Our Students

Beatrice Hammet (’22)

Beatrice Hammet, from Bowie, MD, answers some questions about her experience in Carillon Communities. Beatrice, a Letters and Sciences student, participated in the Weather and Climate community.

What made you decide to join Carillon?
It was a combination of getting into a living learning community and being able to explore my options through Letters and Sciences. The types of communities Carillon had to offer were very interesting and I was undecided, so being able to look at something entirely different was helpful.

How do you feel carillon has helped you adapt to the college environment?
It's definitely made making friends easier. I know everyone on my floor and got to know them better through being in the same classes. We were all in this together! Togetherness helped the transition, because those first two weeks, you feel very alone. But getting to know people and have classes with them makes the transition easier!

What is the most valuable thing you have learned from your Carillon experience?
There's a lot--for example, how to develop relationships with professors. Dr. Tim was awesome; he really helped us become comfortable with talking to professors in a big classroom setting and asking questions.

What advice would you give to someone considering joining Carillon?
Definitely join, because it's an incredible opportunity. If you're thinking you'll have a hard time transitioning into college, making many friends or handling academics, you'll know that within this community, there's a lot of resources and help. 

To whom would you recommend Carillon Communities? 
People who are interested in campus life and want to get to know UMD through a living learning community. That's what Carillon did--it opened my eyes as to the resources, help, and experiences UMD has to offer. 

Vishal Chalam (’22)

Vishal Chalam, a mechanical engineering major from Hillsborough, New Jersey, reflects on his time in Carillon Communities. Vishal participated in the Weather and Climate community.

What made you decide to join Carillon Communities?
I didn't know many people coming in [to the University of Maryland], and I didn't have any roommates lined up. I thought a living learning community would be a good way to get a jumpstart on that.

How do you feel Carillon has helped you adapt to the college environment?
All of my best friends at UMD are other Carillon students who lived on my floor freshman year. I've made some solid bonds! I even came back to Maryland over the winter break to celebrate the new year with my friends from Carillon.

What is the most valuable thing you have learned from your Carillon experience?
I learned that not everything you take in college is defined by your major. Doing something not related to your major can help spark a new hobby or interest. You can learn a lot about something that may be obscure, but connects to your major in unexpected ways. My Carillon course, Weather and Climate, was totally different from what I expected, but it turned out to be my favorite class that semester.

What did you gain from your experience as a peer mentor? What were you able to offer students?
I was able to really show the positive impact of Carillon on my own life, such as making great connections, and encourage my students to meet and connect with people. It was really cool to see the students in my class become closer with one another, just like what happened with my own class.

What advice would you give to someone considering joining Carillon?
Give it a chance. You get to be in classes with your friends. That makes it fun to study and work together!

Ben Schrecongost (’22)

Ben Schrecongost, from Kent Island, MD, reflects on his experience as a student and peer mentor in Carillon Communities. Ben, a mechanical engineering major and leadership studies minor, participated in the Visualizing Knowledge community.

What made you decide to join Carillon Communities?
I was looking for something to kickstart my college experience and help me get involved right away. I also knew I wanted to diversify my learning and make connections with other students, including people outside my engineering major. I loved Carillon so much that I became a Carillon ambassador and later a peer mentor, and I will continue to seek opportunities to be involved with the program.

How has being in Carillon influenced your time at UMD?
Carillon gave me a community and encouraged me to get more involved in student organizations on campus. I formed bonds that cannot be broken -- my current roommates, many of the people I study with, and some of my best friends are people I met in Carillon. It was refreshing to have a non-engineering class that helped me grow as a person and learn content I can transfer to my major.

What did you gain from your experience as a peer mentor?
My own peer mentor was able to help me figure out so many things on campus and I wanted to do the exact same thing for students. Being a peer mentor is the most valuable thing I’ve gained from Carillon. Not only is it great to put on my resume, but it was an opportunity to practice leadership, take on some important responsibilities, and gain knowledge I can apply anywhere!

What advice would you give to someone considering joining Carillon?
If you see yourself as someone who wants to grow as a person, build your resume, and have a great college experience, go for it! Joining Carillon is one of the best decisions I’ve made. The connections and creative problem solving skills I gained are very valuable things I will take with me to graduation and beyond. Whether or not you have decided on your major, you will learn content in Carillon that can be anywhere. It’s such an easy way to get involved and I highly suggest that people join!

Tytrice Faison (’21)

Tytrice Faison, a geology major and astronomy minor, discusses her participation in the Once and Future Planet Carillon Community.

What did you gain from being in Carillon Communities?
Being part of Carillon Communities was a great experience for me because I was able to meet tons of new people within the first week of classes. I was mostly influenced by the leader of the Once and Future Planet program, Dr. Alan Jay Kaufman. I was a prospective engineering student, but I did not know exactly where I wanted to take my studies. Being a part of Carillon helped me to find a course of study that I am truly passionate about!

What was most surprising about your experience in the Once and Future Planet Community?
Working with Dr. Kaufman opened my eyes to a whole new realm of science that was intriguing and brought me to where I am today! After I completed the Once and Future Planet course, I soon became a lab assistant in Dr. Kaufman’s stable isotope lab, where I continue to hone the skills needed when I graduate and enter the field.

What advice do you have for students considering joining Carillon?
I recommend Carillon because you are bound to meet comrades who will accompany you in your studies and you will learn skills that benefit you in whatever field you choose. You may even find a new field that interests you!

Clydelle (Delle) Agyei (’20)

Clydelle (Delle) Agyei , from Kumasi, Ghana and Laurel, MD, answers questions about how Carillon Communities shaped her path at UMD. Delle is a Public Health Science major and Global Poverty minor. She participated in the iGive community, and later served as a Carillon ambassador and peer mentor.

What made you decide to join Carillon Communities?
I have always been part of programs that make the school community feel smaller, like AVID and IB. Coming to such a large university, I knew I wanted to be in a smaller group of people working towards a common goal, so I joined Carillon. I was also undecided about my major and wanted to learn more about my interests. 

How has being in Carillon influenced your time at UMD?
As a freshman, my Carillon peer mentor and IDEA class made things simpler by teaching me how everything works on campus. In iGive, I discovered that policy work and giving back to the community are part of my long term goals. iGive also influenced the type of organizations I joined at school and opened my mind to the many small ways I can positively impact the community. Ultimately, participating in Carillon helped me find a major and minor I love.

Describe how you’ve used creative problem solving during your time at UMD.
Initially, I used the creative problem solving skills I learned in Carillon to help me set academic and career goals. These skills became even more important for me last year in my special internship class with the Center for Health Equity at UMD. My team and I worked with local community members to identify a public health issue and design a solution. Though I’d never imagined it was realistic, a nonprofit accepted our proposal and successfully implemented our plan. It was very exciting for me to understand the real impact of what I learned in Carillon!

What advice would you give to someone considering joining Carillon?
College is about trying new things and discovering more about yourself. If you have even a hint of interest in or curiousity about any of the Carillon communities, I encourage you to sign up! Whether or not the community is directly related to your major, you will discover something new and you’ll be learning with a group of friends. You never know how this learning will serve you later in life, so I encourage you to try it out, even if you’re not quite sure about it.