By: Amirah Adigun

Photo Credit: Edwin Royales

 A Junior here at UMBC, with an expected graduation in Spring 2025, Rose Crame is an MCS Major with a Minor in Entrepreneurship. She is also a member of the Students Events Board (S.E.B) after recently joining in Spring 2023. The S.E.B is responsible for planning tons of on-campus activities for the purpose of creating a community for students to engage in social life with other students to meet new people and have fun. Rose describes being in the S.E.B as “...versatile job that allows me to not only get back into graphic design but really get in touch with the student body.” Rose has skills in graphic design and collaborates with the S.E.B design team on their Instagram page. 

When asked how she got started in this skill for graphic design, she replied, her journey began when she was eleven years-old. Rose had just started attending a magnet high school and was a part of the exploratory program. There were two classes that stood out for her, Mass Communication and Visual Art, which inspired her to pursue an MCS Degree. After her first magnet program (specialized class in a certain field), she would go on to pursue another magnet program called Interactive Media Production, Rose says this program “...taught me so much regarding graphic design.”, a skill that she excels at today and uses it in many of her class projects as well as outside of school. 

When asked if she was interested in pursuing a future career in graphic design she stated “I’m more interested in social media marketing.” She mentions how although she loves graphic design, she has other avenues in media communications that she would like to explore further. Rose mentions how she is very interested in improving her management skills. She really loves making marketing content and she loves reaching out to an audience and establishing a connection.

Being a junior at UMBC, she recalls her most insightful class in the MCS Department, one of the them being MCS 222 “Introduction to Media & Communication Studies” with Prof Devos. She describes this class as important because it gave her an insight to the history of media and how it relates to modern day which she found really sparked her brain. Rose quotes this class as a “strong foundation moving forward in my chosen career field.” She further explains how this class was integral to understanding the foundations of media and describes her teacher as a very relatable and knowledgeable professor which made the class enjoyable and very insightful for her. 

When asked about what is her biggest motivation she mentions how her parents are her biggest inspiration. In her own words “They’re very hard working no nonsense type of people and I wish I had a fraction of that focus.” She also mentions another motivation for her is the feeling of regret. She describes her detest for that feeling because she does not want to look back on any part of her life and regret not taking an opportunity or chance at something she really wanted because it would mean she would not know the outcome of it. Rose takes every opportunity she can to try anything she wants because the only way to move forward is to try. 

Outside of school some of her hobbies include reading, shopping, video editing, playing the Sims 4 and many other activities. Although she has not been able to get into any new books lately because of school and other important life activities, reading still remains a part of her that she will always be connected to. She also mentions how shopping is her “retail therapy" because she loves finding clothing items that add to her closet collection and these new unique pieces really make her day because it gives her a way to decompress with a lot of the school work she manages. She mentions she’s been listening to “Glue Song” by beabadoobee ft.Clario on repeat lately as it is a “ It’s such a sweet and raw song that just makes me happy”.

By: Sofia Brouse

Photo Credit: [Photo taken at UMBC Career Fair headshot booth, photographer unknown]

Recently I had the pleasure of interviewing MCS graduate Marisa Haas about what her life looks like after graduating college this past Spring. During this interview, Marisa discusses how completing her MCS degree at UMBC has helped her with her career after college along with where she sees herself in the future. 

What is your name, major, and when did you graduate from UMBC? Do you have any interests or hobbies outside of work?

“My name is Marisa Haas, my major was in Media and Communication Studies and I graduated this past Spring of 2023. Outside of work, I enjoy cooking, scrap booking, running, growing plants and spending time with my family.”

What are you doing now that you are out of school? How are you enjoying it?

“Now that I am out of school I work a full time job with an HVAC Company named Daikin Applied as a Sales Coordinator. I am enjoying it! I have learned a lot about the mechanical side of HVAC as well as how to assert myself in professional settings, how to network as well as how to be a great team player.”

What does your day typically look like now that you have graduated from UMBC?

“My day starts at 5 am when I wake up and get ready for my day. I stretch every morning, sometimes I boil some oatmeal before work and drink a coffee, other days I'll stop by a local coffee shop on my way in. I will leave my house by 6:40am and get to work by 7am. Once I get to work I assess the jobs and projects that need the most attention and focus on getting them worked through. I will leave work around 3:30 and head home to which I normally try to take my son to the park/ play ball with him and start to make dinner. Once I make dinner I sit down to eat with my family and we watch a movie or just hang out together.”

Now that you have had some experience with life outside of college, how did your time in the MCS department at UMBC prepare you for your career?

“I feel that my major best prepared me for opposing thoughts and personalities that are in this world. Media and Communications has helped me see the bigger and symbolic meaning that is in my industry now as well as the people's lives that I work with.”

Tell me about a lesson that you learned during your time at UMBC that proved to be helpful in your time as a graduate.

“One lesson I learned while at UMBC was to not judge anyone you see, people are complex beings and there is more to a person than how they come off. Plus, all people are weird and we are not the judge of that.”

Where do you see yourself professionally in 5 years?

“In 5 years, I see myself taking every opportunity I get to grow either in my business or taking a new opportunity. I see myself satisfied with my growth and to keep reaching for the next endeavor.”

If you had to give one piece of advice to students who are about to graduate, what would it be?

“My piece of advice would be to keep your head up and to not give up on yourself. It can be tricky navigating life after graduation but keep your eyes open to opportunity even if it is not your ideal job, plan or goal, always remember you can build on skills and opportunities and to keep striving for the direction you want to head in.”