INTRODUCTION AND ASCII SELFIE

    My name is Maria Flaibam and I'm a junior majoring in Sport Management, but I'm in the process of changing my major to Advertising and Public Relations. I was born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil but I moved to Tampa for college back in 2021 and also because the weather is very similar to Brazil's. I feel like moving to the United States by myself with no family helped me mature as a person, built character and became a lot more responsible and independent. I was able to grow and build a life for myself here, now my sister also moved in with me and plans to attend UT in the Spring!

    Some of my favorite hobbies is going to the beach or the pool, I enjoy being out in the sun and the sticky feeling that stays in your body after you go in the ocean. It feels like every time I swim in the ocean it renews and cleans me. However, most of my free time I spend working. I'm a server in a Italian restaurant downtown called Bavaro's (their food is amazing). Sometimes I have a hard time managing work and class, but I try my best to be on top of my studies. 

    I have always loved drawing and creating fun designs since I was a kid. During the summer I became very interested with editing pictures and creating my own creative wallpaper to use for my phone, that is what inspired me to join this class. I am very excited for this class because I have always wanted to learn how to use the abode programs but there are so many tools that are much better explained by a Professor with much more experience than me. I hope that by the end of the semester I can be proficient in these softwares that will for sure be much help for when I am out in the work field.