NDMU Student Leader Selected for Transform Mid-Atlantic Civic Fellowship

By: Erik Pedersen, Senior Communications Manager

BALTIMORE – A Notre Dame of Maryland University sophomore was one of 16 student leaders from across the region selected for this year’s prestigious Transform Mid-Atlantic Civic Fellowship.

Anna Choudhary ’25 will be provided with several opportunities to develop her leadership skills and understanding of civic and community engagement through the year-long fellowship, which is designed to develop student leaders who are engaged global citizens, actively contributing to the creation of equitable, healthy, sustainable, and socially just communities. Choudhary is a political science and history/secondary education double major and a women’s studies/philosophy double minor who is involved with countless initiatives on and off-campus.

An Elizabeth Morrissy Honors Program student, Choudhary serves as a Bonner Student Leader, she volunteers as a student-teacher assistant in an eighth-grade social studies classroom at Tunbridge Public Charter School, and she holds an internship supporting the Maryland Women’s Heritage Center’s “Memories of the Baltimore Women’s Industrial Exchange” project. Choudhary is also a two-sport athlete, participating in soccer and tennis at NDMU, and she was head delegate for Notre Dame’s team at the 2023 Washington Model General Assembly of the Organization of American States.

“What impresses me most about Anna is how she so often seeks to apply her knowledge beyond the typical classroom space in ways that benefit her surrounding Baltimore community,” said NDMU President Marylou Yam. “It is difficult to imagine a student who is more deserving, or a student who will bring more back to the community as a result of this opportunity.”

Members of the 2023-24 Transform Mid-Atlantic Fellowship cohort will participate in monthly sessions with guest speakers, regular reflections, a capstone project, and an in-person end-of-fellowship retreat. Transform Mid-Atlantic is a non-profit membership association of public, private, 2- and 4-year colleges and universities across Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Delaware.

“I’m really excited, because this fellowship fits perfectly with what I am hoping to accomplish,” Choudhary said. “It’s all about civic and community engagement, and becoming a leader in our world, and those are skills that I’m going to need if I want to accomplish my long-term goals.”

Choudhary is enrolled in the School of Education’s 5-year Program, which will allow her to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree during that time period as she works towards becoming a high school history teacher. That goal ties into several of her current initiatives, including her volunteer work at Tunbridge and her internship at the former Women’s Industrial Exchange building in downtown Baltimore.

That internship involves discovering and highlighting the history of an organization which was founded in the late 19th century to help women earn income during a time period where job opportunities outside the house were scarce. Through her research, Choudhary is able to help rewrite history to share the stories of women whose accomplishments were previously unknown.

“I’ve really enjoyed my time at the Women’s Industrial Exchange because it combines all of the things I’m passionate about – education, history and women’s studies – into one,” Choudhary said. “I wouldn’t be where I am today academically and economically if it wasn’t for those before me who broke down the barriers to allow women to work in this country.

“I believe the most effective way to advocate for women's equality is through education,” she continued. “Women are consistently left out of history and I am using my privilege as someone with access to higher education to share the stories of thousands of women who deserve to have their achievements told.”

Through her work as a Bonner Student Leader, Choudhary helps organize several initiatives at NDMU, including Caroline’s Cupboard, an on-campus food pantry, Gator Thrift, an on-campus clothing boutique, and the Gator Groceries distribution service for those in need. She has also spent time assisting at My Sister’s Place Women’s Center and other soup kitchens around Baltimore.

Choudhary was the Service Learning Award recipient at this year’s Notre Dame Day ceremony in February, recognizing her ability to balance so many beneficial initiatives while continuing to excel both academically and athletically.

“I guess I’m just used to it,” Choudhary said. “I’m very excited about all of my projects, and when you’re doing things that you love and are passionate about, it’s easy to find a way to make it all work out.”

Established in 1895, Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) is a private, Catholic institution in Baltimore, Maryland, with the mission to educate leaders to transform the world. Notre Dame has been named one of the best "Regional Universities North" by U.S. News & World Report.