Alumna Hillary Johnson will be cheering in Baltimore Ravens games this year. She has been cheering since she was 9 years old and now spends three days a week training.
Many new university graduates stepped off the stage this past May with diplomas in hand and one question on their minds: What do I do now? While some would go on to work the typical 9 to 5 desk job, there were a few who found unconventional ways to pay the bills.
For alumnus Ben Small, it meant joining his two friends and starting their own ice cream truck business in East Windsor, N.J. Small said the decision to launch the BHB Ice Cream Truck was easy – nowhere else could he start a company for such little money and with so few risks.
“We wanted real-life experience we couldn’t learn in a classroom,” he said.
Small, who also works at an accounting firm, said managing his own business is nothing like regular employment. Along with driving around and selling frozen desserts on weeknights and weekends, he must oversee the company’s employees, inventory, maintenance and insurance.
The job is not all work and no play, however. Small said if he feels the urge to play basketball while he is doing his rounds, he simply parks the ice cream truck and starts up a game.
Alumna Hillary Johnson will be starring in some games this year as a cheerleader for the Baltimore Ravens.
Johnson, who has been cheering since she was 9 years old, jumped at the chance to continue the sport after graduation. While also working as a project manager for her father’s company, she devotes three days of her week to the Ravens – two for rehearsal with the rest of her squad and one for the big performance on game day.
Johnson always arrives at the stadium five hours before the game begins to prepare, practice and make special appearances for the fans.”
“I have the opportunity to continue to do what I love, because for most, cheerleading ends after college,” she said. “The Ravens have the best fans.”
For alumna Brianna Becker, her love for her fellow members in Kappa Delta sorority turned into a full-time career opportunity.
Becker now works for Kappa Delta as a leadership development consultant. She travels all around the country to different chapters assisting with recruitment, leadership and officer training. She said she loves visiting so many different college towns, and these experiences have allowed her to realize sorority bonds extend beyond individual chapters. Becker added she is now considering a career in student affairs and Greek life at a university.
“I wanted to be able to do more for Kappa Delta since it has given me so many opportunities,” she said.
news@umdbk.com