Marian c. holmes
education
State University of New York at Oswego I College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
​2010 - 2014
Bachelor of Arts with a double Major in English and Creative Writing; Minor in Gender Studies
Presidential Scholarship; President’s List; Magna Cum Laude
eMPLOYMENT
Community Habilitation Specialist I Independent Support Services
​2018 - PRESENT
Individualized Plan Creation; Advocacy; Activity Adaptment; Redirection; Community Habilitation; Interfacement with Team; Community Safety
English Tutor I Self-Employed
​2016 - PRESENT
Specialized in Students with Special Needs; Individualized Lesson Plan Creation
Author I Self-Employed
​2011 - PRESENT
Creative Non-Fiction; Screenwriting; Journalistic Articles; Online Blog; Scholarly Papers; Informational and Promotional Materials; Advertising Copy
GRAPHIC ARTIST I Self-Employed
​2011 - PRESENT
T-Shirt Design; Promotional Posters; Album Artwork; Website Architect; Invitation Design; Program Design; Pamphlet Design; Logo Design
Chief Design Officer; Co-Owner I Basic Wick Girls
​2015 - 2018
Customer Service; Marketing; Product Design; Website Architect; Sales
Technician I Wacker Orthopedic Inc.
​2016 - 2018
Customer Service; Warehouse Organization; Orthoses Fabrication
PROJECTS
FINDING MY WAY BACK HOLMES I TRAVEL BLOG
​2017 - PRESENT
Author; Creative Non-Fiction; Logo Design
long island buddy club I special needs nonprofit
​2018 - PRESENT
Vice President; Poster Design; T-Shirt Design; Bi-Monthly Newsletter; Event Coordinator; Social Media Platform
Community Program Coordinator I LGBT NETWORK
​2015 - 2016
Program Coordinator; LIGALY Advisory Board facilitator; OUTlet facilitator; Event Coordination
RAISING VOICES FOR HIGHER EXPECTATIONS...
LGBTQIA+ ACTIVISM
long island gay and lesbian youth (LIGALY)
Director of Communications I 2015-2016
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Member of Long Island Gay PTSA I 2015-2016
LIGALY, the oldest sub-organization of the LGBT Network, is the home of Long Island's youth-oriented LGBTQIA+ programming and events. Providing services to over 25,000 youth annually, this organization strives to build community, promote youth advocacy, and put an end to anti-LGBT+ bullying. Their extensive and varying programming, coupled with the myriad of health services offered, make LIGALY a crucial aspect of Long Island for youth and beyond.
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Serving as the Director of Communications, I facilitated two of LIGALY's larger programs, LIGALY Advisory Board (LAB), and OUTlet, while also monitoring the Youth Drop-In program. Together, the youth and I developed, created, and published a youth empowerment “'zine,” organized a “Pre-Prom” styling event in celebration of acceptance, and continued to organize and grow OUTlet, a positive, safe, and affirming Friday-night event for local youth. Throughout my time with LIGALY I stressed the importance of: interdisciplinary events, collaborating with outside communities, and utilizing art as a form of expression, education, and growth. Under my leadership both LAB and OUTlet grew in number, an increase was seen in youth seeking out leadership roles within these programs, and an anti-bullying task-force was implemented during the Friday night OUTlet events.
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Beyond my work with the youth of LIGALY, my role as Director of Communications also included the coordination of several large-scale events. I successfully organized an inclusive prom for the youth of Long Island and Queens, facilitated an island-wide talent show, helped organize the Day of Silence and Night of Noise events, and coordinated the annual Long Island LGBT Conference, held at Stony Brook University each year.
SUNY Oswego Pride Alliance
President I 2013-2014, 2012-2013
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Director of Communications I 2011-2012
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Liaison with SUNY Oswego LGBT+ Resource Center I 2011-2014
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Liaison with SUNY Oswego Diversity Task Force I 2014
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Liaison with SUNY Oswego Accepted Student Committee I 2014
The SUNY Oswego Pride Alliance is the campus' gender and sexuality alliance. Entirely student-run and funded, this organization strives to bring acceptance and change to the entire campus by working with its members as well as faculty and staff. By bringing in educational speakers and programming, collaborating with other organizations on campus and in the surrounding Oswego community, and hosting weekly informative meetings, Pride has been nothing but successful in making SUNY Oswego a safer and healthier environment for all of its students and staff.
During my entire time at SUNY Oswego I worked with Pride Alliance, serving for two consecutive terms as the President of this organization. Before this I served as the Director of Communications where I was in charge of fundraising, event planning, and the organization's graphic design needs. Under my leadership, the Pride Alliance exponentially increased its membership rates as well as its involvement in the larger Oswego community, working closely with the local PFLAG chapter, Oswego Pride, The Acceptance Coalition (Oswego High School's Gender and Sexuality Alliance), and Services to Aid Families (SAF). We brought in speakers/performers such as the ladies of Everyone is Gay, Megan Andelloux of Oh Megan!, Shauna O'Toole, Julia Weldon, and Charlene Howell, filmed an It Get's Better Video which was requested to be used for an MTV special, and hosted a NOH8 Photo Shoot through the NOH8 in My School campaign, to name just a few of many events and activities. Due to the diligence of my executive board and myself, Pride received the Oswego Promise Award both years that I was President, the most prestigious award granted to student organizations on campus, as well as the Laker Life Award for the 2013-2014 academic year.
