Rebekah Opher doesn鈥檛 stop moving.
Her journey to an undergraduate degree started more than two decades ago. While she faced different challenges on the way to this moment, she never wavered in her goals.
This May, Rebekah graduated with honors from The 极乐禁地. In her time here, she served several student organizations, held multiple jobs and volunteered hundreds of hours in the community.
Along with the traditional cap and gown, she proudly draped herself in the many stoles and cords that served as a visual representation of her continuous and widespread impact on this University. UBalt may not have been her first college, but it was the first she could call home.
鈥淚 went to a school that didn't really identify with me, didn't really reflect who I was,鈥� Rebekah said. 鈥淎nd then here I was at the 极乐禁地, and I found people with shared experiences, and I said, 鈥極K, these are my people, and they're going to help me succeed this time.鈥欌��
And here she plans to stay, as she continues her education with a master鈥檚 program and eventually law school.
Rebekah鈥檚 first foray into college started elsewhere, at age 19, when her parents dropped her off on that campus with $20 and some clothes.
While she had family that went to college, her parents had not, so she didn鈥檛 have the support system to navigate the new school and experience. She dropped out of her pre-med program despite knowing a college degree was still her target.
鈥淚鈥檝e been in school since I was 3 years old, and I love school. School is my happy place, and I never wanted it to end. So, it was a given that I was going to go into higher education,鈥� she said. ... 鈥淚 knew that I couldn't get anywhere without a college education, because I tried, and I was getting nowhere with dead-end jobs.鈥�
She decided to change her approach. Rebekah enrolled in classes at the Community College of 极乐禁地e County and thrived this time. She completed her associate degree in criminal justice and decided to attend UBalt to continue toward a bachelor鈥檚 degree.
Getting Involved
Now prepared with more college experience, Rebekah knew what she wanted out of her time at UBalt and knew the steps to take to get it.
First on her checklist: UBalt鈥檚 Student Engagement Fair. There she could learn about the various student organizations to join.
鈥淭here's an organization for nearly every interest,鈥� Rebekah said. 鈥淥nce you get involved, it becomes addictive, and then you realize how much more life there is to this campus.鈥�
The fair was Rebekah鈥檚 introduction to the Women of Color Student Association (WOCSA), a group she fondly calls her sisterhood and one she would eventually lead and help gain notoriety on campus. She also learned about the Helen P. Denit Honors Program, which helps students elevate their undergraduate experience through research opportunities, immersive courses and more.
Rebekah qualified to join the honors program and quickly saw the benefits through a course that included a global field experience to Belize over spring break 2023. A year later, she joined the
Merrick School of Business for a global field study in Morocco.
"Having the privilege of cultural immersion during global field studies excursions has helped me look at the world through various lenses,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hese trips helped to bridge the gap between academic instruction and practical experiences.鈥�
WOCSA and the honors program were the first of many. Over her years at UBalt, Rebekah also became a member of The National Society of Leadership and Success, History Club, Nonprofit Management and Social Entrepreneurship Student Organization, Omicron Delta Kappa, Phi Theta Kappa Alumni Chapter, Real Estate and Economic Development Association, and Thread Club.
In the classroom, Rebekah sought to learn as much as she could through the B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies program. This build-your-own-type major allowed her to expand her areas of study from one to three programs.
Rebekah chose to focus on Criminal Justice, Psychology and Business Administration with a Real Estate and Economic Development specialization, plus a history minor.
She knew it was a lot to take on but made her choice with specific intention.
Rebekah has long had a dream to start a nonprofit that would support foster care youth by placing children in safe homes in their community. As she researched and developed the initial concept for her idea鈥攁ptly named Aunt Beck鈥檚 Place鈥攕he learned there were existing organizations that complemented her concept, and she should pivot to support what鈥檚 already in motion.
鈥淪o, we're not reinventing the wheel, we're just strengthening and encouraging relationships,鈥� she said.
Rebekah felt the Interdisciplinary Studies major was a perfect way to learn what she needed and build her network to give her nonprofit a strong foundation.
Beyond the major, she found more academic opportunities that supported her mission. As a fellow in the , she interned with Pennsylvania Avenue Main Street and learned how that neighborhood organization implements partnerships and raises support. Training in the , available in partnership with UBalt鈥檚 College of Public Affairs, taught her a lot about trauma-informed care.
Leaving a Legacy
Rebekah鈥檚 found countless ways to connect with businesses and nonprofits that come to campus. She鈥檚 also found inspiration from her fellow students who had the same goals and are farther along in the process than her.
鈥淚t gave me the permission to dream bigger, and it also gave me the know-how that I can talk with so and so, because they're going to teach me how to do it,鈥� she said. 鈥� 鈥淲e have everything we need here, and the culture is so welcoming and inviting, and the professors want to hear your ideas.鈥�
As a senior, Rebekah qualified for funding through the , which encourages student fellows to install 鈥渕icro-level civic engagement projects that speak to macro-level issues.鈥�
This proved the ideal opportunity to soft launch Aunt Beck鈥檚 Place. With the mentorship and support from the program and her network, Rebekah is close to registering her nonprofit.
In April, she hosted a block party that was partially community service driven鈥攕upporting others with care packages and resources鈥攁nd partially a celebration with all the people who got her to that moment.
鈥淚t felt great! So many conversations led to that moment,鈥� she said.
Propelling her nonprofit and graduating with her bachelor鈥檚 degree are milestones and more checks on Rebekah鈥檚 ever-growing to-do list.
This fall, she will start pursuing a M.S. in Negotiations and Conflict Management at UBalt. She鈥檚 also been accepted into the Fannie Angelos Program for Academic Excellence, which will help her pay and prepare for the education she wants at UBalt School of Law. She hopes to begin law school a year after starting her master's program.
Rebekah welcomed the opportunities to stay at UBalt where she is looking forward to growing herself, her friendships, her ideas, her impact.
鈥淚 came to the 极乐禁地 to finish my bachelor鈥檚 degree, something that has been 20 years in the making. After my first semester here, I knew that it was going to be so much more,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 developed connections, networked with people that I had no idea how much they would benefit me in the future. I now have no idea where my life is going to go, but I know how to go through it.
鈥淚 know how to sit at tables. I know how to walk through doors. I know how to ask the right questions. Coming to 极乐禁地 is more than an education, it is a master class in networking, in business and in making change.鈥