Congratulations to our April Undergraduate of the Month, Siayo Ma! Saiyo is a Senior in our Department, majoring in Geography/GIS with a Minor in Spanish. Continue reading below to learn more about this exceptional student.

What are your interests within your program(s)?

My interests include cartography, spatial analysis, human geography, and the Spanish language.

What previous jobs, internships, and volunteer experience have you had?

I worked for a hotel and a small trading business before. I also had an internship in the Department of Transportation at UMD and volunteered for Youth Mapper once.

Where are you/have you been interning?

I’m currently interning for the GIS library at UMD which is located in the Mckeldin Library.

What are your internship responsibilities?

My responsibility is to help solve GIS-related problems and work on various GIS projects for those who seek help from the GIS library.

What project(s) are you working on or contributing to?

My new internship is just about to start and I’m looking forward to tackling some challenging projects.

How is the internship experience relevant to your studies in Geographical Sciences?

The internship is relevant to my studies in the sense that I can apply my GIS skills, which would help me gain hands-on experience in a real-world scenario.

What are your career goals after your graduate?

I plan to move on to graduate school and dedicate myself to academic research in the study of international relations.

What are some of your hobbies?

I enjoy traveling, reading, and watching soccer games and movies.

Where are you from?

Shanghai, China (a dynamic place!).

What has been your favorite class at UMD? Why?

ISRL 289I: Israel-Palestinian Conflict. It was my very first class at UMD! It touched upon a lot of history and really opened my mind.

If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

Spain. A place rich in history, culture, food, and soccer.

If you were the ruler of your own country, what would be the first law you would enact?

Prohibiting coal-generated power in China.

Thanks Siayo for allowing us to get to know you better. We wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors!