By: Jadyn Spradlin

Photo Credit: Lewis Hollander

Though Lewis Hollander is only a freshman at UMBC, his videography is on scale with work produced by professionals. His instagram account “LewsFlicks” showcases his videos dating back four years, but it doesn’t even begin to truly cover this student’s expertise. 

Hollander got his start in the world of videography during his sophomore year of high school. A student at local Mt. Hebron, he regularly produced fun videos with his friends and eventually built up a rather successful YouTube channel. Realizing his abilities and enjoyment of video production, he began producing content for his school’s varsity lacrosse team. Beginning with a mix of sports photography and videography, he quickly learned how to capture both emotion and action in his shoots. He developed editing skills with programs like Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, and Premiere Pro, and eventually settled into a niche of sports videography.

While his skills and knowledge would have allowed him to pursue a career in sports media right out of high school, he elected to attend college in order to develop his academic background and professional portfolio even further. He knew that the Media and Communication Studies program at UMBC would be perfect for this, as it offered to teach him various fields of academics while still emphasizing experience-based learning. 

An additional draw of UMBC was our New Media Studio. Describing themselves as “UMBC’s central hub for video production on campus,” the studio is responsible for fulfilling a variety of institutional production needs, with projects ranging from graduation and sports coverage to digital storytelling and research highlights. Though not officially associated with the MCS department, the studio’s website states that they are “actively involved in supporting UMBC’s Media and Communication program through teaching and internships.” 

With that in mind, Hollander sought out an internship with the studio and began working with them shortly after. Starting first as a camera operator for live broadcasts of soccer games, he has worked in various roles and positions with the studio. He still prefers his sports videography though, and has created numerous highlight films for UMBC sports including soccer, basketball, and lacrosse. These videos are most commonly featured on social media platforms, posted by either specific teams or UMBC's own accounts. Hollander enjoys being able to see his own content put to use to grow these accounts and promote UMBC athletics, and says these first-hand experiences have made him interested in managing social media accounts in the future. So far, his internship has already allowed him many unique opportunities to do this, as he has been able to suggest, plan, and execute some of his own ideas for strategies and content to boost these accounts.

In addition to these first-hand experiences, Hollander says he has benefitted from UMBC by meeting people and making connections that he otherwise would not have had access to.

After graduation, Hollander plans to continue his work doing freelance videography and specifically hopes to join the media team at Premiere Lacrosse League (PLL). His recent internship experience at UMBC is already proving to be useful in fulfilling these career goals, as he just secured an internship with PLL for this upcoming summer. 

When asked what advice he has for anyone wishing to get started in this field, Hollander kept it simple: "Shoot everything you can. Even if it's not exactly what you want to be doing or focusing on - any shooting - any time you spend behind the camera, you are becoming a better shooter."  

By: Louna Temsah 

Photo Credit: Sophia Blackwell

Sophia will be graduating this spring and looking forward to working close to her home and family for the government. Coming back to school after a few years out, she discusses her ways of managing her personal and academic life.

Q: Hi! Would you like to introduce yourself for those who don’t know you?

Hi, my name is Sophia Blackwell, I’m a senior here at UMBC and a transfer student from College of Southern Maryland (CSM). 

Q: What made you come back to school? And why did you pick UMBC? 

After I finished my two year degree at CSM, I decided I wanted to use my opportunity to finish my BA degree. As an adult learner, it was hard assimilating back into school, but I stayed strong because I wanted a better life for my children and I. I chose UMBC because initially I wanted to go to dental school at UMD, so getting my undergraduate degree at UMBC would help me get there. 

Q: Outside of UMBC, who are you?

Hmmm, I would say I am a fun loving person. I enjoy nature and doing fun activities with my kids such as crafts, bike riding, going to events, and just getting out of the house. My kids are my world so everything revolves around their lives. Joseph is 9 and he’s in 4th grade, and my daughter Hannah is 7 and in 2nd grade. We also have a dog named Ivy, she’s a golden retriever. Go retrievers! 

Q: You say that you are a mother of 2, what are your tips and tricks on balancing your academic and personal life? Do you catch a break? 

This might sound weird, but coming to school is my break haha! I feel more focused and relaxed when I’m at school. Being at home is hard because of the many distractions, house work etc. My tips for any parent returning to school is to keep a tight schedule and know that the sacrifice is temporary. For me, my google calendar is my best friend. Between kids appointments, due dates for class work, and work schedules my calendar keeps me on track. Everything is in one place and that works best for me. 

Q: If you could go back in time and change your major, would you?

Nope! I love this degree. It is so versatile and it also allows me to use my creativity. 

Q: What did you choose to focus your capstone project on?

For my capstone, I chose how the media portrays immigration and its implications. A lot of our views and perceptions are based on what we see in the media and this is an important subject to explore in how it is framed and interpreted in our society. 

Q: Were you always interested in that subject? 

Not really, but I did always have an empathetic view on how migrants are viewed because of misinformation. 

Q: Have you completed your internship requirements? Tell me about it?

Yes I have! I did two really cool internships so far. The first was last summer and I got to work at the Baltimore City Hall for the Inspector General, Isabel Cummings. I got to design and summarize the annual report which was so much fun! Also, currently, I am working for Senator Charles Sydnor as a Legislative Aide. 

Q: What was the process of applying for your internship like?

Both processes were pretty easy. The only hard part was the interview process. 

Q: Did any MCS classes come in handy throughout your internship ?

Yes they have! Especially for my internship at the City Hall creating the annual report. 

Q: What advice would you give to freshmen coming into UMBC about to begin their MCS journey? 

I would advise them to always feel brave enough to speak up in class, many will learn from you and you'll learn alot about yourself. Also the teachers will help you, never feel afraid to ask them. 

Q: What are your plans after graduation? 

My plans after graduation are to work close to home for the government. I live very close to the Pax River Navy base so there are plenty of opportunities for me to make a great income and put my communications degree to good use. 

Q: If you could, what advice would you give your younger self? 

An advice I would give my younger self would be that “It’s going to be hard, but it’s so worth it.”, “Be very careful who you chose to be close to you”, and “You ARE good enough, you ARE smart enough and you ARE worth it”.