10-16-2022 EDU - Flipbook - Page 7
The Baltimore Sun | Sunday, October 16, 2022 7
University programs prepare tomorrow’s leaders
Courses at NDMU and Loyola provide strong foundations in leadership and entrepreneurship
By Alex Keown, Contributing Writer
Adobe stock
S
tudents in the Doctor of Pharmacy
program at Notre Dame of Maryland
University aiming at becoming future
leaders in the industry are finding firm
footing through the school’s certificate
in leadership and entrepreneurship program.
The program, which began in 2018, coupled
with the universities’ doctor of pharmacy degree,
aims to provide students with an entrepreneurial
mindset. Kayla Marcucci, a current student in
both programs, says she was drawn to participate in the leadership course because she has a
dream to open a community pharmacy after she
receives her degree and believes that this program
will provide her with an essential foundation of
knowledge.
“This is something I’ve been thinking about
for a while, opening a community pharmacy with
a personal touch, a smaller experience,” Marcucci
says, adding that the program certificate could
be useful in the future when she’s ready to take
that path.
Marcucci learned about the program during her first year at NDMU. She explained that
the program was presented as a foundational
program for the future. The best part was that
it only required the taking of two additional
courses. The two extra courses, which were
considered electives, included a study of finance
that Marcucci called a “down and dirty program”
that provided instruction in financial planning,
inventory control and other essential tools that
are required to run a business.
“I’ve known I wanted to be in pharmacy
since I was in high school, and I’ve always been
science focused. This was something new. I’ve
been exposed to finance when I took economics
as an undergraduate, but this was all new,” says
Marcucci, who worked as a pharmacy technician when she was in high school. “This will be
important because in the hospital you look at
formulary management and price evaluation is
one of the components.”
Because the certificate only required the two
elective courses, Marcucci says it was not an additional academic burden, which made it worthwhile. After completing all of the coursework for
the certificate, Marcucci is set to receive it upon
graduation in May 2023, she says. Marcucci says
she would recommend this program to other students because “even if you’re not thinking about
opening a business yourself, it’s still important
to understand the business aspect of pharmacy.”
Kofi Andhoh, a 2021 NDMU alumni who
graduated with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and
the leadership and entrepreneurship certificate
agreed with Marcucci’s assessment. Andhoh currently works as the interim pharmacy manager
at East Madison Hospital in Wisconsin and is
in his second year as a resident at University of
Wisconsin-Health. As an undergraduate student
who played basketball at Howard University,
Andhoh says he developed a passion for leadership and the certificate was something that
appealed to that spirit.
“This gave me formal leadership training. In
hindsight, the program set me up for my career,
how to develop and present a business plan in
a shark tank fashion,” he says. “I would recommend this to anybody who is interested in any
form of leadership.”
Andhoh says the program provided him and
other participants with a “holistic view” of their
careers. Typically, he says people within the pharmaceutical sphere tend to silo themselves into
career trajectories, such as pursuing the clinical
space. The clinical knowledge is the foundation
of a career in pharmacy, he says. But, in his role at
the hospital, he also has to handle administrative
duties, which the course provided him with the
skills to handle.
“NDMU is really ahead of the curve with
this leadership program. I’m now seeing other
schools offer similar programs,” he says.
The pharmacology program at NDMU isn’t
the only academic program focused on leadership. Loyola University Maryland offers the
six-month-long leadership essentials course.
The course is offered through a partnership
between ASPIRE: Loyola University Maryland’s
Extended Learning Community in collaboration with Leadership Howard County and area
organizations.
The leadership essentials program is designed
to provide participants with a multi-skill building program that includes three components:
workshops, individual coaching and team-based
projects to address the needs of local non-profit
organizations. The program aims to provide the
20 to 25 participants firsthand experience with
critical issues that can challenge a program and
task them with turning leadership into action.
Rashel Taylor, executive director of Ohana
of Howard County, a nonprofit mentoring organization, participated in the course at the same
time she took on her new role with Ohana. Since
the executive director position was new to her,
Taylor, 29, says the program offered her a greater
understanding of leadership dynamics and also
allowed her to grow and work with other likeminded individuals who have become her peers.
Taylor’s cohort of leadership students were
the first session following the pandemic. Her
program was conducted in a hybrid mode, with
some in-person learning and some online opportunities as well. Taylor says all precautions were
taken, including conducting classes in larger
rooms that allowed for people to spread out and
masking was encouraged in order to support
people’s individual comfort level, she says.
When she stepped into the role at Ohana,
Taylor says she was able to draw on lessons she
learned regarding conflict management. With
any change in an organization, there comes
a rhythm to figure out how to work together,
she says. By drawing on the lessons of conflict
management, Taylor says she was quickly able to
mitigate any concerns from her colleagues that
arose from that change.
“So much of that program has played a big
part in my new position,” she says.
Taylor notes that the leadership program
emphasizes the importance of diversity, equity
and inclusion and how those concepts play a
foundational role in building an organization.
