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SEP 8 11:30 AMAsian Studies Welcome ReceptionJoin the UMBC Asian Studies community for some food & fun!Performing Arts & Humanities Building : Sculpture Forum |
Menstrual health can be a financial burden that many people quietly carry. On average, menstruating people spend $20 a month on period products, a total of around $18,000 in their lifetime. When I first started attending UMBC, on campus, like most places, I noticed that products aren’t freely accessible in bathrooms, leaving many students struggling to meet basic needs. But I would quickly learn, from my classes and my student work position, that at UMBC, you’re never “just a student,” but also a person who can create change.
That realization first took shape in the spring of 2023, during my freshman year. I was taking Dr. Kate Drabinski’s gender and women’s studies class on feminist activism, in which I worked with a group to advocate for free menstrual health products on campus. Looking for guidance, I reached out to the Women’s, Gender, and Equity Center (WGEC). But what started as a class project turned into a deeper connection with the WGEC, ultimately leading me to apply for a student intern position that would last for four semesters.
When I began working at the WGEC, my initial assumption was that my role would primarily involve routine administrative tasks, such as managing the front desk, greeting visitors, and answering phone calls. Instead, as I became more immersed in the role, I was given the space to take on responsibilities that extended beyond administrative duties and required deeper involvement, such as facilitating a discussion group for women of color. After taking on these important tasks, I began to feel a sense of imposter syndrome—I felt unqualified to meet the expectations. Still, I pushed myself to take on the responsibilities of the job.
For the two years I worked there, my supervisors, Lauren Allen, director, and Zoe Brown, program coordinator, consistently encouraged me to go out of my comfort zone and grow both personally and professionally. I picked up skills on public speaking from the various activities the WGEC is involved in—from presenting my research on intersectional feminism at URCAD, to hosting panels, workshops, and discussion circles.
Working at the WGEC also allowed me to put my passion for social justice to use. Such as planning and engaging in the Take Back the Night (TBTN) rally to support survivors of sexual violence and raise awareness on campus. Despite the difficulties of navigating imposter syndrome, UMBC gave me many opportunities to make real change as “just a student worker.”
Left to right: WGEC’s Women’s History Month Panel, TBTN 2024 rally, TBTN 2025 clothesline display (Michael Mower/UMBC, Tanzila Malik/UMBC)
The skills I developed through working at the WGEC gave me the confidence and abilities to pursue other avenues—another step in learning to elevate my student voice. In March of 2024, I was a participant in the Alternative Spring Break (ASB) trip through the Center for Democracy and Civic Life. Again, I had the opportunity to advocate for causes I was passionate about, in this case, specifically focusing on the incarceration system and improving life after incarceration. The lessons I learned during that five-day trip were invaluable.
I was so impassioned by this experience that I applied to become a leader for next year’s cohort of ASB participants. This time, the group focused on environmental justice and sustainability efforts in Baltimore City. We met with community leaders, organizations, city officials, and local communities directly impacted by the issues.
Left to right: ASB Environmental Justice and Sustainability cohort cleaning oyster cages at the Baltimore Inner Harbor; ASB participants planting trees in Howard Park (Bianca Canales/UMBC).
Participating in these opportunities through the WGEC and the Center for Democracy and Civic Life instilled the belief that I could pursue significant endeavors. As a first-year student, I thought of UMBC as just another educational institution. Through participating in campus initiatives, I came to discover that UMBC is a community of change-makers, from our administration, to our faculty and staff, to the students. We’re always pushed to think outside the box and question everything we think we already know.
Taking on leadership roles while being supported by the WGEC has allowed me to transform self-doubt into self-reliance, something I didn’t pick up on until college. I drew confidence from trusting that my supervisors and peers recognized strengths in me that I hadn’t fully seen, which reinforced my belief in my own potential.
Although my project advocating for free menstrual products has yet to come to fruition, the work continues. Through other student groups, SGA committees, and proposals, I have hope that this vision will be realized. In the meantime, the WGEC has many free resources available.
My advice to fellow Retrievers is, get involved. It’s never too late to explore all the opportunities available at UMBC. Always remember that the connections you make and the lessons you learn here will stay with you long after your academic journey is over. Get engaged, ask the big questions, push yourself to achieve your goals, and influence the world. The UMBC community will be right there with you along your journey.
Learn more about UMBC’s Center for Democracy and Civic Life, and the Women’s, Gender, & Equity Center.
Tanzila Malik is a senior majoring in women’s studies and a 2025 UCM intern.
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