A reflection written by Women’s Center student staff member Bria Hamlet

I’ve got a gap in my front teeth,
I make a mess when I eat,
I’m always late,
I’m hard to date,
I think Eminem is my soulmate

I rock an afro with piercings,
I exaggerate my feelings,
I watch YouTube instead of TV,
I choose to stray from normativity

You’ve just read my spin on Mary Lambert’s song “Secrets.” The melody has been stuck in my head for hours now. She sings about herself, throwing out the good, the obvious, the hidden, and the complicated. She tells us that she doesn’t care how the world perceives her and what they have to say about who she allegedly is.

Girl, I feel that.

I am really, really getting comfortable with no longer explaining myself to everyone. If I didn’t personally harm or wrong you, you get no explanation. I am giving myself permission to wear red lipstick to work, listen to Nickelback and then the Roots on the way, all while sporting a tailored skirt and Converse. Let me live.

As a Black American woman, I am subjected to harmful and negative stereotypes constantly. If someone isn’t policing my blackness, they’ve surely fixated on my hair. The next target is my complexion, followed by my clothing, and their personal favorite, my diction. I can’t just be Bria, I must be whoever you all think Bria is supposed to be. I am really tired of making everyone else comfortable. I don’t have to make “figuring me out” easy. I’m not easy.

And you, stop being lazy.

The Telling Our Stories project has given the members of the UMBC Women of Color Coalition (myself included) the opportunity to reclaim narratives that were written without them. It has challenged us to think critically about labels and microaggressions. We’ve discussed where these stereotypes come from and then participated in workshops to unearth the true natures of who we are. We are sisters, artists, intellectuals, comedians, introverts, extroverts, and progressives. We are ourselves.

I will now and forever continue to be unapologetically myself.

Name: Imani Spence

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Mindgrub Technologies | Title of Your Position: Associate Creative Copywriter (Marketing Intern)

Major(s)/Minor(s): Media and Communication Studies and English: Communication and Technology track

Expected Graduation Year: May 2016

Briefly describe your internship, co-op, research, or service-learning opportunity, including your day-to-day tasks, responsibilities, and assignments.

I work on a lot of things at Mindgrub. The main focus of my position is doing research on potential clients that the company may contact as well as researching attendees for conferences that the President may attend. Sometimes I draft speech proposals for those conferences as well. I also keep up with all of their social media accounts, including LinkedIn to post relevant information on events, products and industry news.

Describe the process of obtaining your internship, research, or co-op opportunity.

I found this internship through UMBCWorks. I applied with a resume, writing sample and Cover Letter then I had a phone interview. During that interview we talked about my prior experiences and what I hope to gain from the internship. Then I came in for an in-person interview and brought materials such as PDF versions of email newsletters I designed, video samples and graphic layouts.

Which of the following resources did you use to find your current experience?

Career Center, UMBCworks

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization/company?

Mindgrub is FULL of UMBC alum. I have been really lucky to talk to them about their experiences at UMBC and see how I can take my UMBC education further. The company culture is also super amazing. Mindgrub is really into Ping-Pong and the company is small enough that everyone knows each other and gets along fairly well.

What have you gained from your experience that you could not have gained from another opportunity?

I learned how companies assess their potential client-base and what a typical workflow is like. In my last two internships I was the only intern, or the first intern, so working with other interns and within a process that already exists.

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?

GO TO THE CAREER CENTER. I have met with someone from the career center a few times and every time I go in a little panicked and confused, I come out with great ideas and I feel much better. The Career Center works so hard to make sure that every student has as many opportunities as possible, and it's part of their job to help you navigate the career search, USE THEM!

Please provide a short reflection or quote about what you liked most about your position / earning internship credit / the internship placement process.

Apply for it all. I applied for about 15 internships before receiving this one, and the summer before I applied to about the same and got two different internships. Once you get the hang of the application process, it's easy.

Like this story on Facebook or FAV/RT on Twitter!

Like the Career Center on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

#UMBCintern