MELISSA THOMAS

I’m a part of the University of Maryland College Park Class of 2024, and I’m originally from Rockville, Maryland. Even though I am a freshman, I am already a proud Terp- the diverse and engaging atmosphere of UMD can be felt even as I stay home this semester, and I soon hope to experience it in person!  I am majoring in Public Health, with a focus on Community Health. I have always been interested in how infrastructure, housing, urban design, ecology, etc. all intersect with the health of populations, and I am so happy I get to study just that. Being a part of Media Scholars will enable me to express what I learn throughout my college career and beyond to others in a more effective yet exciting way through different mediums and will teach me how to navigate the complex, and increasingly vital world of social and news media. I plan on using what I learn in CPMS to enrich my experience as an everyday consumer of media, a global citizen who is intent on seeing change in the world, and a student trying to forge a fulfilling career path. Outside of school my hobbies include participating in various fitness activities, reading fantasy and science fiction novels, knitting, binge-watching reality TV shows, (badly) attempting TikTok dances, writing and journaling, and thrifting. (11/13/20)