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Watch The Yard, a platform for Greeks and non-Greeks, recently interviewed Brian David Hanson Jr of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.’s Upsilon Zeta Chapter at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC).

In the interview, the UMBC Computer Engineering major talked about leadership in the digital age.

As president of an undergraduate chapter of a Black fraternity, Hanson has used the position to improve the lives of other students on campus and the wider UMBC community. Below are excerpts from the Watch The Yard interview.

“I attended Chesapeake High School STEM Academy in Essex, MD which is 30 minutes away from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. I spent numerous summers at UMBC during high school through the Classic Upward Bound Program,” Hanson said.

“Admiration for Dr. Freeman Hrabowski was instilled in me by my mother who is a 100 (percent) Permanent-Total Disabled Gulf War Veteran. Fortunately, she discovered the Meyerhoff Scholars Program which was my main inspiration for applying to UMBC.

“As a Meyerhoff and McNair Scholar, I have sought numerous opportunities that UMBC has afforded to progress towards earning a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering,” he said.

Hanson also said his chapter is committed to mentoring, academic preparation programs such as Go-To-High School, Go-To-College, and campus tour sessions that are offered to local schools in the community.

“Each member of this chapter is doing something great, and it is important to let the community know about it. As a brand, our representation is critical in this day and age to continue fostering relationships with other chapters and organizations. We realize that we are not limited to just our campus and chapter,” he said.

After graduation, Hanson plans to advance to a doctoral program.

“I still have a year left to complete my Computer Engineering major, so I am focused on completing this task first. However, I am interested in applying for Ph.D. programs in Biomedical Engineering in the field of Rehabilitation Sciences and Technology.

“As I mentioned before, my mother’s disability has not stopped her from being who she is to me in my life. Therefore, I know there are other people in the world with similar or worse conditions that need support to be an inspiration to others. By researching how to improve their quality of life, I believe anyone can serve others to help them better themselves so that they can do the same for anybody.”

Read “Leadership Highlight: Brian Hanson Jr. The President of Alpha Phi Alpha at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County” on Black Greekdom’s Digital Yardshow.

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