Class: May 2023

Hometown: Hyattsville, MD

Major: Accounting

Why I decided to enroll at the University of Maryland:  I've lived in the Hyattsville-College Park area most of my life, and so I've always been around the University of Maryland. I'm used to the area, and since it is so close, it would just be an extension of my home. UMD is also a renowned school. Put together those two factors and the best option when it came time to choose was UMD.

Why I chose business:  I figured out that I wanted to study accounting as my major because I am interested in money and business. Growing up, I was always interested in money. Keeping track of it, budgeting, and watching it grow has always fascinated me. While in school, I gravitated toward math more than the other subjects. So I decided to combine the two and pursue accounting.

Activities I do outside of class:  At the moment, the majority of my time is spent either at school or at my job. But, I plan to get involved with different student organizations across campus pretty soon so that I can broaden my view and gain different experiences. The main organizations that have caught my eye were the Archery Club and the Smith Finance Group.

Honors and awards I have received at Maryland:  The main award that I have received was a scholarship from the university. This award was the President's Scholarship. I was also offered a place with the College Park Scholars.

After graduation, I plan to:  After graduation, I plan to work in a company using my degree in finance or accounting. But, I will also be working with the job I have now to help further and grow the company. In conjunction with those two things, I will be working to create my own business. I like to cook and so the main idea I have for a business is a restaurant/food truck.

Letter:

Dear Ms. Duong, Dr. Nguyen and Mr. Nguyen,

First and foremost, I would like to thank you for choosing to contribute to the scholarship program at the Robert H. Smith School of Business and the A. James Clark School of Engineering. With your contribution, I have received the Long Nguyen and Kimmy Duong Scholarship.

A little about me, I am an undergraduate freshman in the Robert H. Smith School of Business with accounting as my major. In my spare time, I like to read and to build things, such as DIY projects. Currently, I am employed as an assistant/helper to a carpenter.

Growing up, I've always been around business and business-minded people on account of my father owning his own business. Exposed to it at an early age, I became extremely interested in business. In high school, I narrowed that focus down to the money aspect of business as the field that interested me the most. During my time in high school, I was a member of Mu Alpha Theta, E-Force (the environmental club), and the National Honor Society, which I was president of during my senior year. I helped organize and lead a Service Week during my senior year in which we conducted a different community service project each day for a week. These included a blood drive, lunch packaging for the homeless, toiletry kits for kids in need and more.

During the next few years at UMD, I plan to get involved in some of the Smith School student clubs and learn more about the finance aspect of business. After earning my bachelor's degree, my goal is to eventually start my own business.

Thank you again for this scholarship contribution to the Robert H. Smith School of Business. I look forward to talking to you at the scholarship lunch.

Respectfully,

Darien Ghee