Sebastian Acevedo is a second-year Computer Science major from Rockville, MD. Sebastian joined ACES because he wanted to learn more about cybersecurity in order to have a better understanding of the role cybersecurity plays in an increasingly technology-dependent world. Sebastian knew that the ACES Living-Learning Program would be a great opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the field and meet like-minded students. 

Alexis Chen is a sophomore Computer Engineering major from Lexington, MA. As an engineer, Alexis joined ACES because she wanted to join a community of people who are passionate about cybersecurity, and so she could explore the interdisciplinary nature of cybersecurity.

Alexis is also an Honors Ambassador representing ACES. She ran for student board because she wanted to help expand the numerous opportunities that ACES students have access to, and also wanted to give back to the community that helped her so much.

Max Jih-Vieira is a sophomore Information Science major from Middletown, MD. He joined ACES because of his strong interest in cybersecurity and his desire to pursue a career in the field. Max saw ACES as a great opportunity to explore different career paths while being part of a community of like-minded peers.

He ran for the ACES Student Board because he understands how challenging the transition to college can be and wanted to support the next ACES cohort through that experience.

Aarav is a sophomore studying Computer Science from Clarksburg, Maryland.

Alvia Naqvi is a second-year student from Potomac, MD majoring in Computer Science with an interest in double majoring with Finance. She is interested in cybersecurity because of its increasing relevancy with the introduction of AI into the software engineering space.

She joined the ACES student board to give back to the community that made her feel like she belonged on such a big campus.

Along with being an ACES board member, she is an officer for the Association of Computing Machinery club. She loves travel, painting -- especially water coloring -- and hiking.

Emily Ho is a second-year Computer Science major from Ellicott City, MD. She joined ACES to expand her knowledge of cybersecurity, an area she had limited experience with prior to attending UMD. 

Emily is a member of the Alpha Kappa Delta Phi sorority at UMCP and Women in Computing. She joined the ACES student board because she is passionate about creating a supportive community that fosters both academic success and meaningful relationships. Thanks to ACES, she was able to build strong friendships and confidently navigate through her freshman year.