Thursday, December 3, 2009

Dedicated to my PROMISE family

The PROMISE family has been a source of huge inspiration and support during my doctoral education. It is hard enough grinding through the wilderness years of a phd with plenty of soul searching by oneself. I like to refer to PROMISE as one's "promise Land" where we all share in the trials and tribulations of each other.

Events such as the Fall Harvest, seminars and retreats have all brought us closer as a family. From answering Vincenzo's questions regarding the American culture to taking Sammie to school on the pool table, we all carried away very fond memories of PROMISE events that have helped to get us through our testing times. I completed my doctoral studies recently but I would jump at the opportunity to partake in any future PROMISE events!

12 comments:

Brad Gordon said...

PROMISE has added so much value to my time at UMD. I've met many people that are now close friends and become a stronger person through all of the seminars and training opportunities that have been offered through this program. The Fall Harvest was just one more event that showed me just how much of an impact PROMISE has had on my grad school career by making me feel like I'm part of something and helping me see the importance of education.

Anonymous said...

PROMISE events are very helpful. All of them are great learning experience. Not only they provide professional insights on many issues that grad students deal with but also help us become a better person.

Kristen H. said...

I first participated in the promise program during my first year of graduate school, nearly six years ago. During that time I was paired with a peer-mentor from my program in American Studies. She was an invaluable asset to me during my matriculation through the program. I really credit the Promise program with not only linking the two of us together, but also giving me the strategies I needed to complete my program through their monthly workshop series. Most importantly though, the program really provided me with a safe space to feel validated as a student of color in the academy. I graduated with my Ph.D. this past May and I know that the Promise program was an important factor in why I was able to succeed and accomplish my goals.

Anonymous said...

It is nice to have a community to go through this process with. Especially one which provides us with so much support. PROMISE helps keep me motivated when times get difficult.

Unknown said...

Thanks PROMISE!!!!
For Building a Place for Graduate Students
For giving us support every time we needed.
For the powerful seminars that reloaded us with tons of energy.
For walking with us through this journey
For remind us that we can do it.

Thanks again to the staff specially Dr. Tull.

Juliana.

Anonymous said...

I have not yet had the opportunity to participate in Promise events. But I am familiar with it and I hope that I will be able to participate and benefit from its programs and events. Thanks!

Unknown said...

As a first year student, having a community to go to for assistance, advice, and mentorship is quite a blessing. This community has existed for me through PROMISE. Throughout this first semester I've had the experience and knowledge of others at my fingertips. Also, the sense of family has help me adapt and I truly feel that I will be more successful because of it. Thank you PROMISE for all that you do.

Anonymous said...

PROMISE is a staple at UMCP, and like many others here I've benefitted from the program and the support of others going through the doctoral process. It's not easy but programs like PROMISE really help to make journey more manageable.

Noel Q. said...

I experienced a culture shock when I first started at UMBC. Having completed my undergraduate education at a small teaching institution in Washington DC, I felt like something was missing. The PROMISE programs fill personal and academic voids which make transitioning to a large research powerhouse like UMBC manageable and welcoming. Without these programs, success is difficult to achieve for students like me who feel overwhelmed in the graduate environment. Thank you PROMISE for always offering me a slice of "home" and nurturing my potential - preparing me for the challenges that are to come!

Ranetta said...

I wasn't involved in PROMISE until my second year of graduate school. My first year proved to be the most difficult and I was often too close to making the decision to end my pursuit of the PhD. Finding my support within the PROMISE community was essential and through its community building events such as Rocky Gap and the annual Fall Harvest Dinners as well as the unmatched academic support, seminars, and dissertation houses, I've been able to successfully advance in my graduate program. I am so thankful for the PROMISE program and hope that future graduate students will be able to receive the same benefits. Thank you!

Unknown said...

As an alumnus of PROMISE, I can truly say I benefited tremendously from the program. The added support alone offered not only by the program's organizers but by the wealth of colleagues who participated and contributed to the program was, and still is, invaluable beyond measure. There are true allies and mentors I'd gained through the PROMISE program that have helped to get me through that I could never have met had it not been implemented. Also, the information obtained via PROMISE was vital in terms of learning to negotiate through this game of academic life and in obtaining the ever-elusive doctoral degree. Now, as an adjunct professor in Computer Science at New York Institute of Technology, my network now is more vast than it could ever have been due to the existence of PROMISE.

It would be a travesty to lose a treasured resource such as PROMISE that has produced so many gains in the lives of so many its participants in so short a time (not to mention the incredible future potential to be so much more and raise up many more future leaders and academicians in the coming years.)

Anonymous said...

I decided to join Promise this semester (Fall 09) and I am happy I did.

My transition to graduate school has been a difficult one, but having a peer-mentor that can offer up similar experiences, encouragement and possible solution(s) has been invaluable.

The Fall harvest dinner has also been a wonderful experience, where one gets to meet other students who are at different stages of their graduate journey and who are always ready to share their individual experiences and offer words of encouragement.

I certainly look forward to many more Promise events.

PROMISE Community Building - A Place for Graduate Students.

PROMISE: Maryland's Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) seeks to increase the numbers and diversity of Ph.D.s in the STEM fields by building community and supporting graduate students from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines. Here, we salute the spirit of PROMISE!
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Click one of the tabs at the top: "Home" to see the main blog site with all posts, "Retreats" to see more information about the Community Building Retreats for grad students, and "PROMISE Videos" to see some videos from the PROMISEagep YouTube Channel. Other topics and pages will be added as the blog site grows.
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