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American Studies

After a Life-Changing Accident, Brian Cooperman ’26 Found a New Path Through American Studies

The graduating senior focused his honors thesis on disability access and is planning for a future in advocacy law.

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College of Arts and Humanities, English

Sydney Mitchell ’26 Reflects on Her Storytelling Journey at Maryland

From reading poetry on stage to researching the region’s jazz scene, the English major explored storytelling through writing, music and research.

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The Harriet Tubman Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

What Can Science Fiction Teach Us About AI?

Alexis Lothian developed the 300-level course “Artificial Intelligence Otherwise” with support from a seed grant from the Artificial Intelligence Interdisciplinary Institute at Maryland.

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Whatever your interests and aspirations, ARHU is committed to providing the knowledge, skills and opportunities all our students need to write their own stories and chart their own paths.

"In ARHU, you’re learning about how people interact with the world and each other. My goal is to build things that people are going to use. Just technology knowledge can only go so far. You have to understand how people are going to use them to be truly successful."

Ozzie Fallick '14, Software Engineer, Google
Linguistics

"Cross-cultural communication is one of the most important skills that I learned at ARHU, and I use it to engage and inform the community in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean about our events, exchanges and any other information that supports our key policy priorities in the region. ARHU gave me the tools to understand why in diplomacy, it’s as much about what you say as how you say it."

Krystle Norman '08, Foreign Service Officer, U.S. Department of State
Spanish and Portuguese

"I had always loved art, but I never knew you could make a career out of it until I studied abroad in Rome. There, I took a full course load of art courses and learned all about the factors of being an art professional. It was life-changing. Now I feel lucky that I’m doing something that I’m so passionate about."

Laura Sheridan Raiffe '09, Regional Account Manager, Christie's Fine Arts
Art History and Archaeology

"One of the most important things I got out of my ARHU experience is my ability to parse arguments, think critically and see multiple sides of an issue. Being in law school, it’s important to do that—it’s a skill I use every day. Not a class goes by, not a case gets read that this skill doesn’t come into play."

AJ Clayborne '13, Student, Harvard Law School
English

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Happening at ARHU

After Brian Cooperman returned to class after a traumatic car accident in early 2023, he found a new sense of purpose in his majors in American studies and anthropology. Amid those months of medical appointments and rehab, his classes gave him space to explore bigger questions about systems of care and the ways institutions respond to people in moments of vulnerability and disability. “I was learning how to look at systems and break them apart and do something with that,” said Cooperman, who graduates this week. “It was extremely valuable.” His honors thesis, an 82-page ethnographic study, focused on disability in higher education. Through interviews with students and faculty, policy analysis, field observations and personal reflection, he examined how disabled students navigate institutional systems and accommodations on college campuses. The project brought together ideas and methods from both of his majors while deepening his interest in advocacy and public policy. This fall, Cooperman will attend the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law in Baltimore, where he hopes to pursue disability access or tenant advocacy law, to ultimately become an advocate for marginalized people. Read more about Brian and his journey at UMD at the link in our bio.
#UMDgrads, who are your dream makers? The people who have supported you, shown you kindness and helped shape your path at Maryland? Today we were incredibly proud and fortunate to welcome ARHU alum and New York Times #1 bestselling author of more than 20 young adult books Jason Reynolds as the commencement speaker at the first ARHU collegewide undergraduate ceremony. Reynolds talked about his dream maker, Professor Michael Olmert “who chose to be kind, chose to fan my potential, to pull me along without criticizing my undeveloped gait,” when he was a student (and who sat beside him on stage today). Reynolds also met with ARHU graduates and families, signing books and sharing laughs. In his speech, Reynolds offered some beautiful and poignant words to graduates: “ … promise yourselves to always take a step, and another step and another step, whether forward, or to the side, and occasionally, even a step back, if you promise yourselves that you will offer a hand to the wobbly and heavy-footed, and sometimes even a piggy-back ride for those with amputated resources, if you promise yourselves that you’ll steal moments to mind your stuff, that you’ll smile at anything with your name on it, including this degree, not because your stuff matters, but because your proximity to that stuff makes it story, and you are worthy of a storied life, one loud and insistent, jumpy and edgy, screaming its youthful energy—even when you’re not so young anymore—into the wind, a thumping life … “ Congratulations #UMDgraduates!
From political analytics and storytelling to language, culture and community, these ARHU graduates are carrying their passions into the next chapter of their lives. Their memories, ambitions and experiences reflect the creativity and connection that make the ARHU community so special. Serena Lee, '26 philosophy, politics and economics and government and politics, will be attending an M.S program in applied political analytics at UMD. Carson Fruman '26, cinema and media studies, plans to work in the entertainment industry telling meaningful stories that connect people to sports, media and entertainment. “I’ll always remember Professor Gaycken's incredible movie recommendations that shaped how I see film." Ashley Chau '25 linguistics, "I will always remember how beautiful campus looked when the sky was clear! And all the small moments: chatting with classmates before class, hanging out at the lab, and exploring different buildings." Madison Henn '26 Chinese, "I will always remember the community and friends I found at UMD!" Congratulations to all our ARHU graduates!

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