Name: Jess Sommerville

Year: Second

Major: English (Area Program in Poetry Writing)

Hometown: Mason, OH

1.    What brought you to the Women's Center?

I admire the Women’s Center as a hub of positivity, and I am eager to collaborate with and learn from activist women. I was especially interested to join the Social Media Marketing team because I wanted to use my love for words and interest in multimedia to amplify important voices.

2.    What other organizations are you involved with at UVA?

My main involvements are with HackCville, for which I teach the introductory graphic design course Vector. I am also the Publications Chari for Flux Poetry and Spoken Word, and Arts and Entertainment reporter for the Cavalier Daily, and a probationary member of the Jefferson Literary and Debating Society.

3.    If you could describe your intern team in 3 words, what would they be?

Passionate, creative, informed

4.    What is your favorite memory of UVA thus far?

I stayed in Charlottesville this summer, and my favorite UVA memories come from that time. Nothing too outlandish happened, but I had a wonderful time getting to know a smaller pool of students by going to Sunset Series or summer blockbusters, especially after a fast-paced first year.

5.    What does leadership mean to you?

Leadership to me means empowering others to feel in charge of the project and recognize the value they provide to the team effort. It is a bottom-up rather than a top-down approach.

6.    What is your guilty pleasure?

Terrible TV — the worse, the better!