Morgan Bailey is a junior at University of Maryland majoring in communication on a public advocacy track minoring in technology entrepreneurship. She is from Prince George's County and came to UMD to be close to home. Throughout high school, she had various experiences with public speaking including being president of her senior class, speaking at her graduation, and other public events! She wanted to become a peer consultant because she loves helping others build their confidence to do all things. Being able to tutor in public speaking is a valuable skill to have and can help individuals in many ways. Morgan enjoys going to the beach, reading her bible and traveling while also posting on her Youtube channel showcasing her day to day life!
Chelsea Boyer is a senior studying communication on a political communication and public advocacy track with a minor in public leadership. She is also from Pittsburgh, PA, and transferred to UMD in the Spring of 2023. Outside of being a peer consultant, she is involved in various organizations on campus including SGA, Terps Raising pups, and Phi Alpha Delta. She loves meeting new people and challenging herself by getting outside of her comfort zone. She wanted to become more involved with the communication department while also helping fellow students with their public speaking skills, which led her to the OCC!
Scilla is a senior from Montgomery, New York majoring in communication. She also has an associate degree in business. She enjoys working out, hanging with friends, and traveling in her free time. She was never comfortable speaking in front of large audiences so she enjoys comforting others who also struggle. She loves taking on challenges outside her comfort zone while working with others. Scilla is excited to work at the OCC and meet new people!
Sam is a sophomore communication major on the digital and media track from Northern NJ. Outside of classes, she is involved in Greek life and works as a photographer for The Diamondback. In her free time, you can find Sam journaling, reading, spending time outside, or watching movies with her friends. She is excited to work as a peer consultant to have a non-traditional learning experience, connect with and help people, and strengthen her own public speaking skills.
Nicole is a junior from Westchester, New York, studying communication on the media and digital track. She transferred from the George Washington University to the University of Maryland. In her free time, she enjoys going on nature walks, cooking, listening to music, and spending time with friends. On campus, Nicole is a part of the Women's Network Club, specifically on the marketing committee. She is also a part of Greek Life and loves having a close-knit community at such a large school. Nicole wanted to become a peer consultant to help students improve their public speaking skills. She has always had a passion for public speaking and was excited to join the OCC as a tutor. Nicole is always open to assisting with presentations and speeches and looks forward to helping students boost their confidence!
Gabby is a senior from Baltimore County, Maryland, majoring in communication with a concentration in public relations. After graduation, she plans to pursue a master’s degree in public relations and corporate communications. In high school, Gabby held leadership roles such as president of the National Honor Society and vice president of the Sports Media Club. During college, she interned with the Washington Nationals for two seasons, gaining valuable experience in the PR industry. Outside of academics, Gabby enjoys going to the beach, hanging out with friends, and meeting new people. Her love for connecting with others led her to the OCC, where she looks forward to helping students overcome their fears and anxieties about public speaking. She can't wait to meet you all!
Raquel is a junior communication major on the public relations track, from Montgomery County, Maryland. Outside of classes, Raquel loves hanging out with her friends, spending time with animals, especially her two cats and can never resist doing some arts and crafts. She loves connecting with people and building relationships. After taking COMM107 she realized how many people struggle with public speaking, and remembers how much going to the OCC helped her group for their final. She hopes that working with the OCC she can help people feel more comfortable talking in front of audiences. She is excited to be a part of the team this year and plans to do as much as she can to support her peers and the OCC!
Kyle is currently a senior communication major on the general communication track from Clarksburg, Maryland. This will be his second semester working as a consultant with the OCC. In his free time he enjoys spending time with friends on campus, working out, and is a member of the club golf team. Kyle has always enjoyed public speaking and felt that it was a strong skill set for him. He looks forward to helping others at the OCC this semester and learning from his peers at the same time.
Natalie is a general communication major from PG County, MD. She is passionate about connecting and helping others. Outside of academics, Natalie finds joy in music and spending quality time with her friends. She didn't have much of an interest in public speaking until she enrolled in COMM107, where she discovered her deep love for it. Through her experiences in customer service, she discovered satisfaction in helping others, fueling her commitment to making a positive impact.
