Community / August 1, 2011

BSE Scholars Participate in 2011 Service Day

Freshmen in the University of Maryland’s College Park ScholarsBusiness, Society and the Economyprogram began their semester on August 29 by helping their community at two homeless shelters in Silver Spring. Scholars Service Day is an annual event in for students in each of the 11 Scholars programs offered by the university.

Each group participates in individual service opportunities, helping the community while bonding with their new classmates.

The BSE Scholars began their day at Community Vision, a shelter that provides case management, job training, vocational services, substance abuse programs, recreational groups and therapeutic groups. While at Community Vision the students created posters, cleaned and reorganized a storage area, helped with landscaping, worked in the kitchen and ran a manicure table.

Doug Falatka, a freshman accounting major and BSE scholar was helping his team of scholars reorganize a storage room. They removed clutter and moved shelves around to make the room more accessible to the shelter.

“Maryland is really big on helping the community,” Falatka, a Towson, Md. native, explained as to why the Scholars Program participates in its annual Service Day.

Smith student Edward White, a finance and marketing major, chose to participate in BSE Scholars because of the program’s relevance to his major and for the networking opportunities and trips within the program. White, a Westminster, Md. native, said he is most excited for the Berkshire Hathaway trip the program does and hopes he is able to go.

Stephanie Toth, a Smith School freshman who is currently undecided on what specific major she will pursue, agreed with White: “I think the program will be a really good supplement to my business major.”

Toth and White worked in the kitchen uncanning food for the shelter. “It was great to interact with the community and it was a great bonding opportunity,” Toth said. “It was really nice to meet my team a little more.”

Later in the day, students went to the Carroll House, which provides transitional housing in a shelter environment for homeless men, to help prepare brown-bag lunches, create bulletin boards and help clean the shelter.

Jessica Bauer, Writer and Editor, Office of Marketing Communications

Media Contact

Greg Muraski
Media Relations Manager
301-405-5283  
301-892-0973 Mobile
gmuraski@umd.edu 

About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business

The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and flex MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, business master’s, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.

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