Rising Star is a worthy award for alum and Linehan Artist Scholar Courtney Culp ’20. During her time at UMBC, Culp was both an athlete and an artist, playing Division 1 soccer and pursuing a degree in visual arts. Now, this star has continued to rise higher, earning an M.F.A. in arts and entertainment at the Savannah College of Art and Design and working as a graphic designer at Warner Bros. Discovery—combining her degree and athletics experience into a role that creates key art designs for TNT Sports—NBA, NHL, U.S. Soccer, MLB, and more. 

Culp chats below with fellow Linehan Scholar and UCM intern Kayla Logue ’27 about balancing athletics and the arts, her experience as a Linehan Artist Scholar, and how her time at UMBC has led her to a dream career. 

Q: How does it feel to win an alumni award just a few years after graduation?

A: It honestly hasn’t hit me just yet, but I’m overjoyed with gratitude and am really looking forward to giving back to the community. I can see the steps that I took to get here and how UMBC played a huge role in my development. I want to pour back into the school, back into the campus, and the faculty and students. That’s what I’m really looking forward to, especially with the Linehan Scholars mentorship group.

Q: What motivated you to apply to the Linehan Artist Scholars Program? What did you find most valuable from this select experience?

A: The program’s mission statement and framework was something that really sparked my interest. I really enjoyed being surrounded by different types of creatives who pushed you to see things from other perspectives and become the best artist you could be. The extracurriculars, in terms of exposing us to the arts in different places, I thought were extremely valuable. Those experiences I believe made me not only a better and more well-rounded artist, but as a person as well.

Q: What was your experience being both an athlete and an artist at UMBC? Did those two parts of your life overlap in any way?

A: I always had two passions growing up: playing sports and the arts. Finding a school where I could excel in both of my passions was extremely important. At UMBC being an athlete and an artist was so much fun. Lots of early mornings at practice and late nights in the studio. Overall, I would say those two parts of my life have overlapped in every way possible. I enjoy using the arts to tell stories about my own and other’s lived experiences. In my senior year at UMBC, I produced A Mile in My Cleats, a documentary about Black women in sports. It explored their stories about having intersectional identities and how that impacted them as Division 1 athletes.

Q: What clicked for you here? Was there a specific time you remember having that realization that UMBC was the right community for you?

 A: I played soccer my whole life, and always wanted to follow in my brother’s footsteps of playing collegiate sports. In high school, my family and I would go to different soccer camps across the country and see different schools that I was interested in. On my way back from one camp, we passed by UMBC’s campus, and we were like, ‘Let’s go drive through there, see what’s going on.’ We loved the campus immediately, my parents and I. Eventually going to soccer camp at UMBC, seeing the breadth of diversity on campus, the emphasis on educational advancement, and the dedicated arts programs, I knew that I would be seen, heard, able to thrive in the space that UMBC had built.

Q: Is there someone from UMBC who inspired you, and how?

A: Then-President Freeman Hrabowski spoke to a group of Linehan Artist Scholars on our orientation day. With the authenticity that he spoke with and the real joy that he felt being among his community, I felt very safe and appreciated being at UMBC. It didn’t matter who you were. Every time you saw him, he greeted you with a smile, a handshake, and asked how you were doing. So, just a really, really great person and that energy trickled down to the entire UMBC community.

Corrie Francis Parks, an associate professor of animation and interactive media, was definitely a big influence on me. Going into UMBC, I thought I wanted to be an animator. I took my first 2D animation class and realized I didn’t love the process of animating frame by frame. But she really showed the breadth of the animation pipeline and all the different things that you can do in the industry. That really sparked my curiosity for learning about different disciplines and mediums, and encouraged me to pursue Intermedia as my degree path. Having a wider foundation of knowledge and skillsets set me up for success in the entertainment industry as the work is extremely collaborative and interdisciplinary.

My two professors from studying abroad, Kimberly Anderson and Lynn Cazabon, were incredible. While in Rome for a month, they made sure that the students were okay and having fun. They were great at translating what we learned in textbooks to seeing it in real life right before our eyes. They really took an interest in the way you viewed the world and the ideas that were important to you.

All of my friends on the soccer team were great. The fitness tests, the early mornings—they’re bonds that have really stuck with me through life. We’re going to each other’s weddings now, which is crazy to think about for me. I still talk to my group of friends that I made in class over papier-mâché making in the Linehan Freshman Seminar. We’ve all stuck together and really support each other through different stages of life.

Q: What is your current role at Warner Bros. Discovery?