Roya is a senior communication major on the media and digital communication track and a general business minor. Roya is the executive assistant to the chief development officer of EL&N Cafe in London and a student worker at the Law and Society Minor Office. In her free time, Roya loves traveling and spending time with her friends. This will be Roya’s second semester as a consultant and she is very excited to work in the OCC as a mentor and help others feel more confident in their communication skills. She tutored in high school and worked closely with peers. She has held all school assemblies in high school and is comfortable with public speaking. Roya looks forward to meeting with you!
Dani Goldstein is a senior communication major at the University of Maryland. Originally from Monroe Township, New Jersey, Dani chose UMD for its proximity to Washington, D.C., and to follow in her father’s footsteps. In addition to being a peer consultant, she is an ARHU ambassador and a member of Alpha Phi International Fraternity. Outside of the University of Maryland, Dani has interned at the fashion and lifestyle brand Sam Edelman and hopes to pursue a career in public relations, sales, or corporate fashion. Dani loves being a part of the OCC and is excited for her last year at UMD!
Nikki is a senior studying communication on a public relations track. Her passion for public speaking started in high school when she delivered her graduation speech. Despite her self doubt and nerves, she learned how to find her confidence and speaking style through the process of planning, rewriting and practicing. Nikki has been tutoring at the OCC since she was a sophomore, and has had the opportunity to share her advice she's gained over the years in her campus roles like peer mentoring, giving campus tours and representing the College of Arts and Humanities at school events. Nikki is so excited to be back at the OCC to help her consultants with speeches ranging from COMM107 assignments to job interviews and everything in between!
Josh is a senior from Crofton, Maryland, studying communication. His main passions are sports and nature. In his free time, he enjoys working out, watching sports, and exploring nature. Josh was intimidated by public speaking, but with lots of practice has improved his skills and is looking forward to helping others and continuing to grow during this semester in the OCC.
Brandon is a senior communication major on the public relations track who is graduating this fall. He has always had a passion for teaching and tutoring and tutored at the Immigration Outreach Service Center in Loch Raven for two years. He has been a part of the OCC for two years and has taken on a leadership and advisory role the last three semesters. Brandon helps guide mentors through the relationships with their mentees and helps them continue to grow as consultants as well.
Ryan has had a unique college journey going from Towson University, to trade school, to Montgomery College, and finally UMD. He is a senior majoring in communication on the media and digital track. Initially, Ryan was never too excited to speak in front of an audience. That all changed after he took his first public speaking class at Towson and realized that he actually enjoyed it. He hopes to help people who may be in a similar situation that he was once in. For trade school, he studied audio engineering and works at a recording studio in his free time. He loves music, watching sports and TV shows, and hanging out with friends. He looks forward to meeting and helping those who come by the OCC!
Julianna is a senior from Harford County, Maryland, majoring in communication. She is interested in human resources and plans to seek out her master's degree after she graduates. With a strong foundation in tutoring and communication, Julianna strives to bring compassion and empathy into her practices. She is passionate about communication being the key to personal and professional success. Julianna is committed to fostering a supportive consultant-client relationship where you feel seen and heard in every aspect. She enjoys spending time with her loved ones, hiking, and attending concerts in her free time. She looks forward to working closely with you at the OCC to achieve your goals and strengthen your confidence!
Martha Kaestner is a senior communication major on the public relations track. This is her 5th semester being a tutor! She enjoys giving presentations in class and is eager to share some tips and tricks she uses when public speaking. She is in Greek life at UMD and is a member of Tri Delta. She enjoys traveling and spending time with friends and family. Last spring she spent the semester studying abroad in Florence, Italy and loved it. With her time there, she traveled to over 10 countries and 25 cities! Some of her favorite places she visited include Italy, Greece, and Morocco! Something fun she did this summer was she swam with sharks in Hawaii!
Hope is a junior communication major on the public relations track with a creative writing minor from Pittsburgh, PA. Hope's whole family has attended the University of Maryland so she is a proud Terp. In addition to working at the OCC and studying public relations, Hope loves writing poetry and fiction in her free time. Since her 8th grade English class, Hope has loved public speaking and is excited to provide her knowledge with other students! Hope strives to increase both confidence and consistency in other students when it comes to public speaking.