SUNY Oswego LGBT+ Resource Center
Founding Board Member I 2012-2014
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Chair of Fundraising I 2012-2013
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Poster Campaigns I 2012-2013
The SUNY Oswego LGBT+ Resource Center was created to provide a safe, open, and inclusive space whose focus is on creating a campus free of homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, bigotry, prejudice, and heterosexism. This is achieved through a dynamic array of services including: educational outreach, referral services, safe space training, LGBTQIA+ advocacy, and informative programming. Overall, the center strives to create a unified and inclusive campus for all individuals.
The LGBT+ Resource Center began as collaborative panel of students and faculty concerned with the campus climate regarding LGBTQIA+ issues. Gathering support from various student groups and faculty, these individuals began holding monthly meetings to discuss necessary changes and how to implement them at SUNY Oswego. Together, the founders of The Center developed and distributed a climate survey, created and implemented their own safe space training program, and created educational programs for Resident Assistants and Residence Hall Directors to use in their buildings.
As a founding board member of the SUNY Oswego LGBT+ Resource Center, I have developed and instituted educational poster campaigns, created an informative introductory pamphlet for entering Freshman, worked closely with local businesses in the Oswego Community to assist with fundraising, worked on grant proposals, and developed the entire web presence for The Center. I also developed the SUNY Oswego Safe Space Training Program and led several trainings and trainer-training sessions throughout my time with this organization.
Safe Space/Safe Zone Trainer
As a certified Safe Space/Safe Zone Trainer through the Gay Alliance of Genesee Valley, I developed and ran the SUNY Oswego Safe Space Training Program along with the Train-the-Trainer Program, as the Chief Training Facilitator. I strived to create a comfortable and informative environment where others can come to educate themselves on LGBTQIA+ topics, update their current knowledge-base, and, as always, feel comfortable to ask any and all questions they may have.
I have run one and four hour safe space trainings, incorporating mixed media presentations and hands-on group work.
(DIS)ABILITY ACTIVISM
PCC's diversity committee
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co-president I 2020-2021
Positive Community Connections empowers people with disabilities to make their own life choices and succeed in the communities where they work, live, and play.
The organization's overall goal is to to help people with special needs focus on self-determination and full inclusion in the community by: promoting access to the supports and services they need in order to become active and productive members of the community; encouraging long-term planning for aspiring towards meaningful life goals; and supporting efforts to establish social connections and friendships in the community.
PCC's Diversity Committee is committed to furthering the organization's goals while looking specifically at the intersectionality in the disabled community and the need for awareness, education, and continued support of all of its diverse members. We strive to host events and educate local organization on the intersections of other marginalized communities within the disabled community and put the issues of LGBT+ and/or BIPOC members of the diasbled communtiy at the forefront of our work!
long island BUDDY CLUB
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vice president I 2018-2019
The Long Island Buddy Club is not only one of the only local Long Island nonprofit programs catering to young adults with special needs (ages 18-30), but also one of the very few which does not limit membership based on type of (dis)ability: we believe that in bringing people together, their differences become their strengths.
Our overall goal is to create a fun and safe environment where young adults with special needs can be themselves, and make new friends while exploring what Long Island has to offer! We host a variety of events, 4-5 times a month, at which we strive to promote community connection, and grow independence among our members; we integrate socialization and self-advocacy skills into all that we host. The organization is continuing to grow every day, averaging three new members per event, and has had an immense impact on the mental health of our members - time and again we watch dejected newcomers join, only to leave our events with hope, and, of course, a friend.
Beyond our dedication to the special needs population, the Buddy Club also commits its mission to the community and businesses of Long Island. We not only host events at local cafés and movie theaters so to increase their revenue, but also form lasting community partnerships, such as ours with Chris Gates and his Tae Kwon Do studio; Chris is finalizing a new special needs class at his DoJo, set to begin in June of 2019, due to sheer demand from our members after attending our events with him. Strengthening our community is something we are passionate about at The Buddy Club, and spreading our message of acceptance to local businesses helps makes Long Island a more accessible and enjoyable place for all!
feminism(s)
Feminist Artist
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I have created several works of Feminist art including a two-piece political series combating body image issues.
I use my artwork to spread the message of feminism through visual means, and to invoke a sense of questioning in today's patriarchal society.
My piece, "'Till Death Lets Us Part" is centered on the perception of marriage and the demand for motherhood held in our society today. Utilizing mixed three-dimensional elements I was able to elude to both the "double-bind" faced by women, as well as the Madonna-Whore complex.
The "Dear Mattel" series focuses instead on the growing issues with body image in our society, highlighting the absurd measurements which both Barbie and Ken sport in contrast to the average man and woman today.
SUNY Oswego Women's Center
During my four years at SUNY Oswego I was honored to work very closely with the SUNY Oswego Women's Center, the student-led gender-equality organization at SUNY Oswego. As both the President of the Pride Alliance and an active member of the Women's Center as well, I have assisted with and participated in numerous feminist rallies and events such as: Slut Walk, Take Back the Night, The Vagina Monologues, and V-Day.
By working so closely with such a wonderful organization and volunteering my time to these causes I further developed my interest in gender studies and thus began to formally study the topic in an academic setting