Kate Martell

When my husband and I, along with our four children, moved from Germany to Montgomery County, I immediately started researching nearby universities that would allow me to fulfill my career goal of getting my masters in social work (MSW). I knew that balancing being a mom of four young children while also supporting my husband who is an active duty soldier and somehow trying to go back to school would be tough to juggle. Through my research, I found out that the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) had a MSW program, and that it was also offered at a location in Montgomery County called the Universities at Shady Grove (USG). I felt like the universe was telling me this was my time to finally pursue my master’s degree 14 years after receiving my bachelor’s.

Getting my degree at UMB at USG has been better than I could have anticipated. I have really enjoyed the smaller class sizes that have allowed me to get to know my classmates better as well as more personalized instruction from our professors. At USG, there is a strong sense of community where you truly feel that everyone is working towards one common goal. But best of all, is that since USG is so close to my home, it has allowed me to spend more time with my children rather than having to make a long commute to Baltimore.

After graduation, I plan to work with military families in the social work field and eventually move into doing forensic social work later down the road. I have no doubt that the education I have received through UMB at USG has prepared me well to pursue and achieve this life-long goal.