Not only did the program emphasize that, but
Taylor also says it reflected the importance of
DEI.
“You can tell that leadership believes in DEI
because the room was so diverse from age, career,
different experience levels … you could tell they
had a diverse perspective,” Taylor says.
Part of that diverse perspective includes
developing skills in individuals who may have
little to no real past leadership experience. Taylor
says she recommends others looking to take their
careers to the next level seek out the leadership
Strengthening
minority education
At the University of Maryland, a graduate program focuses on training educators
who are committed to improving educational opportunities for minority children
in an equitable manner. The Minority and
Urban Education Specialization program
aims to gain greater insight into best
practices to bolster the educational opportunities for children from marginalized
backgrounds.
The program, aimed at students pursuing their PhDs in education, is designed
to offer participants “with a broad based
knowledge about the education of disadvantaged populations, including students,
families and communities, particularly
in urban areas,” according to the college
of education website. The coursework
offers context into the understanding of
social and political issues facing urban
schools and how educators can provide
the biggest impacts in these communities. Participating students will explore
strategies that can empower and transform
these communities through impactful
education.
The University of Maryland program
uses what it called a social justice framework for its course design that enables
students to glean deeper understandings
about these communities and students.
Because these communities face multiple historical challenges, the University
of Maryland educational specialization
encourages the doctoral students to incorporate perspectives from multiple fields
outside of education to maximize their
impact. Other areas of study that will be of
interest to this program include sociology,
urban planning, educational policy and
leadership, history and, of course, traditional educational programming. Having a
broad background and understanding will
allow the students to ultimately develop
impactful educational programs and
courses of study that empower students
from these disadvantaged communities,
according to the university.
program and see if it is a good fit for their goals.
“Don’t be scared. Even if you have fear,
jump into it. They understand that fear and
will work with you. You will be seen and heard,”
Taylor says.
Ask Margit, from page 1
State vs. Private
There is one big issue when choosing
between a state school and a private one:
the price tag. According to CollegeCovered.
com, “the average cost for tuition and fees per
year for an in-state student attending a public
school during 2020–21 was $10,560. For outof-state students attending public schools, it
rose to $27,020. For students enrolled at private institutions, the bill came in at $37,650.
These costs do not include room and board.”
But there is a lot more to the story. That
amount, the “sticker price,” is not always what
you pay. It went on to say, “Thanks to needand merit-based aid, some students find that
upon receiving their acceptances and award
letter packages, a private school may actually cost them less out of pocket than a public
school.”
In other words, you have to look at all the
costs including room and board and travel
involved and how much the school is going to
help you cover those costs.
And don’t think that all state schools are
large. Yes, University of Maryland, College
Park has 30,000 students, but University of
Baltimore and Coppin State University, both
part of the University System of Maryland,
have around 3,000 and 2,500 respectively. St.
Mary’s College of Maryland, also a public
school, is an honors school akin to “an elite
liberal arts college,” and has just over 1,500
students.
One last comment: once you graduate, does
the school have a good career center to help
you with counseling and then, find a job? It
may not be at the top of your list when making
a decision, but it should factor in.
Close to home or far away
Talia O. grew up here and had one goal
when she went to college: to be as far away from
her family as possible. She accomplished that
by heading to the west coast to the University
of Washington. Jin Hua C.’s two sons started out at University of Maryland, Baltimore
County, commuting for the first couple years,
Other considerations
Anna S. went to a college that offered her
a terrific scholarship, something that eased the
burden of paying for her education. As you are
probably aware, the amount of student debt in
this country is huge. Anything that can minimize that amount is valuable and one way for
that to happen is to get a scholarship. It doesn’t
have to be from the school. Many, many organizations offer scholarships. It’s worth doing an
online search to see what’s available.
Also, think about going to a community
college for the first two years and then transferring to the school of your choice for classes
in your major. Community colleges are far less
expensive per credit hour.
Do you want to live on or off campus?
Living on campus puts you in the center of
everything going on. It’s a way to focus on your
education and your environment. You’re closer
to classes, activities and events, all in walking distance. And you get to meet interesting
people.
Or is there a campus? There are lots of
schools now offering online education. Even
face-to-face colleges have online or hybrid
classes. There is, though, a benefit in being
with other people from lots of other places. It
expands your world beyond the familiar.
College should be an adventure: in learning, in making friends, in having new experiences. You should savor your time there and
make the most of the experience. You’ll be
glad you did.
Educating teachers, from page 1
Students engaged, from page 1
Club president and player Bryden Steele started
playing baseball at age 4 and transferred to Salisbury
from Community College of Baltimore CountyEssex. “I thought I was done playing baseball, and
then my roommate mentioned the club option for
baseball. It’s a lot more fun than collegiate-level
baseball but still very competitive. I fell in love with
baseball again,” Steele says. And as much fun as he
has playing baseball again, it’s a different role he
plays in the game that gives him even more enjoyment.
