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About Us

Background 

Adele's Circle of Women is founded on the legacy and visionary contributions of Adele H. Stamp, the first Dean of Women at the University of Maryland. Created in 2013, we are a dedicated group of women graduates who combine their energy and expertise to achieve maximum success in their personal and professional lives. We honor Adele by emulating her excellence, high standards, and outstanding traditions.

Adele's Circle GroupAdele's Circle Meet & Greet  

Bios

 

Adele's Circle of Women

Raaheela Ahmed '15

Raaheela Ahmed is the elected representative for the Prince George's County Board of Education, District 5, representing over 80,000 people in the Bowie, Upper Marlboro and Mitchellville areas. Raaheela earned a B.S. in Finance and B.A. in Economics from the University of Maryland, College Park, as well as numerous awards for her leadership and public service. As a board member, Raaheela has been a vocal and active advocate for the community and is excited to share her skills and insights with the women of Adele’s Circle. As a young, first generation, head-covering Muslim woman of Indian and Pakistani descent, Raaheela has broken stereotypes and expectations across the board of what it means to be a service leader and wants to set an example for young women everywhere.

Jenna Aidikoff

Jenna Aidikoff '09

Oldest of three girls. Proud Terp! Engineering major - Leadership Studies minor. IT Consultant by day, non-profit director of LiveUp Programs by lunch-hour and after-hour. Down syndrome advocate and sibling. Proud daughter, ebullient wanderluster, foodie (love to create as well as enjoy other's creations), yogi, sister, friend. "Where's your smile?"

Adele's Circle of WomenJaviera (Javi) Alarcon '06 and '12

Javi Alarcon is a two-time graduate of the University of Maryland, with a Bachelors of Science in Government & Politics and Criminology & Criminal Justice, and a Masters in International Relations & Comparative Politics. She currently works as an Executive Assistant at the New Orleans Workers' Center for Racial Justice / National Guestworker Alliance. Javi believes that UMD is a community that values education and nurtures the future and that the advancement of women is essential to more prosperity and healthy communities.

Tiki AyikuTiki Ayiku '05

Is a native Pittsburgher (GO STEELERS!), transplanted to the D.C. area as a child. She proudly serves at the Director of Educational Programs at NASPA. Proud alumna of Morgan State University and the University of Maryland! Enjoys backing, salsa/Cuban style dancing, spending time with the people of her heart, and cheering her teams on to victory.

Tara Benedetti

Tara Benedetti '06

Loving wife. English Bulldog owner. Daughter, sister, friend & seeker of faith. Studied at Harvard Law & UMCP. Recovering lawyer and pursuer of happiness. Entrepreneurial and independent professional. Committed to technologies advancing higher education. Enjoy travel, history, and the arts. Believe in having it all, but not all at once.

Adrian BittonAdrian Bitton

Currently serves as the Associate Director for Citizen Leadership and Service Learning at Longwood University. She received her Bachelor's degree in leadership studies and rhetoric and communication studies from the University of Richmond and her Master's degree in student affairs from the University of Maryland. In her spare time, Adrian loves traveling and exploring new cultures, is an avid foodie, and enjoys going to concerts and reading.

Adele's Circle of Women

Angela Lagdameo Cabellon '02

Angela is the Director of Policy and Planning at Maryland's Department of Human Resources. Cabellon earned her MPP from Harvard Kennedy School and BA from University of Maryland with Phi Beta Kappa, ODK, Honors distinction, and elected Student Body President. She is a Teach for America alumnus and current U.S. Business Director for Teach for the Philippines.

Cathy Campbell

Cathy Campbell '84 and '91

Alpha Xi Delta, Panhellenic, ODK'er, 2006 Distinguished Alumni, Merrill School of Journalism double grad. Los Angeles Terp Alumni Chapter member. Celebrating 27-year Terp marriage, proud mother of two boys (oldest a 3rd generation Terp -- recent grad from the Smith School of Business!). Passionate about women leadership in business and the difference we make for generations to come. Also work tirelessly for children suffering with mitochondrial disease.

Adele's Circle of Women

Jo Ann Chin '75

Jo Ann Chin graduated in 1975 with a B.S. in Consumer Economics. She is now retired from the Federal Government, having started with the Department of the Army, then the Federal Trade Commission, Department of the Treasury, and ending with the Department of Homeland Security. The University of Maryland is an important part of her life, as her entire family attended Maryland, either as undergraduates or as a graduate. She enjoys volunteering at UMD, and attending UMD sporting events. Jo Ann believe that everyone should be given a great education, but especially women because they’re still economically behind men in the business world.

Pam Eichenbaum

Pam Eichenbaum '11

Pam Eichenbaum received her masters in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Maryland and has gone on to have a successful career, now finding herself as a Business Development Associate at Innovation Works. Pam is so pleased to be a founding member of Adele's Circle and continue to be thrilled to support opportunities to lift young women on campus as they grow personally and professionally. She enjoyed her time at UMD and the many opportunities and support systems for all types of students on campus.

Remy Gomes

Remy Shaffer Gomes '00

Middle of three girls, wife, mother, and native Texan. Happiest with feet in the sand and book in hand. Faith, hope, and love are guiding principles. Proud of my heritage and count my family (immediate and extended) as my greatest blessing. Lifelong learner. Believe in the power of education to transform lives.

