UMSSW's PhD Program

Earlier this month, we featured doctoral students Jihyeong Jeong and Meng-Hsuan Yu in our efforts to support international PhD students. Because of alums and friends like you, I am thrilled to announce the $5,000 match is completed. 

The videos below were recorded before we reached this goal. However, I wanted to share more insight from our students about how our PhD Program supports international students. Your giving directly impacts their experience. I am so grateful for your support! 

If you were unable to make a gift, there is still time to do so! The campaign ends tonight! While the match is over, the needs of our students still exist.

Warm regards,

Bethany R. Lee
Professor & Director, PhD and Postdoctoral Programs

Throughout the month of March, we have raised $8,714, or 87% of our goal to support international students at the University of Maryland School of Social Work PhD Program. We are so grateful to the 40+ donors who have already contributed to this campaign. I am so proud that 35% of these donors are alumni like you! Our current students are so encouraged by gifts from individuals who know first-hand the challenges of living on the PhD student stipend. They are grateful to those donors who give in honor of international PhD students.

These past few weeks, you met Nikita Aggarwal, Meng-Hsuan Yu, and Jihyeong Jeong, three students in our program who shared how your giving can impact international students like them. Your donation will go directly towards supporting students – from removing financial barriers for them to apply to our program, providing household amenities as they settle into a new country, and funding writing assistance and peer-led socialization and networking activities.

As the Director of the PhD Program, I see firsthand how urgent these needs are – that is why I am offering a matching fund to double the impact of your gift. From my own doctoral student experience learning alongside 7 international students in my cohort, I recognize the value that our international students offer as well as the sacrifices they make to study here. As National Social Work Month comes to a close, I ask you to help us reach our fundraising goal by March 31st. Your tax-deductible contribution will directly support international PhD students like Nikita, Meng-Hsuan, and Jihyeong.

Thank you so much for considering this opportunity to partner with us in supporting our students!

Sincerely,

Bethany R. Lee
Professor & Director, PhD and Postdoctoral Programs

Meng-Hsuan Yu (she/her) is a student from Taiwan who started the PhD Program at the University of Maryland School of Social Work in the Fall of 2022. Her research interests are in child welfare and child protective services.

For many international doctoral students, earning their degree in a foreign country can be deeply challenging – not just as they settle in, but also as they navigate their academic career in a second language, or fund travel for conferences that provide critical academic and networking opportunities.

Please support students like Meng-Hsuan by making a gift today. We are so close to reaching our goal - there are still $1,068 in matching funds available! Your gift will be matched, dollar for dollar, until matching funds are exhausted.

“Grammarly is very helpful for students whose first language is not English. Travel support would also be helpful and welcome. As for mentorship, it means a lot for an international student to find someone in your area or who shares similar cultural background with you. Also, I received much help and support from second-year and advanced students, especially those with international backgrounds.”

-Meng-Hsuan Yu
PhD Student, 2022 Cohort

By making a gift today, you provide important resources that help students navigate the unique challenges they face as international students. Please consider making a contribution today. 

This month, the PhD Program is having a fundraising campaign to support international doctoral students. Each week, we will send you an email that shares how your support makes a critical impact on international students in the Program.

Jihyeong Jeong (she/her) started the PhD program at the University of Maryland School of Social Work this past Fall. Her research interests focus on the well-being among older adults with disabilities.

Moving to the US from South Korea was an exciting and challenging experience for Jihyeong. She looked forward to adapting to a new social and academic culture and building relationships with people from diverse backgrounds. By researching UMB’s website, Jihyeong was able to find housing in Baltimore City. She also received critical essential necessities from the PhD Program, which helped her as she settled into her new apartment.

We are so grateful for everyone who has supported international doctoral students. We are increasing our goal to $10,000 because we still have over $2,000 left in matching funds! Your gift will be matched, dollar for dollar, until matching funds are exhausted, and will help us meet our goal. Please support international PhD students like Jihyeong by making a gift today. Please support students like Jihyeong by making a gift today.

“The UMSSW provided me with essential daily necessities in advance, which has been tremendously helpful. Without this support, I would have faced challenges in locating and learning how to use the necessary items from the first day I arrived. Additionally, transporting these items to my housing would have presented a significant difficulty. Overall, the provision of these necessities by the UMSSW has made my transition to a new environment much smoother and less stressful.”

- Jihyeong Jeong PhD Student, 2022 Cohort

By supporting this campaign, you provide critical funds that help UMSSW and the PhD Program support international students, including housing assistance, essential amenities, and academic support. 

This month, the PhD Program is having a fundraising campaign to support international doctoral students. Each week, we will send you an email that shares how your support makes a critical impact on international students in the Program.

Nikita Aggarwal (she/her) started the PhD program at the University of Maryland School of Social Work in August 2020. She is interested in researching how work-related and migration-related factors can affect mental health outcomes among immigrant workers, and how these mental health outcomes can contribute to risky behavioral health outcomes prevalent in this population.

When Nikita arrived in the US from India, the first few weeks were lonely and difficult. Doing essential tasks, like searching for grocery stores, finding new routes, and setting up a bank account, felt like big achievements. Although Baltimore soon started feeling like home, the first few weeks were lonely and difficult.

Gifts to support international PhD students are being matched dollar for dollar up to $5,000, doubling your impact. Please consider making a gift to support international PhD students today.

“My rent took more than half of my stipend and I was left with almost no monthly savings. Although I was getting housing scholarship, it wasn’t enough to help me sustain in such an expensive city, as a student. Coming from India, the prices here were a bit of a shocker and I had to be mindful of what I am buying and from where in order to not overspend in my first few weeks. There were days when I would not know about how much an item should cost and would accidentally spend more on it, which in turn would disrupt my monthly expenditure.”

-  Nikita Aggarwal PhD Student, 2020 Cohort

Your gift will help provide meaningful ways for the PhD Program to support international students like Nikita, including housing assistance, providing essential amenities after move-in, and academic support.

In honor of this important month, UMSSW is launching their 10th Annual All Gifts Count Campaign. This year, the PhD Program has designed a special fundraising campaign to support international doctoral students, and we need your help!

Your support will be so impactful for international students, most (if not all) of whom do not have family or friends in the area to help or support them as they settle into Baltimore. Your contribution will support international PhD students in different ways, including housing assistance, essential amenities after move-in, and academic support.

This National Social Work Month, please consider making a contribution to support international PhD students.

As Director of the PhD Program, I see firsthand how urgently international students need support. Our goal is to raise $5,000 for international student support. I am also offering a matching fund that will match all gifts, dollar for dollar, up to $5,000 to support international PhD students. With this match, your donation to this fund will go twice as far towards supporting international students.

In the coming month, we will feature international PhD students who will share their experience. Please keep an eye out for emails that will be coming to your inbox this month, and see why this campaign will be impactful for both our current and future international students.

On behalf of the PhD Program, thank you so much for considering this request.

Sincerely,       

Bethany R. Lee, PhD
Professor & Director, PhD & Postdoctoral Programs 

PS – On March 10th, UMSSW is celebrating Homecoming with keynote speaker Dr. Anthony Estreet (the new CEO of the NASW) and an alumni panel, which will include our program alum Dr. Colby Peters, PhD ’17, MSW ’10. Click here to learn more about Homecoming.