Mardi's Blog

Intramural & Internship: An Old-Soul Connection by: Mardline Prevot Via: Pix4Free Beyond thesis work, I've officially started my role as a social media content creator for the BSU Intramural Fitness Instagram Page. It feels less like an entry-level position and more like a promotion built on trust—an old-soul bond between my supervisor and me, one that transcends being "in the 20th century." This therapeutic environment at the BSU Intramural and Recreation program is steeped in culture. I've even grown to affectionately call my supervisor "Mom." We have an incredible work system at the McKeldin Gym. It’s exciting to watch the youth bond every Tuesday and Thursday during the Call of Duty-inspired weekly basketball games. On a real standpoint, their interactions aren't built on ego but on a business-like approach to playing the sport and learning the sports industry. These games have given us some incredible metric numbers that are proving invaluable f...

"Fire" Highlights and Unexpected Turns: A Senior Thesis Reflection By: Mardline Prevot Via: Midterms in October What a way to kick off the week! My Senior Thesis work was highlighted as "Fire" this Monday, September 28th, a truly energizing moment back here at Bowie State. It's been a minute since I've heard that kind of praise, and it’s fueling a shift in my presentation strategy. I’m cutting down on heavy text and leaning into more imaging with a brighter color palette for my final push. This whole week, I'm declaring it "I'm keeping it DC." This focus on my work has also brought a necessary clarity: it's time to clear the conflict. My morality isn't up for negotiation, and dealing with rude people who don't align with my principles—especially those not representing the best of the NE region—is simply not worth my time or energy. Speaking of energy, seeing Professor Mantant got me genuinely excited for the Kreyol La special ni...

DC Design Week: Day 2 – Coffee Community Kickoff (AIGA DC Design Week 2nd Lineup) by: Mardline Prevot Poster Design by AIGA DC Saturday, September 27th, 2025 is a date I won't soon forget. It’s the day my perspective on Advertising Design shifted entirely, all thanks to a recommendation from my professor, Rodney Williams , to get out and network in the "real world." As Mardi the Graphic Designer —not a "horseshoe" stuck hearing the same old things back at Bowie—I needed a fresh start, and that's exactly what I got. Leveraging my last remaining points from my Adobe Ambassador position with Adobe and my company, Mazopal Design , I earned a $50 Uber gift card, which became my ticket to this new beginning. My ride, an almost cinematic experience driven by Ranjit in a Toyota Camry, took me from campus right to The Village @ Union Market —a spot that holds a special place, as it’s in the district where I was born and raised. The moment I stepped into The Villa...

Rolling! Day 1 of the Prince George's Film Festival: Get Down On It by: Mardline Prevot Via: Festival's Page This blog paragraph marks Year 4 since a pivotal collaboration began, stemming from my inaugural 2022 film volunteer experience as a former Entrepreneurship Living Learning Community Fellow. That initial networking opportunity, facilitated by the director and associate director of the Entrepreneurship Innovation Centre, connected my Visual Communication and Digital Media Arts major (with a concentration in Advertising Design) with the Fine and Performing Arts Centre/Center. This spark ultimately ignited a powerful collaboration that now includes our major corporate partner, Adobe, and the Fine and Performing Arts Centre. Commercial Break: It feels like a scene straight out of Staples—where you had to jump through hoops to get into the Entrepreneurship Innovation Centre, only to pop into an event you forgot to look up on Startup Tree because you're getting ready to g...

Twin They/Them: For the remainder of the Semester - Bélier by: Mardline Prevot Wow, what a week! I got a jaw-dropping look at the new Avatar 3: Fire and Ash trailer right in my 2-D Animation course , and honestly, it felt like an education in itself. It's incredible to see how advanced technology can be harnessed to create such visual intimacy—especially the empathy that shines through the characters' eyes. It’s the perfect inspiration as I prepare to juggle the Prince George's Film Festival kickoff with AIGA DC Design Week . Juggling the showbiz and design worlds isn't new to me at all; in fact, I'm currently focusing on building and prioritizing my network within the LGBTQIA+ community , figuring out the right public-facing name to go with it. You might have heard people use names like Marci, Queen, Mardie, Mardy, or Madeline, or maybe you've just seen a certain face expression meme that says it all! It's all about making sure my name and my face truly...

