Via Maryland Today / By Maryland Today Staff
A government and politics major with a long resume of service to UMD and her local community was named the Omicron Delta Kappa Society’s Gen. Russell E. Dougherty National Leader of the Year—its highest collegiate honor. The award comes with a $4,000 prize.
Emily Berry ’21 served the Sigma Circle, UMD’s chapter of ODK, as its alumni and membership engagement chair. Previously, she was recognized with one of the circle’s Top Ten Freshman Awards.
“I feel incredibly honored to be receiving this award from an organization that, ever since my sophomore year, has made me a stronger leader, supported me personally and inspired me daily to do my best to live up to ODK’s ideals,” she said.
Berry was active in resident life at Maryland, serving as a resident assistant, president of the Residence Hall Association and member of the Service Committee for the National Residence Hall Honorary. She was the Student of the Year runner-up for the Central Atlantic Region of College and University Residence Halls and was named RHA President of the Year in 2020.
In student government, she was assistant vice president of the Committee on Financial Affairs and a member of the Governmental Affairs Committee. She sat on the Student Alumni Leadership Council and was an undergraduate student representative for the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences in the University Senate.
Berry also worked as a teaching and research assistant in the Department of Government and Politics, was a member of the Kappa Omega Alpha public policy professional fraternity and was a student advocate and legal intern in the Undergraduate Student Legal Aid Office.
Beyond the campus, the Annapolis native served as fundraising coordinator for the Broadneck chapter of Habitat for Humanity and interned with Vikara Village (part of the Do Good Impact Interns Program), the Maryland General Assembly and the Office of the Maryland Governor.
This fall, Berry will pursue a Master of Public Policy at Maryland and will serve as president of the Sigma Circle. She intends to pursue a career in law.