Hannah is a senior from Queen Anne’s County, Maryland. She is majoring in communication, specifically on the media and digital track and minoring in history. She came to UMD undecided in her academic path, but thoroughly enjoyed taking COMM107, which ultimately led her to becoming a communication major. She enjoys coursework that involves collaboration with peers, which is one of the main reasons she decided to become a tutor at the OCC. Outside of her academics, Hannah is a member of a PHA sorority where she currently serves on the executive board as vice president of marketing, is in her 4th year volunteering with Terp Thon, plays several intramural sports, and holds membership in a variety of academic honor societies, including vice president of communications for Mortar Board Society. In her free time, she enjoys watching/going to sporting events and spending time with her friends! Hannah looks forward to working with her fellow UMD students at the OCC!
Katelynn is a senior in digital and media communication. She moved to Maryland from Vietnam in 2017. Before attending UMD, she earned an associate degree in communication at Howard Community College. An interesting fact about her is that she was inspired by a communication liaison character on the TV show Criminal Minds to study communication, even though she has no desire to work for the FBI. However, it wasn't until she took public speaking classes that her passion for public speaking developed. In her free time, Katelynn enjoys watching crime shows and listening to true crime podcasts while also managing content creation and editing for her YouTube channel. Katelynn has been a part of the OCC for two semesters, where she enjoys assisting other students in overcoming their fear of public speaking.
Arianna is a senior majoring in communication on the PR track, Ari is from Silver Spring, Maryland and discovered her passion for public speaking during her high school years, where she actively participated in Model UN and enjoyed giving presentations. It was there that she first discovered her skills in engaging audiences and creating original presentations. Arianna enjoys the creative aspect of presentations, where she can design visually appealing and informative slides that enhance her delivery. Now, as a peer consultant, Arianna is excited to share her expertise with fellow students. She believes that the ability to captivate and maintain an audience's attention is a valuable skill in today's professional landscape. Her dedication to helping others develop their own presentation skills is a testament to her commitment to personal and professional growth. Beyond her academic pursuits, Arianna enjoys watching movies, exploring museums, and attending concerts.
Although Ryan has previous experience in tutoring, this is his first year tutoring and mentoring public speaking. What made him choose the OCC was the fact that he loves to help others. As a communication major with a digital and media track, the OCC seemed like an ideal choice to combine his experience and interest in helping others.
Melina is a senior from Newport Beach, California. She is double majoring in communication and criminology / criminal justice. She is planning on going to law school and is hoping to become an attorney. She loves tutoring and public speaking, which drew her to the OCC to be able to help others grow and be confident in their public speaking. In addition to the OCC, Melina has been tutoring students of all ages for about 6 years. She is also very involved on and off-campus, where she holds many leadership roles. Melina is looking forward to working closely with her peers and helping others enjoy public speaking as much as she does!
Linda is a senior media and digital communication major who is also pursuing a general business minor. In her free time, Linda enjoys going on runs and hanging out with her friends. Linda first heard of the OCC when she was a freshman taking COMM107 and had intense anxiety presenting in front of large groups of people. She is now a peer consultant because she has overcome her anxiety when presenting and she wants to share the same help she received from the OCC.
Jack is a senior media and digital communication major. He is from Westchester County, New York. He loves playing and watching sports, and hopes to one day work in sports. Jack has been with the OCC for a semester, and loves helping kids enjoy public speaking. This past summer Jack had an internship with Major League Baseball and got to learn more about public speaking in the corporate context. Jack is willing to talk about anything, and has tons of different interests which allows him to have a great conversation with anyone. Lastly, Jack recognizes how important the ability to communicate is, and tries to put himself in different situations in order to learn more about himself and the other people he is surrounded by.
