Stephanie Gomez’s desire to help others attracted her to STEM careers at a young age. Now, as an MBA student at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, Gomez is even more determined to bring those dreams to fruition. 

Janna Fernandez’s journey to the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business began roughly 8,000 miles away in Guam, but her experiences are taking her even further.  Fernandez’s passion for public service and helping others pushed her to pursue a career that enables her to do just that. This is evidenced by her tenure as the deputy press secretary for the Office of the Governor of Guam, as well as her involvement in education and workforce development program management for the U.S. territory. 

Natnapin “Nat” Tangpipith emerged quickly as a civil engineer. She worked with several public agencies around New York City, specializing in bridge rehabilitation. But as she moved up the ladder, her career interests evolved. “I was sent out to public events to represent the company as well as interface with clients, and I enjoyed that more than pure technical aspect,” she says.

Peiyan “Pearl” Yu’s startup, NanBoOne New Media Studio, was nearly an overnight success. She and some classmates at Nanjing University in China had an idea to broadcast university events online, such as graduations. They purchased equipment and started streaming. Within a year, an investor bought their company and retained them, and the company quickly grew. By the time Yu left for the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, the company spanned more than 10 universities in Nanjing and Shanghai.

Brandon Lucas was the kid who tinkered around the house, trying to fix or build something to see how things worked. It was a Java class in high school that sparked his interest in computer science. But when he started at the University of Maryland, he recognized that his interest in people and leadership could open more opportunities. So he decided to focus on information systems and management at the Robert H. Smith School of Business.