He’s just a semester into his college career at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, but freshman Michael Zhao already knows exactly what he wants to do for the rest of his life – use a finance and computer science education to make the world a better place.

There are secrets to baking that also apply to being an entrepreneur. And five Maryland siblings are putting those secrets to work in their latest venture. The Dubbaneh brothers and sisters – Ronnie, Danny, Ronia, Johnny and Deanna – know that to be successful in baking, you have to take care in every step of the process, be patient, give it your time and attention, and love what you’re doing. It’s the same for starting a business.

Jennifer Felix ’92 has one goal in mind when it comes to leadership – helping everyone maximize their potential. As president and CEO of ASRC Federal – a Maryland-based government services subsidiary of Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, an Alaska Native Corporation owned by 13,000 Iñupiat shareholders – Felix has learned firsthand what it means to lead. It starts with empowering others and finding inspiration in every journey, she says.

When it comes to navigating the business world, Anoop Mehta ’84 understands the power of a network. “During my time at Smith, I was heavily involved in a variety of campus-wide organizations, such as the International Student Association and the Indian Student Association,” Mehta says. “Being around a diverse group of people and learning how to network and collaborate with them helped propel me into my future career.”

Commencement, no matter its form, is a moment of pride, accomplishment and celebration. It’s a moment, in the words of undergraduate student speaker Juliet Jack, to see opportunity.

Students returned to in-person classrooms this fall, but one Maryland Smith class broke the boundaries of geography by collaborating (virtually) with students from Elisava University School, the Design and Engineering College of Universitat de Vic, Spain.

A Maryland Smith trio is among 19 University of Maryland graduating seniors being recognized this week for their accomplishments, prestigious internships and GPAs as Philip Merrill Presidential Scholars.

The USA hockey team upsetting the Soviet Union in the Olympics. A 35-year-old pitcher making his MLB debut. A horse owner fostering a colt to Triple Crown glory. Many are familiar with these athletic feats not only from cheering as they happened or flipping through the record books, but also from watching the fan-favorite movies that they inspired. Besides the feel-good plots, the films share another common feature: They were all produced by a Maryland Smith alum.

What is the best pathway to unlock opportunities that will allow Americans to realize their dreams? And is that route lined with government programs or free enterprise? Those questions were at the center of a debate tour recently hosted by Maryland Smith’s Ed Snider Center for Enterprise and Markets, in partnership with The Steamboat Institute.

A Maryland Smith team with a “Big Idea” for a multi-channel market campaign for Toys For Tots took home top honors at the Digital Marketing Association of Washington/Educational Foundation’s fall 2021 Collegiate MAXI Oral Case Competition.