Scoring a Win: How a Flyer Design Helped Launch a BSU Women's Flag Football Team 🏈 by: Mardline Prevot Via: Pinterest When I was tasked with designing a flyer for the BSU Women's Flag Football Interest Meeting, I saw it as a straightforward assignment for my graphic design internship. It was Week 5, and I was focused on honing my skills in creating visually appealing and effective promotional materials. My goal was simple: craft a design that would grab attention and clearly communicate the meeting's purpose and details. Little did I know that this small project would have such a significant and immediate impact, not just on the flag football team, but on my understanding of the power of design. The results were beyond anything I expected. My supervisor provided me with the data on Monday, September 22nd, 2025, and I was floored. A total of 26 students showed up, a testament to the flyer's reach and effectiveness. The most surprising part? Two guys even attended, expr...

Getting Up to Speed: Full-Time Student, Full-Time Workshop Planner by: Mardline Prevot Hey everyone, it's a new semester, and I'm feeling the energy of a new project! I'm a full-time student, but I'm also diving headfirst into something I've been dreaming of: planning design workshops specifically for my fellow full-time students. This isn't just about a grade; it's about building a foundation for the future of design. I'm starting something I’ve never promoted on my platforms before. It’s a huge step for me, and I’m doing it with the full support of my family, right here from my home in Washington, D.C. This city is a hub of ambition and innovation, and it feels like the perfect place to launch this. The vision for these workshops is rooted in the lessons I’ve been learning, both in the classroom and in life. I see this journey as a blend of the wisdom of the Teacher , the focused power of the King of Swords , and the methodical diligence of the Knight ...

Leaving behind what was a refferal from another carribbean country to another. By: Mardline Prevot  Via Mazopal Design  A Day in the Life: My Graphic Design Internship Week 5 has been a journey of growth, challenge, and creative wins. As an intern with Bowie State's Intramural and Recreation program, I've had the opportunity to put my Visual Communication and Digital Media Arts (VCDMA) skills into practice while learning on the fly. This week was all about a new design project and getting a deeper understanding of the program's operations. My Duties and Collaborations My primary responsibility this week was to design promotional materials for the Intramural Basketball league's "Call of Duty" themed week. Using Adobe Express, I created the graphics that were posted on the BSU Intramural Fitness Instagram page, @bsuintramuralfitness. This involved not just the design work but also organizing the information, including the names of players and their respective te...

Acknowledgment and Gratitude to Kush Models University for Fostering a Culture of Respect at Bowie State University by: Mardline Prevot Via Bowie State’s Kush Models University As a student, you encounter all sorts of people and situations. Sometimes, it's a breeze, and other times, it feels like a storm you have to weather. For a while, I struggled to understand the attitudes of some women on campus at Bowie State, particularly in a few frustrating encounters. One instance involved a sorority sister from the fall 2024 class who confronted me over a flyer. Another issue arose when I was an E-board member and had trouble getting access to an LGBTQ+ Instagram page. These experiences left me feeling confused and frustrated. I've always preferred to be a calm, cool, and collected person, so these interactions were tough for me to handle. Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone Recently, something shifted. While leaving the Martin Luther King Jr. Communication Arts Building to study at the ...

Switch Up the Characters: Week 4 - Setting the Record Straight by: Mardline Prevot  Via Disney My fourth week as a student has been full of unexpected turns, starting with a surprisingly true look at my family dynamic. I'm turning over a new leaf and embracing my journey. I visited what’s known as "The Vault" at the Division of Administration and Finance. That's right—I'm working on navigating all this AI, and by AI, I mean Adobe Illustrator. I’ve always been and always will be an artist; design just added a spark to the flame. College has been a real journey! In an effort to practice politeness, I’ve been reading a chapter on "The Way of the Samurai." I’ve given myself the discipline of reading about the philosophy of Japanese culture. As an adult with a blerd (black nerd) background, I'm finding new morality that will be essential as I embark on another adventure. I have an opportunity to be an intern for the Driving Force Automotive Internship at ...

A New Home for Haitian Art in Bowie by: Mardline Prevot  Via Mazopal Design ( Haitian Community: The Vintage View) The words sting, even when they're not directed at me. In my courses, when Haiti comes up, it's a predictable script: poverty, political instability, a place to avoid. A casual dismissal of a country so rich in history and resilience. It's a narrative that paints my home as a lost cause, a cautionary tale. And for a long time, I just listened, the words sinking in. But then I realized something. They're not completely wrong. Haiti has faced incredible challenges. But that's not the whole story, and it's certainly not the only story. What's missing from their textbooks is the vibrant, powerful history that makes Haiti what it is today. They don't talk about the incredible strength and ingenuity of a country that, after 1804, became the first free Black republic. They don't mention the Black liberation that sparked hope across the diaspora...

