---
title: Alumni Association News
date: 2024-05-17T16:12:00-04:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://terp.umd.edu/alumni-association-news-20"
section: Articles
---
# Alumni Association News

*May 17, 2024* — by [Alumni Association Staff](/authors/alumni-association-staff)


- *Photos courtesy of UMD Alumni Association*

*volunteers hold bags*

### Letter From the Executive Director


*Amy Eichorst headshot*


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### Terps ‘Do Good’ on Campus and Beyond


*group wears red "Fearless" shirts*


**UMD Volunteers Uplift Others—and Raise Their Own Spirits**

Whether protecting endangered species off the coast of Florida, supporting young mothers without housing in Washington, D.C., or mentoring young Terps starting their careers, University of Maryland alums step up to serve their communities. Meet five who say they get a lot out of giving back:

It took just one night sleeping on the streets in Washington, D.C. to spur **TESSA EDISON ’99** to launch a nonprofit. Though her time on New York Avenue was by choice—raising money with friends for Covenant House, which serves youths experiencing homelessness—the experience opened her eyes to the significant gaps in housing services.

She created Building London Bridges in honor of her late mother, naming it after the street where she lived. It aims to expand transitional housing in underserved communities and offers support services, including education and job skills programs, especially for young moms.

She urges Terps to follow her lead: “What problems in society bother you? That’s where you should volunteer. Follow your heart.”

—

To **BARBARA FRIEDLANDER ’85**, doing good means “sharing my own career journey and creating excitement for the field of education.”  
  
That’s why she serves as the president of the UMD College of Education (COE) Alumni Network, where, during and post-COVID, she helped create networking, professional development and mentoring opportunities for teachers. She’s grateful for the doors that COE opened for her, including collaborations with faculty members that started when she was a student and continued into her career.

“Give back to those that provided you with opportunities,” she urges. “Join the Alumni Association and ask, ‘How can I help?’”

—


*woman with red M hat and dog*


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*To learn more about volunteering opportunities through the UMD Alumni Association visit [go.umd.edu/alum-volunteers](http://alumni.umd.edu/volunteer/volunteer-opportunities)*




**Issue:** [Spring 2024](https://terp.umd.edu/editions/spring-2024)


**Types:** [Post-Grad](https://terp.umd.edu/category/post-grad)