Rasmin Islam

She/Her
Class of 2026
Major:  Civil & Environmental Engineering
Hometown: Silver Spring, MD
High School:  Paint Branch High School

What inspired you to become a ClarkLEADER?
When I received an email about registering to become a ClarkLEADER, I immediately knew I had to sign up. I attended ClarkLEAD as a first-year student in 2022, which was an absolute blast! I learned so much about what the School of Engineering had to offer and what it's like to be a Maryland Engineering student, none of which would've been possible without our ClarkLEADERs.

If you attended ClarkLEAD as a first-year student, what did you enjoy most about the event?
What I enjoyed most about ClarkLEAD as a first-year student was being able to learn about the various engineering-related clubs and organizations we have here at UMD. This part of the event gave me the opportunity to meet with the members of these groups who told me about the wonderful experiences they've had, which then led me to join the ones I was most interested in once the fall semester began.

What is one piece of advice you would like to share with new Maryland Engineering students? 
One piece of advice I would like to share with new Maryland Engineering students is to "take it one day at a time." As simple as it sounds, you are inevitably going to feel so overwhelmed as you adjust to life as a college student, so please remember to deal with each day's problems as they come instead of worrying about the future.

What are some organizations or extracurricular activities you are involved with on campus?  
Some organizations I am involved with on campus include the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and Society of Women Engineers (SWE). I am also involved with the Muslim Student Association (MSA).

What is a cool engineering experience you've had? 
A cool engineering experience I've had was building an Over the Terrain Vehicle (OTV) for my ENES100 class this past semester. I had the privilege of working with seven other awesome engineering students and together, we created one of the very few OTVs that were successful in its mission and navigation out of all the ENES100 classes. We were even invited to the showcase that is held at the end of the semester!