Adele's Circle of Women

Melissa Kallas '10

Melissa Kallas is currently using her Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Bachelor of Science in Supply Chain Management in her current position as a Multi-Functional Financial Analyst Staff at Lockheed Martin. Melissa called The University of Maryland “home” for four years and saw it as a place of great growth. Much of that growth was the result of interpersonal relationships with fellow students and alumni and she knows that she wouldn't be where she is today without those conversations, background knowledge, and experiences, so she’s excited to pass that on to new generations of Maryland women.

Adele's Circle of Women

Rebecca Ziones Kenemuth '02 and '14

Becky is a two-time Terp, first earning her B.A. in Hearing and Speech Sciences and then her M.A. in Counseling and Personnel Services - College Student Personnel. She currently works for the A. James Clark School of Engineering as the Assistant Director of Outreach and Recruitment for the Women in Engineering Program. The University of Maryland has been her home and community for the past 20 years! What is most special to her about campus is the people - the staff, faculty, and students have shaped her educational and professional journey. She’s grateful for the many strong and thoughtful individuals who have supported and mentored her along the way. For Becky, the greatest way to empower other women is by supporting one and other. After all, together we will "shine" greater than each of us could individually. It's her mission (professional and personal) to help young women understand the significance of women supporting women and how that our combined efforts can change the culture for girls and women in the future.

Adele's Circle of Women

Pooja Khurana

Bio coming soon.

Chandni Kumar

Chandni Kumar

Chandni Kumar currently serves as an attorney in the Overseas Citizen Services office of the U.S. Department of State. She was previously appointed to the U.S. Foreign Service and served as a diplomat overseas before returning domestically in 2014. She has worked previously as a Hill staffer (Congressman Xavier Becerra), an Assistant State's Attorney in Montgomery County, and as a private litigation attorney. Her interests outside of work include travel (Fes and Leh are two favorite places), middle eastern dance, and spending time with her husband and twin boys. She earned her J.D., cum laude, at American University in 2004. Ms. Kumar is a proud Terp, having earned her B.A. in Government and Politics, as well as a Certificate Degree in Women's Studies, from University of Maryland in 2000.

Adele's Circle of Women

Gee Lindberg

Bio coming soon.

Adele's Circle of Women

Cate Luzio

Bio coming soon.

Adele's Circle of Women

Rianna Murray '13 and '19

Rianna Murray is a current graduate student, working towards her PhD in Toxicology and Environmental Health. She previously earned a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Environmental Health Sciences in 2013. For Rianna, the University of Maryland truly represents a home away from home. It has helped to shape her into the woman that she is today, helped me to build her confidence, and has provided her with numerous opportunities, not only academically, but also for self growth and to serve others. The University of Maryland is also the place where she made friends, without whom it would have been impossible to survive graduate school, and who she knows will remain her lifelong friends! Rianna truly believes in the saying, “the Future is Female!” Empowering and educating younger Maryland women will translate into more women in positions of power, more women leaders, more women educators, more women in politics, more women entrepreneurs and business owners, and more women who believe that they can do anything that they set their minds to. Additionally, empowering and educating this generation of young women will allow them to pass on these skills and values to their future daughters.

Adele's Circle of Women

Amanda Pleasant '12

Amanda Pleasant graduated from the University of Maryland in 2012 with a B.A. in Government and Politics and a minor in Spanish Language and Culture. She is currently working as a Program Officer on the Elections team at the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in Washington, DC, where she has supported election observation programs and civil society organizations in Armenia, Georgia, Ghana, Liberia, Nepal, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe. For her, the University of Maryland is one place that feels like home; the sense of community there doesn't just go away when you've graduated. Empowering and educating younger women at Maryland is extremely important to cultivating a global network of confident women who have the tools, skills, and belief to further impact the world around them.

Emily Schweich

Emily Schweich '16

Emily Schweich graduated from the University of Maryland in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism, a certificate in Women's Studies, and a minor in Vocal Music Performance. She currently works as a communications associate for America's Essential Hospitals, a trade association that represents hospitals serving low-income and underserved populations. Emily is very proud to be a Maryland alum, and treasures the empowering and challenging experiences she had studying in the women's studies department. Through Adele's Circle, she hopes to put those principles of equity, diversity, and empowerment into practice by supporting women and nonbinary college students in their personal and professional journeys.

Adele's Circle of Women

Naseema Shafi

Bio coming soon.

Adele's Circle of Women

Raakhee Sharma

Bio coming soon.

Marsha

Dr. Marsha Guenzler-Stevens PhD ‘93

You may recognize Dr. Marsha Guenzler Stevens, as she is the Director of the Adele H. Stamp Student Union - Center for Campus Life at the University of Maryland. The University of Maryland is home to Marsha. Like a family home -- it is full of people that you admire, who inspire you, who perplex you, and who teach you valuable lessons of life. It is replete with shared stories and memories. It is a place that compels us all to learn and to serve -- while we are students on the campus and as we emerge into the community and world. Marsha said that she has been mentored and nurtured by women her whole life -- mothers, grandmothers, sisters, friends, teachers, professors, and students. She always feel like she needs to pay their investment forward and to remind young women that we are not perfect - but we are brave and strong.

Adele's Circle of Women

Tessa Trach

Bio coming soon.

Adele's Circle of Women

Samantha Waldenburg

Bio coming soon.

Adele's Circle of Women

Dorothy Weinstein

Bio coming soon.

Adele's Circle of Women

Terry Zacker

Bio coming soon.

Contact Us

For more information on the Adele’s Circle of Women, contact adelescircleofwomen@umd.edu. You can also find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

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