My name is Braden, and I am a junior here at the University of Maryland and a Banneker Key Scholar. I am pursuing a B.S. in Biocomputational Engineering and am a part of the Honors College here (University Honors Program). I have lived in a dorm, apartment, as well as a house in Old Town so I have experience with each type of living situation available. Outside of the classroom, I am heavily involved, including being a part of Greek life, intramural sports, working on campus, and being involved in the Biocomp club. I have also held leadership positions as well. I can give insights on not only the academics and different majors on campus (especially engineering), but I can also give several insights into general campus life and what UMD has to offer both inside and outside the classroom.

Hometown

Baltimore, MD

Major(s)

Biocomputational Engineering

Clubs, organizations & involvement

Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity Intramural Sports Intramural Sports Officiating (Flag Football Official, Soccer Official, Futsal Official) Biocomp Club (Vice-President)

Describe your college experience

The transition to college was amazing. I was nervous coming in, not only about the workload but about meeting and finding new people. However, my experience could not have gone better. I have been able to balance my classes and still be able to have a good social life as well as finding people I consider lifelong friends.

Tip for future students

No matter where you go, you make the experience. It's about putting yourself out there and exploring everything the school has to offer. You should take advantage of clubs and the general opportunities that come your way during your college experience early on.

Favorite class

The best class I have taken was my honors course HNUH239T: National Security: Domestic Dilemmas. This course was taught by a professor who had worked for several years with intelligence agencies and figures under the Obama administration and not only was the content and discussions about national security issues fascinating, but the class was entirely discussion-based and the most engaging class I took by far.

Career goals

I hope to pursue a career in either data analytics​/​data science or biostatistics. I have always been interested in bioinformatics and generally doing statistical analysis or data analytics within the biomedical field.

Ideal way to spend a free night

I love going out with my friends, going thrifting on weekends sometimes, or even having a chill night with my friends at one of our places.

High school or secondary school

Franklin High School (Baltimore County; Reisterstown, MD)