I’m asking some of the people you might encounter on the UMBC campus, including students, faculty and staff, to answer a few questions about themselves and their experiences. These are their responses.
Name: Stefanie Mavronis
Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland (More specifically, Dundalk)
Q: How long have you been at UMBC?
A: I just started my third year at UMBC.
Q: What is your current title (job or student organization position)?
A: I have a few different titles on campus. I'm the Lead Design and Marketing Director for the Student Events Board and the Lead Designer at commonvision: UMBC Print and Design Center. I also serve on the Women's Center Advisory Board and am a Sondheim Scholar.
Q: In 12 words or less, what role(s) do you play on campus?
A: I design the marketing materials for SEB and student organizations around campus.
Q: What aspect of your UMBC role(s) do you enjoy most?
A:Not only am I excited to have an actual outlet for art and design on campus, especially since it's outside of my major, I really enjoy thinking creatively about issues the campus community faces, whether that means a lack of school spirit, difficulty marketing and advertising to certain parts of the campus, or issues relating to school policy. I like to combine my skills in media and politics to explore new ways of thinking about things and finding the best and most efficient ways to make things happen. It's also great to be a part of an organization like SEB because of the constant interaction I have with the campus community. Working events is a great way to get student feedback and make connections with my peers.
Q: What is the most important or memorable thing you learned in college/have learned at UMBC?
A: I think the most important thing I've learned here is to go for it! This isn't an intimidating campus and the campus community as a whole is very welcoming to newcomers or people with new ideas. If something seems impossible, try thinking about it a different way. I've definitely been in a lot of situations where my peers have felt disillusioned by the state of things of the school administration, but it's been important to try to rethink the issue at hand and discover an alternate way to achieve it. Basically, this is a really supportive environment and I don't think that students should feel limited by anything other than a lack of time to try everything!
Q: Complete this sentence: “I am a big fan of __________”
A: Lately, I'd have to say the Yum Shoppe. Especially over the summer when I was working on a lot of design projects at the same time and was feeling stressed, having the ability to walk down to the Yum Shoppe and grab some vegan cookies, ice cream, or an awesome micro-brew of root beer was the pick-me-up that I needed.
Q: Do you have any UMBC stories, little-known facts about UMBC, favorite spots on campus, or anything else you’d like to share?
A: Everyone should visit the Women's Center! Even though I don't have as much time as I'd like to spend there, you can always be sure to find an interesting conversation or just spend time in a place that you feel safe. It also has a lot of resources that are sometimes unknown by the vast majority of students, like a rad mini-library (lots of the books focus on gender issues), free tea, and a lot of comfy seating. It's a great place to meditate and chill out and they even offer yoga classes and film screenings regularly!