Program “helped me to realize how many opportunities for growth there are on the UMB campus and prompted me to dream bigger about my own future.”
I can’t speak highly enough of the UMBrella Coaching Program. Our group had the privilege of being coached by Jennifer Litchman, MA, who is UMB's senior vice president for external relations and special assistant to the president. She was warm, consistently present, and generous with resources and stories from her own career journey.
The group environment proved to be a powerful experience. It was a safe space where we could ask difficult questions and receive feedback without feeling judged. It was nice to hear different perspectives on issues, as well as the similar struggles and insecurities we tend to face as professional women trying to balance work, our personal lives, and our overall health and well-being.
(Apply to be part of the 2020-2021 cohort.)
Participating in the program helped me to realize how many opportunities for growth there are on the UMB campus and prompted me to dream bigger about my own future. Group coaching helped me boost my confidence and push myself to limits I wouldn’t have attempted on my own.
I would encourage any woman considering the UMBrella Coaching Program to apply. If you are willing to put in the work, you will receive tools, resources, and guidance you need to know yourself better, to strengthen your skills, and to discover your career ambitions and potential.
You will move toward your goals with a supportive community of women cheering you on. We need you. The more women we have internalizing a leadership identity and developing a sense of purpose in their careers, the more likely positive change will result – in our school, in our communities, and in our world.
Carey A. Martin is director of clinical business operations for the Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health at the School of Medicine.
The UMBrella Group works to support the success of women at UMB by building community and helping them achieve their personal and professional goals, enhancing their leadership skills, and championing women at all levels of the organization. Learn more at umaryland.edu/umbrella/.