Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Welcome Basia Mack, Matrix's new intern!


I stand by this quote because there have been so many things I have envisioned myself doing, and I ask myself, “Why am I not where I want to be? What is taking me so long?” Then I take a step back to re-evaluate myself and realize that “Everything happens for a reason.”

Born and raised in Detroit, MI, at the tender age of seven, I fell in love with the arts. I cheered, danced and played instruments. I took everything I did seriously; blood, sweat, and tears have definitely built me up to become the strong-minded young woman I am today.

My name is Basia Mack and I am a student at Eastern Michigan University. I am studying Arts and Entertainment Management with a double minor in Entrepreneurship and Entertainment Design and Technology. Working in the Arts is my calling. I feel I have an obligation to make this world understand the importance of how many people can benefit from the arts. Art is a health booster. Art is a stress reliever. Art is fun and art is just simply amazing! I have dipped my hands in the various fields of the arts, but now it’s time to put my love for the arts to the test!

For my final semester at EMU, I had been charged with the task of finding an off-campus internship. I really wanted to see, smell, and taste the atmosphere outside of Eastern Michigan University and get a hands-on experience in my related field. In February of 2016, I called Matrix Theatre Company, but at that time they were not offering any internships (along with everyone else). My Summer, 2016 goal of obtaining an internship was tarnished! Again, “Everything happens for a reason.” The Fall, 2016 Semester began and I sat down with my Department Advisor, Susan Badger Booth, to brainstorm ideas for the type of internships she and I both felt would benefit me. She said, “Hey, what about Matrix?”

             I said, “Susan, remember they weren’t looking to have an intern, we called together.”
“Oh, that’s right!” she said, “Well, try again, things could have changed!” 
After that conversation, I had thoughts of not calling, but then thought, what is the worst that could happen? 

Walking into my interview, it already felt like home! It was as if I had been here before. My final confirmation of knowing I belonged here came when I began to converse amongst a staff of intelligent women; you can tell that the love of arts oozes out of them. Taking a class in this field of study versus really working in it is really different! 

The good thing about Matrix is that it’s small enough for everyone to have some sort of knowledge of each department, and they all can work as a cohesive group. Teamwork is very important when running any type of business. What struck me the most about Matrix, though, was their Mission Statement. It communicates the values of how I feel about the arts, and how they strive to teach children about theatre while also teaching a lesson about different social justice issues that happen within our everyday lives.

            Now that it is my time, I’m excited to see how my continued journey here at Matrix unfolds while operating in each department; marketing, theatre operations, theatre education, and overall administrative duties. Wish me luck!

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