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Student Advisory Board

Mission

The Scholars Student Advisory Board amplifies student voices, connects programs with central staff and with each other, represents diverse perspectives, and strengthens our communities in order to enhance the Scholars student experience.

Upcoming

Join us for our Open Meeting on Thursday, October 23, at 6:15 p.m. in ESJ B0324 to see what SAB is all about!

Structure

The Student Advisory Board consists of one first-year and one second-year representative from each Scholars program. In addition, one first-year and one second-year serve as commuter representatives.

As a member of the Student Advisory Board, you have the opportunity to serve your peers, your program, and the Scholars community. Representatives act as a liaison between their peers in their programs and the Scholars central staff, offering the student viewpoint on new initiatives and providing suggestions that might improve the student experience in Scholars.

In particular, representatives:

  • Share curricular and co-curricular components of your program experiences with the central staff and other board members.
  • Respond to concerns or issues within the Cambridge Community or on campus.
  • Share Scholars' initiatives, upcoming events, or announcements with their programs.
  • Assist in the management of Scholars-wide events such as Service Day, Fall Fest, therapy dogs, and the charity kickball tournament.

Expectations

Members of the Student Advisory Board attend hour-long meetings on Thursday evenings. In addition, representatives participate in community events organized by the Student Advisory Board.

How to Get Involved

The Student Advisory Board is open to any first-year Scholars student, with applications to become a first-year representative available at the start of the fall semester. All applicants will be invited to participate in an interview. 

2025-26 application: https://go.umd.edu/ApplySAB (due Wednesday, Oct. 29)

This position is a two-year commitment. Students who serve as first-year representatives are expected to continue in their role and serve as the second-year representative for their program.

Program Representatives

These are the Student Advisory Board representatives for the 2024–2025 academic year. Students can contact their program representative with any questions or concerns. 

Laura Neer
Second-year representative
lneer@terpmail.umd.edu 

Farhaan Sultan
Second-year representative
fsultan@terpmail.umd.edu                                                   

Jaina Simon
Second-year representative
jsim4444@terpmail.umd.edu 

Harry Neill
Second-year representative
hwneill@terpmail.umd.edu 

Representative TBD

Michael Olson
Second-year representative
molson05@terpmail.umd.edu  

Daren Pefok
Second-year representative
dpefok@terpmail.umd.edu 

Aine Heron
Second-year representative
aheron1@terpmail.umd.edu 

Rajiv Damera
Second-year representative
rajivdam@terpmail.umd.edu 

Emmanuel Dean
Second-year representative
edean826@terpmail.umd.edu 

Ritvik Sawhney
Second-year representative
rsawhney@terpmail.umd.edu  

Taylor Phillips
Second-year representative
tphilli8@terpmail.umd.edu 

Vaishnavi Banda
Second-year representative
vaishnavibanda2@gmail.com  

Maria Meza
Second-year representative
mmeza@terpmail.umd.edu 

For More Information

Portrait of Ben Parks

Ben Parks

Associate Director for Student Affairs, College Park Scholars
Portrait of Ashley Ogwo

Ashley Ogwo

Coordinator for Student Engagement, College Park Scholars
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