead media technology specialist in the Office of Technology Services, he has helped with various tech issues and loves the immediate relief his fixes can provide his anxious customers.
“In tech at least, you don’t always have a direct connection with the consumer or client or user and in this field, I always have a direct connection with those students that are using our services,” he said. … “Just the gratitude that students usually express to us when we solve their problems is something that does help me keep going.”
Getting Involved: Student Life
Randy Wells III, B.A. ‘23, M.P.A. student and Student Events Board president, has increasingly gotten involved in student life at the University. That exposure has allowed him to meet many people across the UBalt community, but if one stands out for him, it’s Elizabeth Purswani, assistant director of the Rosenberg Center for Student Engagement and Inclusion and SEB adviser.
“Liz has been very instrumental in my growth while being here at UBalt,” he said. “There have been a number of times when I was feeling low and defeated about a situation around a student event or something else, I could call on Liz and she would give me some encouragement that would help me get through it.”
The University has several spots on campus where students can make a home away from home. For Starla Santana, a J.D. candidate and military daughter, that’s The Bob Parsons Veterans Center.
“There are so many helpful resources like a food assistance program for students, a rest and reset room, and knowledgeable staff (who are often veterans) that can assist you in helping you understand your educational benefits and legal matters,” she said. “It’s always nice to pop in and chat with whoever is in the office.”
Planning Ahead: Career Services
Tori Amah, a law student, has found help whenever she walks into the Law Career Development Office, with particular thanks to Dina Billian, assistant dean for career development, and Cordell Grant, J.D. ‘18, assistant director for judicial clerkships and diversity initiatives.
“They are amazing. If I have any issues, I just walk into the LCDO and tell them, say, I need a job and I need someone to help me, and they do; the internship is unpaid, I need help with the funding and they do. I didn’t get that in undergrad,” she said. But at UBalt, she added, “It always works out and they always come through.”
RELATED: Career center provides free professional attire along with advice
La-Toya Gomez loves her job working with students as a career coach in the University’s Career and Internship Center. She also serves as an adviser for UBalt’s chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success.
“When my students come back to me to say, I got this job, I’ve got this interview, or I’ve got this confidence boost, you helped me to do this, you helped me to believe more in myself, it just makes me feel good,” she said. “That’s what really makes me love my job.”
Staying Connected: Alumni Relations
The day our students graduate, they join the University’s alumni network, giving them a lasting connection to their alma mater. Kelley Chase, director of Alumni Relations, enjoys meeting the future alumni at campus events. That only strengthens their connections after commencement.
“What I truly enjoy about working with our students is getting to know who they are beyond the classroom. Their diverse experiences, backgrounds and aspirations help to illuminate the richness of our University, providing a perspective that extends far beyond their academic achievements,” Chase said.
For students at every level of their UBalt journey, the staff is poised to help.