From Mock Interviews to Mazopal Design 👁️‍🗨️ by: Mardline Prevot  Via HomeFree-USA instagram page. Hey everyone! It’s week three of the semester, and I've been grinding behind the scenes, getting my portfolio together and doing some serious eye imaging exercises for my advertising design class. One thing that's been on my mind is the feedback I got from my professor about my mock-up interview. She said I should really look into the Haitian music industry for my design calendar instead of focusing on the political origins of the country. It was a good reality check. It made me realize that even though I've spent years honing my skills in Adobe Illustrator and Express, I still have so much to learn about targeting specific markets and making my work relevant. I've been building a relationship with Adobe Animate, which has not been easy, but I'm determined to master it. I've also been exploring other tools to make sure my branding visualizations stand out, especi...

The Big Apple and The Digital Marketing World: A Haitian-American's Journey at Out 4 Undergrad 2024 by: Mardline Prevot Image of Mardi Prevot New York City. The "Big Apple." A place of dreams, memories, and for me, a reunion with family and a step into the future of my career. As a Haitian-American, my connection to this city is deeply rooted. My guardian, a strong and resilient woman who came from Pétionville, Haiti, made sure I knew my family there. I remember countless visits as a child and into my early 20s, seeing my aunts and cousins, and even celebrating my little cousin's communion—a memory that now feels like a warm hug from the past. Recently, I found myself back in the heart of it all, but for a different reason. A good friend, who believed in me even after I faced a few rejection letters, referred me to the Out 4 Undergrad 2024 Digital Conference. It was a golden opportunity, a chance to learn more about my chosen career path: design. And what an experienc...

The Game Plan: Designing a Map for BSU's Basketball Season by: Mardline Prevot Design by Mardline Prevot As a graphic design intern with the Intramural and Fitness department at BSU Athletics, my weeks have been packed with exciting projects. Beyond creating promotional flyers for our weekly fitness classes, I recently took on a particularly interesting challenge: designing a cartographic map of the AC Jordan Court Arena for the upcoming basketball season. This project was a great opportunity for me to apply cartographic design principles to a real-world, user-focused problem. The goal was to create a clear, professional map that would help staff members and attendees easily navigate the arena. I wanted to ensure the design was not only functional but also visually aligned with the BSU Athletics brand. My design process began with careful planning and research. I first gathered detailed information about the arena's layout, including key locations like entrances, restrooms, con...

Week as a Graphic Design Intern: Finding My Place in Sports By: Mardline Prevot Flyer Design by Mardline Prevot  This week has been a whirlwind of creativity and collaboration as a graphic design intern for Bowie State University's (BSU) Intramural and Recreation program. It's been an incredible experience to merge my passion for design with the dynamic world of sports, and I'm excited to share a glimpse into what my days have been like.  My main project this week was designing three new flyers to kick off the second season of our intramural sports and fitness classes. The goal was to create something engaging that would grab the attention of students across campus. I started by getting a clear understanding of the university's policies and guidelines, meticulously reviewing the BSU student club handbook. This step, while a bit tedious, was crucial for ensuring my designs were in perfect alignment with the Office of University Relations and Marketing. Working closely wi...

  2nd Week: The Recreation of Sports in the Marvel Setting by: Mardline Prevot Via Avengers (2012) This week was all about solving problems and finding my rhythm. It's my second week as a Graphic Design intern for the Bowie State University Athletics Department, and while the work is a dream, the real world likes to throw some curveballs. F-A-F-S-A-Fixing-It My first order of business was to get my FAFSA straightened out with the financial aid office. It was a minor hiccup, but it was keeping me from getting paid for the work I was doing. As a first-generation college student, every dollar counts, especially when you're trying to cover your dorm payments. I took my supervisor's advice and went directly to the registrar's office. It was a simple fix—just a small error that needed to be corrected—but it was a great reminder that being on top of your finances is just as important as being on top of your work. The Intersecting Worlds of Graphic Design and Theater Speaking o...