A: I am a graphic designer for Warner Bros. Discovery, specifically TNT Sports. I help create the key art designs for our entire sports portfolio— NBA, NHL, U.S. Soccer, MLB, and more. Our work is seen across promotional video campaigns, digital ads, and posters and billboards. We work closely with our broadcast teams designing logos for studio shows and building and designing physical sets. We aim to create best-in-class work that allows fans an exciting, quality experience while watching their favorite sports teams. We also work as an in-house creative studio, providing company needs like designing merchandise and redesigning the corporate offices.

Q: What do you find most fulfilling about your profession? 

A: Knowing that you’re a part of someone else’s joy. Knowing that there are such huge sports fandoms and people who look to sports as a way of entertainment or a way of connecting with those they love and their community, it’s really, really fun. It’s also a huge responsibility for me to make sure that we’re doing the best work that we can for the person on the other end. I’m always thinking of “younger me” or people who look for these moments as a source of joy throughout their day. That’s super, super important to me.

Q: Have you done any more projects building off your senior year documentary, A Mile in My Cleats?

A: My whole life has kind of been working through that lens because, while I love soccer, what really draws me to the sport is the connection it brings me to my family over a shared passion, and the growth formed from obstacles and challenges that make you a better person. My heart and my way of expression has always been through the arts and creativity. Being a Black woman in sports (or any other profession), there are a lot of things that we go through that others may not know or understand.

Now, working in the sports industry, the foundation of the work is always storytelling. How do we bring in the audience to connect with the product? The most authentic way is by sharing the experiences of the athletes, the teams, and coaches that allow others to see themselves in someone else’s journey.

Mark your calendars for the 2025 Alumni Awards on Wednesday, October 29, at 6 p.m., and consider joining the UMBC community at the Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena to celebrate Courtney Culp and the many remarkable individuals receiving awards. The event will be livestreamed for those unable to join in person. You can learn more at alumni.umbc.edu/alumniawards.

Every so often, we’ll chat with an alum about what they do and how they got there. Today we’re talking with photographer Marlayna Demond ’11, Visual Arts, about what it’s like to run her own photography business and work for UMBC at the same time.

Name: Marlayna Demond
Job Title: Photographer
Employer: self and UMBC
Scholarships Received at UMBC: Linehan Scholar

Q: Tell us a little bit about how you wound up at UMBC.

I knew I wanted to go somewhere that had a strong art program, but I also knew I didn’t want to go to an art school – I didn’t want to give up the chance to take classes in other departments. I looked at several universities in Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania but felt the strongest pull to UMBC, in part because I was awarded the Linehan Scholarship. But I also felt like the size and atmosphere of this university fit me better than any others. I remember the team [of people] helping out with campus tours being really excited, so that helped my decision, too.

As far as my background, my mom is an art and photography teacher at a high school where I grew up, so photography was a part of my life since I was a kid following her around in the darkroom.

Q: What’s it like to run your own photography business?

Running your own business – especially at the beginning – is really hard. But once things get going the best part of the business is word of mouth because it means my clients are happy. The number one way I get new clients is by previous clients sharing their experience with their friends and when I get new clients through recommendations that makes me super happy! My least favorite part is marketing myself, especially in a new [to me] area. I moved from Harford County to Howard County so building up local clients is tough, but it’s finally starting to happen after about a year.

I think UMBC prepared me [to run my own business] with a great network of people and with classes that taught me to think creatively.

Q: You’re also the staff photographer here at UMBC. What’s it like to be back on campus, working at the place you went to school?

I really enjoy working here. I feel comfortable on campus because it’s familiar and I like that I run into some of my professors and friends that are still here. It’s neat to see the campus grow and change – and to stay involved in a way that I might not have otherwise.

Q: Is there a particular class or professor who really inspired you?

All of my photography professors are very approachable. Calla Thompson’s digital darkroom got me interested in digital manipulation and inspired my senior project series. Being involved with the Honors College and Linehan Scholars program also exposed me to a lot of ideas and different art, which are good places to find inspiration!

Q: What advice would you give to students considering UMBC?

Come here! That’s honestly my first thought. It’s a great school – the perfect size for not getting lost in the crowd. Professors are willing to help you and get to know you, but you also have to make an effort and give them a reason to remember you. Take full advantage of your college experience – it’s a great place to make connections and learn from all kinds of people.

Q: What is your favorite part of UMBC?

My proudest memory was completing my senior project and hanging my series in the CADVC gallery as part of the senior show. I spent a lot of time putting it together so it was a great experience to show my work to friends and family. I also have great memories of playing ultimate frisbee. I joined the ultimate frisbee team my senior year and only wish I’d done so sooner because I met a lot of awesome people that I’m still friends with. Everyone says to get involved at school, and I agree – get involved as soon as possible! My other piece of advice is to have fun. There’s no other environment like a university – maybe that’s why I’m still at UMBC!

Check out more of Marlayna’s work on her website.