For the past two years, Steele and his teammates have volunteered as coaches and umpires
for the opening day ceremonies for the Wicomico
County Little League Challenger Division, Little
League’s adaptive baseball program for individuals
with physical and intellectual challenges.
Steele, who had previously coached young players, says that his involvement with the Little League
Challengers has been especially rewarding. “I love it,
and I look forward to working with them. My teammates ask me in the fall when the spring dates are
for the next year to make sure that they are available.
Club coach and faculty advisor Ryan Weaver,
who teaches in the interdisciplinary studies department and the Institute for Public Affairs and Civic
Engagement, as well as serving as director of the
Presidential Citizen Scholars program at Salisbury,
says the club partners with Wicomico County Parks
and Recreation to help build turf fields at the Henry
S. Parker Complex, including “Field 7 ½,” which is
a field built specifically for the Challenger Division.
“Bases are painted on the field so there are no
impediments for physically challenged kids, and the
outfield fences are shorter,” Weaver says.
Weaver says that many of the club players are
former high school and college baseball players
who “just want to have fun playing baseball again.”
He notes that there are academic requirements that
must be met, and grades are checked to ensure that
players are in good academic standing.
then got an apartment near campus. In other
words, you can go away even when it’s local.
The reasoning behind distance of any sort
is to learn to stand on your own two feet, to
get used to adult responsibilities, managing
your money, your laundry, your meals, your
class schedule and assignments, all preludes to
being self-sufficient. Sure, lots of students take
laundry home to their parents, but you mature
the most during these college years.
Fun with Food
Colleges today are constantly looking for new
ways to increase dining options for their students,
and Loyola University Maryland has found new
innovative ways to not only provide great food but
also engage students.
Lindsay Winn, general manager of Parkhurst
Dining, which provides food service management
services to Loyola, says that last year, Loyola students were given a pizza making kit and joined via
Zoom to learn how to make homemade pizza. The
event was popular with students, leading to monthly
events today.
“In September, we had a class on how to pick
crabs. Many of our students come from New Jersey
and New York, so they did not know how to
pick crabs, which as we know is near and dear to
Marylanders. In November, we will have a virtual
culinary class on preparing Thanksgiving dinner,”
Winn says. “These are important life skills for students to learn.”
Loyola also offers do-it-yourself take-home kits
to students, featuring options such as overnight oats
and pickling kits. “In February we will have kits for
chocolate covered strawberries for Valentine’s Day,”
Winn says.
Winn says in order for Loyola to stay up to date
on what types of food students desire in the dining halls, a survey is done with students each April
while also paying attention to dining trends in local
restaurants for ideas. “We also have a station where
students can vote via Instagram on what types of
food they want, and we also encourage them to
reach out to us if there is a dish that they especially
liked that they want us to bring back.”
Themed events are also popular such as
Hispanic Heritage Month and a Ravens tailgate
party to kick off the NFL season. Winn says that
Loyola also strives to highlight local vendors and
farms with information for students such as where
to buy a local vendor’s products off campus.
Electives can be about teaching and learning,
or management and leadership, and some focus
on communication and literacy. The completely
online, eight-week courses allow a student, while
they are working, to take one class at a time and
still complete two courses per semester. All 36
credits can be completed within two years, but
since these are working professionals, it is also
flexible for those who have family and other commitments. There is no set timeline to complete this
program. “Other than your final action research
and capstone,” says Moyer, “you can take the
courses in whatever order makes sense to you and
your schedule.”
A program that has been around for many
years at Coppin State University is now available to anyone in the state of Maryland. Coppin’s
Bachelor of Science degree in early childhood
education human development can now be taken
fully online from anywhere. It is geared toward
those who are already working in an early childhood setting, whether in public or private daycare
or preschool or at an in-home setting for children
from birth to five.
Students start out with general education
courses, like any other college student, in English,
history, science and math. In their junior and
senior years, they begin to focus on courses in
growth and development, a literacy focus for
younger children, and social-emotional developments. “We have a class that is focused on cultural responsive teaching practices,” says Wyletta
Gamble-Lomax, Ph.D., assistant professor of elementary education, “regarding the fact that we
are in an urban context at Coppin and wanting to
prepare our teachers to teach in that urban context
to teach urban learners.”
Besides doing the coursework, all students
must do a practicum where they spend 20-30
hours in an early learning center. “They will
have a mentor teacher to evaluate them and give
feedback on what they may need to work on and
what’s working really well for them,” says GambleLomax. From the beginning when students are
being advised about their program plan, they
know that they have to meet this requirement.
Since many students already work in an early
learning environment, it is not usually difficult to
arrange this. New students out of the area may
need a little more help to fulfill this requirement
but Coppin is prepared to meet this challenge.
They have partnered with the Maryland State
Department of Education through an Emerging
Empowering Teachers Grants, so if there's a student on the Eastern Shore, for example, they can
now enroll in this program at Coppin while working where they are. It will be particularly useful
program for those who run their own daycare
centers to acquire higher education.
Notre Dame's GEI program is highly selective.