Matt Manzi

Major: Computer Science
Graduation Year: 2020
Cyber Scholar, Y5

After my very first visit to UMBC’s campus, I thought to myself, I feel like I’m at home here. From living with over 50 other CWIT scholars to attending the Grace Hopper Celebration conference, I built so many lasting relationships within CWIT’s community. Elsewhere, I explored my creative interests with the Retriever Music Society as a DJ and the UMBC Photo Club as an amateur photographer. Even through my academics, I found friends and classmates who helped me turn a good semester into a great one. Although courses in the computer science major can be tough, I found many quite rewarding, too! In my Operating Systems course, we learned how the Linux operating system implements many of the concepts from lecture and then were tasked with modifying it to change core system functionality. It was a tough class, but the feeling of accomplishment at the end was worth it. As I enter my final semester at UMBC, it brings a smile to my face when I reflect on the amazing experiences I’ve had with the wonderful family I’ve found.