Lauren is a sophomore from Westchester, New York pursuing a major in finance. Lauren has been passionate about helping others reach their truest potential since she began tutoring through her high school in freshman year. She is also involved in other on campus activities such as Carillon Communities and multiple clubs. Aside from public speaking, she enjoys listening to music and being around friends/family. Through her love of spending time with others, Lauren hopes to work with the OCC to help her peers in order to promote well-equipped speakers. She believes that it is crucial for every individual to be able to communicate their ideas with confidence and ease, which she hopes to be able to instill in others.
Wendy is a junior from Long Island, New York. She is a theatre and communication double major at the University of Maryland. She enjoys performing in plays and musicals. She hopes to use her theatrical background to allow her to help others in the OCC. Outside of the OCC, Wendy is the president of The Muses, UMD’s all-female-led theatre troupe. Before her position as president, she was the group’s social media coordinator and ran their Instagram account. She also enjoys coffee, working out, and traveling. Wendy can’t wait to help others feel more comfortable speaking in front of an audience and hopes her experience in the OCC will help her improve upon her performance skills!
Mary Sarkis is a senior majoring in communication with a concentration in political communication and public advocacy, and a minor in public leadership. She is from Norwell, Massachusetts. She is a part of several organizations on-campus including Phi Alpha Delta, Gamma Phi Beta, and the Undergraduate Communication Association. Outside of College Park, Mary loves to travel and spend time by the water in Massachusetts with her family. Mary has always loved public speaking and enjoys sharing her enthusiasm with others. She strives to use her position at the OCC to help others overcome their public speaking fears and succeed in their presentations.
Lucy Schneider is a sophomore from Cincinnati, Ohio. Lucy is majoring in communication and minoring in nonprofit leadership and social innovation. Along with the Oral Communication Club, Lucy is involved in The Jewish Student Union on campus and works for Maryland Hillel as a development and fundraising intern. Lucy has loved the spotlight since she began singing at a young age and developed a passion for public speaking in high school. She loves to share her love for speaking with those around her. She has been involved in many public speaking opportunities, such as a TedEx Talk for her high school, tour guide, and public speaker for her local Holocaust museum. Lucy believes that public speaking is one of the most significant skills, making one appear confident and knowledgeable. In her free time, Lucy enjoys playing/watching sports, cooking, singing, playing with her dogs, and hanging out with her friends.
Reece was naturally introverted, if he could text all the time he would. However, Reece realized that public speaking had more benefits if he could master it and although he’s not a master at it, right now, he feels confident and comfortable. He knows that public speaking can be scary but as his parents say “close mouths don’t get fed”.
Lily is a senior from Thornwood, New York, majoring in communication on the digital and media track. She loves working at the OCC because it is the perfect place to advance her communication and public speaking skills while helping people on campus. Lily is a proud member of Terp Thon - she is the participant relations chair on the executive board and loves to help raise funds for Children's National Hospital. Outside of classes, Lily loves to cook and bake, go to Terps sporting events, and play board games with her friends. This is her second semester as a consultant for the OCC and she is excited to help mentor the new tutors!
Thomas Vlahos is a senior from Montgomery County, Maryland who is majoring in communication. He is from Greek descent and is passionate about his Greek culture and is even a part of the Greek Heritage Society here at UMD! Every summer he travels to Lefkada, Greece where his family has a house. In his free time, he likes to spend time with his friends, watch his favorite TV show which is Modern Family and has a passion to travel and explore new places. Thomas is also very talkative, sociable and outgoing as well as having a passion for wanting to help others. Thomas became inspired to become a communication major by realizing his passion for communicating with others and his passion for public speaking. This semester, he is looking forward to working at the OCC, helping others with their speaking skills, as well as working with the other tutors.
Ariana Wright is a dedicated and enthusiastic college student pursuing a B.S. in digital and media communication, with an expected graduation date of May 2025. With a strong foundation in social media marketing and advanced communication skills, she is driven to make a significant impact in dynamic roles within her field. Ariana’s exceptional time management and adaptability enables her to thrive in fast-paced environments. Her interest in becoming a peer consultant stems from a passion for helping others develop their presentational skills and effectively communicate their ideas. She looks forward to contributing positively and supporting her fellow students in their academic and professional endeavors.