Two First Year Experience professors, one unwavering commitment
On paper, Stephanie Hamilton and Michele Lively look like they were made for the same job. Both teach PACE 111, Program and Career Exploration, the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) first-year experience course that helps new learners find their footing in higher education. Both draw on decades of work in adult learning, and both have been recognized with the 2026 Stanley J. Drazek Teaching Excellence Award by learners who feel genuinely seen for the first time.
But their paths to this moment are strikingly different, with Hamilton arriving from a career in curriculum development, federal grant management, and teacher professional development; and Lively building her practice through student services, disability services administration, and faculty development. What unites them is their refusal to treat the first course in a learner’s college career as a mere formality.
“Tuned in from day one”
Stephanie Hamilton has spent more than four decades in education, but she grounds her philosophy of teaching in something much simpler than her credentials: the example of Fred Rogers, best known for Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. “My interactions must demonstrate care, concern, and kindness,” she said. For learners arriving at UMGC perhaps anxious or uncertain about what college holds for them, that orientation is not incidental. It is the point.
Hamilton, who joined UMGC in 2020, approaches the PACE 111 course as an opportunity for mentorship. She reaches students through regular email, text, and Zoom contact; through timely, substantive announcements; and through personalized feedback on every discussion and assignment. Her background in special education, she noted, has rooted her in recognizing that every learner arrives with different motivations, different needs, and a different origin story.
That attentiveness registered immediately with student Veronica Hinds, who nominated Hamilton for the Drazek Award after completing PACE 111 during the summer term. “Professor Hamilton was tuned in from day one,” Hinds wrote in her nomination. “She personally responded to everyone, and she encouraged everyone with uplifting words and feedback.”
What followed that observation was, in some ways, the most vivid testimony to Hamilton’s method. When it came time for the course’s informational interview assignment, Hamilton encouraged Hinds to reach out to a longtime friend who had built a very successful career, someone Hinds had been hesitant to contact out of a nagging sense of doubt about her own professional path. Hamilton pushed her to make the call anyway.
The conversation lasted two hours, covering territory the two friends had never discussed, including personal life moments and career pivots—the kind of honest exchange that rarely happens without a catalyst.
“By the end of our conversation, it felt as though our friendship had advanced into the next level,” Hinds wrote. “Had Professor Hamilton not encouraged me, I probably would have fallen into an old habit that is of no benefit for growth.”
For Hamilton, this is what intellectual growth in a PACE course looks like: the expansion of a learner’s sense of what is possible and the resulting boost in confidence to tackle whatever challenges lie ahead.
Veronica Hinds UMGC student
Building the motivation to make it to the finish line
Michele Lively has been navigating higher education since 1992 and teaching PACE 111 at UMGC since 2019. For her, the PACE course is a launching pad.
“The first class is one that most students do not easily forget, because there is so much growth and sense of accomplishment just by completing it,” Lively said. Her job, as she sees it, is to ensure that the momentum built in those first few weeks does not dissipate when the course is over.
Lively’s strategy is systematic, yet personal. She responds to every student in the discussion forum every week, noting, “If they take the time to write it, I will take the time to read it.” She reaches out individually to students who have gone quiet, reminding them of what they have missed and what they can still do. She introduces time management frameworks like the Pomodoro Technique and the Eisenhower Matrix, not as productivity gimmicks but as tools learners can carry forward into every course that follows.
Crucially, Lively also asks learners to identify their “why”—to find a picture that represents the goal behind their degree and keep it near their study space until graduation day.
That orientation toward lasting impact was clear in student Jocelyn Glover’s nomination of Lively for the Drazek Award. Glover described a professor who made herself consistently available, who provided detailed and thoughtful feedback, and who created an environment where students felt both valued and suitably challenged.
“Professor Lively’s responsiveness was a key factor in my success this term,” Glover wrote. “I ended this course not only with new knowledge, but also with a deeper understanding of myself as a student and professional. Her teaching style truly inspired my intellectual growth and enjoyment of learning.”
For Lively, the relationship does not end when the grade is posted. She continues to support former students through letters of recommendation, LinkedIn connections, and congratulatory messages when they graduate. “Seeing the PACE 111 students achieve their degrees is one of the most rewarding aspects of teaching,” she said.
Jocelyn Glover UMGC student
The first course, done right
The Drazek Award, UMGC’s highest faculty honor, recognizes instructors who inspire learners, demonstrate innovation and excellence, and make a measurable impact in the classroom and beyond. Hamilton and Lively meet that test at the point in an academic journey where personalized support can be especially important: the very beginning.
First-generation college students, returning adult learners, and learners juggling jobs and families and doubt—these are some of the learners in PACE 111. They may arrive unconvinced they truly belong in college, doubtful they have the tools to succeed, or wondering whether anyone at the university will notice if they quietly disappear. Hamilton and Lively have each built approaches specifically designed to address those fears, not simply through reassurance but through attention, accountability, and a push toward something bigger.
Read about more UMGC faculty members recognized by students for their impact, and how the First Year Experience team helps unlock learner potential.