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Real People Profiles: Patricia Wick

We're asking some of the people you might encounter on the UMBC campus, including students, faculty, staff and alumni, to answer a few questions about themselves and their experiences. These are their responses.


Name: Patricia Wick

Hometown: I was born in Brooklyn, raised on Long Island, and still consider myself a New Yorker all these years later!


Q: How long have you been at UMBC?

A: Since September 2009.

Q: What is your current title (job or student organization position)?

A: Assistant Director/Training Director at the Counseling Center.

Q: In 12 words or less, what role(s) do you play on campus? 

A: Staff psychologist, clinical supervisor, Relationship Violence Awareness and Prevention advisor, Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence Response Team member.

Q: What aspect of your UMBC role(s) do you enjoy most?

A: I truly love the work that I do and the opportunity to meet and work with so many different people on a daily basis. I love that every day is different. I particularly enjoy training graduate students who will go on to become psychologists. They have such infectious energy and enthusiasm and keep me on my toes! I also enjoy working individually with students who are courageous enough to come in for counseling. My experience working as an advisor for the Relationship Violence Awareness and Prevention Advocate program is also a highlight of the work that I do here. Overall, the highly motivated, dedicated, and supportive people I work with keep me energized and engaged, loving my job after all these years.

Q: What is the most important or memorable thing you learned in college/have learned at UMBC?

A: I have learned so much about different cultures since I came to work here at UMBC given the diverse student population. It has given me a great appreciation for the importance of learning about other countries, ethnic groups, or people who have identities that may or may not be different from me. Having children who are on the brink of entering college themselves, I have learned how to be a better parent of a college student after listening to stories from students, faculty, and staff about what to do and what not to do. No helicopter or lawnmower parent for my kids!

Q: Complete this sentence: "I am a big fan of __________"

A: Ice cream and any sport my children are playing (but especially lacrosse).

Q: Do you have any UMBC stories, little-known facts about UMBC, favorite spots on campus, or anything else you’d like to share?

A: We frequently talk about parking in our center. We love the summer and winter breaks when we can park on Poplar Avenue, which is close to our office - shaves important time off of our "commute". We dread coming in late during the regular school year because then we have to park in Lot 24. We groan, "I had to park in Arbutus."

Co-Create UMBC is a blog for and about UMBC, written by David Hoffman and Craig Berger from the Office of Student Life. Join the Co-Create UMBC group on MyUMBC. Like Co-Create UMBC on Facebook. And follow David and Craig on Twitter.

Posted: September 11, 2013, 3:27 PM