MAIP showed me what I was made of: Grit, determination, and confidence in the face of new challenges. Through this program God also blessed me with an environment of truly good people, who trusted my side hustles over my experience, and my experiences over my doubts.
MAIP is truly a weight training program; but not with the muscles you first picture. My mind, (my stamina) my confidence, my flexibility, and my creative collaboration (solo and with others) was all sharpened starting Fall of 2020 in to this summer.
I have never truly been a member of a gym, and I’ve always gone the unconventional route to exercise, which to me demonstrates how this metaphor with MAIP connects so well.
I am unlike many people who have ever tested the weight of advertising, but alike to many of the MAIPers I connected with in my ADventures group, and the program in general, as I didn’t follow the conventional route of portfolio school to get to where I am.
From college down to when I was a babe, my life was centered around creativity, whether that was in dance (even though my mom said that I didn’t have the “juice” or rhythm built in just yet), in sewing, crochet, gymnastics, watercolor, or in writing. No matter what, I wanted be a part of producing something beautiful, and making change. I pursued this dream at Tufts, and the way that I set up my college experience was like that of a person running on a treadmill with two screens attached to it. One screen of my mind was what I enjoyed. My time prepping and designing theatre shows, creating flyers with my sorority, mixing music and testimonies from others over dance videos, genuinely serving and caring for my community, y español, claro, were a few. The other screen showed future careers, my love for history, traveling, international affairs, and filling my plate up just enough to feel like I’m going to burst at the dinner table then have to get back on the treadmill again.
You realize after running towards these screens for so long, you never take a break long enough to check out the other machines and screens at the “gym”. I finally allowed myself to stop chasing the screens and someone pointed out a machine I’d never used before. I fell into advertising when I wasn’t looking (for it). That machine I didn’t notice and finally used was my Clothing and Sustainability class taught by Ariel Kraten. It showed me not only the unethical treatment of workers and environmental hazards in fast fashion but also was the doorway to meeting the advertising mentors who would show me a new way that my creativity could change others’ perspectives.
After never really touching advertising (or this new weight station) aside from a few classes at Tufts, I really had to ask a few people how to lift these weights, which to me at least, is a little embarrassing when you’re surrounded by gym aficionados (you know the type). Boy, oh boy, did lifting these weights make me cry. (In real time, photoshop was obviously the cause.) it was a slow transition moving from the 5 lb weight to the 10 to 15 and so on in increasing my ad skills. And gym lingo? You can forget it. The mystery of “KPIs”was the beginning of my investing in an ad dictionary, believe that.
MAIP with my family’s support strengthened my flexibility, timeliness, persistence, and my courage. I created the two advertising campaigns necessary to even apply to the program which would not have happened if God and Ambar Vidals did not extended the deadline twice on one of the hardest applications I have ever done. I mastered photoshop, became a finalist (were at the 15 lb weight mark right now) and I was selected by the beautiful agency, Havas Chicago.
I upgraded my gym subscription to every day, not 2x a week, or 3x a week between school and essays…no. The real deal gym rat feel. I wanted to be the best I could be for this agency that trusted me to write and work on brands like the National Association of Realtors and Babybel Global.
This summer has been nothing short of joy, doubt, imposter syndrome, education, mentorship, and a loving community that has been pushing me forward all summer (special shoutout to my team ADventures, and my Intern Crew at Havas). MAIP brought me here, trained me, and with Havas Chicago have suited me for the real world of advertising and stepping out of the gym to commit to writing for change.
