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In addition to the instructors teaching their courses, Carter said, students in each course will be assigned to a faculty member as a separate resource to assist with supplemental materials. The personalized study blueprint, called Preflight, results from a self-assessment tool that students will use at the beginning of each MBA course. It identifies areas of support each student may need or want to strengthen their studies. Christina Mundy, a recent graduate, praised the program for being “project based, making it very relevant to the global professional environment, forcing you to work in teams and accomplish tasks by working with people all over the world.” Finally, driven in part by the increased demand for counseling services that arose during the COVID pandemic, UMGC will roll out a new MS in Clinical Professional Counseling in the fall of 2024, designed to meet the growing need for professionals prepared to enter counselingrelated work as licensed practitioners in community and business settings. The program will prepare graduates to work in a variety of settings, including mental health centers, drug and alcohol treatment programs, correctional institutions, healthcare settings, social service agencies, private practice, and business and industry. It is aligned throughout with UMGC’s institutional
learning goals of providing career-relevant education and developing capacity for lifelong learning and growth, which are essential in the continuously evolving field of professional counseling.
Pillars of Strength Scholarships Reflect Changing Demographics in U.S. Military University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) awarded 10 new Pillars of Strength scholarships in 2023, covering tuition and fees for the caregivers of injured, ill, or wounded military servicemembers. A total of 69 scholarships have been awarded since the program began in 2013, and for the first time, the recipients included four men who act as caregivers for women veterans—a trend that is likely to continue as more
ACHIEVER | 8 | UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND GLOBAL CAMPUS
women serve in combat roles. “Caregiving is not only provided by women,” said Rich Blewitt, CEO of the Blewitt Foundation and founder of the Pillars of Strength program. “That two husbands, a brother, and a son were awarded the scholarships shows that caring for wounded veterans truly is a broader responsibility among family, friends, and loved ones, and they all deserve our support.” The Pillars of Strength scholarships recognize the sacrifices made by caregivers, many of whom devote years of their lives—and careers— to caring for loved ones or friends. These caregivers receive few if any federal education benefits, yet many are also their family’s primary wage earners, and the scholarship covers all expenses related to their chosen degree program, no matter how long it takes to complete.
“I am proud of my service as a full-time stay-at-home caregiver for a disabled veteran,” said Scott Lynch, who quit his full-time job in 2012 to care for his wife, Monica, and their two boys. He is using the scholarship to pursue an MBA with the goal of establishing a business that builds on his undergraduate background in environmental engineering. “The feeling is just overwhelming, inspiring,” he said upon learning that he had been named a scholarship recipient. “You exist in these spaces as a volunteer caregiver for so long you begin to feel a little lost. . . . I was overwhelmed with joy and the feeling that somebody is on your side and there is a group of people that hear you, see you, recognize you, and are rooting for you.” While most recipients use the scholarships to earn bachelor’s or master’s degrees, one of this year’s recipients, Angela Cooper, plans to use her scholarship to earn a doctorate—a lifelong dream she would otherwise never be able to afford. A surprising number of recipients say that their goal is to use their UMGC degree to give back, often by supporting other caregivers or disabled veterans. Pillars of Strength recipient Lauren Fagan and her husband Osee said that they worked their way up “from rock
Carrie Blewitt (left), of the Blewitt Foundation, with Dharma Selva, UMGC's assistant vice president for Development.