Hello, my name is Victor F. Mercogliano. I am enrolled in the UMBC History program at the Universities at Shady Grove (USG). I am a young man that has been born and raised right here in Montgomery County. I live with my wonderful family; my younger sister, loving mother, and cheerful Labrador retriever, “Jessie.”
When I was a young boy, I played sports every day and dreamed of playing in the NFL or MLB. I got seriously injured my senior year and surprisingly, was still recruited to play football by a handful of schools. Each of the recruiting trips had the same disingenuous sales pitch that promised a superstar lifestyle. I realized that it was not what I wanted in my life. I knew there was something better out there for me. I then chose to enroll at Montgomery College (MC) in Fall 2012. It was at MC that I began to discover my identity.
I heard about USG from my cousin Kelly, who not only attended the University of Maryland, College Park at USG but works there now in the marketing department. She had enjoyed her time as a student and recommended that I check it out. I attended an UMBC information session, with Dr. Blair and Dr. Nolan. They were genuine and wanted to learn about my goals in life. I felt a natural bond with them and with USG. I knew, as I drove home that night, that USG was the place for me. I have been here for over a year now and truly love each time I set foot on campus. The UMBC history program has provided wonderful professors and classmates that have propelled me to achieve academic excellence.
Within the history program, my focus is on government. I see government as an opportunity to serve a greater good that goes beyond dollars and cents. This past semester I had the privilege to intern as a legislative assistant at the Maryland General Assembly for the 2017 session. It was a great opportunity and I learned a lot about the inner workings of State government. This summer, I will be part of the 2017 Governor's Summer Internship Program as a Public Service Scholar. My mentor for the internship will be Patrick Lally, the Senior Executive Director of Governor Hogan's Office.
One day, I would like to run for office and make a positive impact on Maryland, the United States, and hopefully the world.