Contestant #1 – Mary Koster
After reading Mary’s reason for why she wants my ticket to the Frederick Chamber New Media and Technology Conference, please leave a comment with why she deserves it the most. At least put her name in the comment, so I can tell it is not a spam comment. Voting ends Wednesday, January 27 at 3:00 pm EST.
Golden ticket – how could I not want that? I feel like I’m 5 in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory! Just the sound of it makes my mouth water.
In all seriousness, though, I’m pretty new to social media and learning what it could do for me and my freelance business as well as my budding photography career. I am really interested in learning more to help me be knowledgeable and on the front-line of social media for my next employer and my own business ventures. And yes, I definitely would like it because I am unemployed and can’t afford to go otherwise. Plus, I LOVE Frederick and would love to move there. Social networking, and networking in general, at an event like this can certainly help with that!
Recently I’ve joined twitter and started my own facebook business page, but I know there is so much more that I could do and learn. I am one of many artists involved in a twitter live auction event put on by @140hours that is turning my photography hobby into a potentially good side-gig. 
It’s also helping charities (including a special Haiti-relif auction where 100% of sales are going to Haiti rescue/relief), so it’s a win-win for me and my personal goals of giving back to the community. Additionally, being involved in these art auctions has taught just how powerful social media can be. So, the more I can learn about how to promote myself and my business, the more I will be ready for the whatever comes next while keeping up with my goals of giving back to the community as best as I can!
Thanks for considering me!
Me and my freelance company info can be found at:
http://www.hiremary.com
http://www.mkdesignhaus.com
http://www.twitter.com/chelandria
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Baltimore-MD/MK-Design-Haus/
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
Having worked directly with Mary on big school projects, the one thing I have come to know about her is that she is an extremely driven individual. Reading her entry here was almost like going back to the days we were communicating over hundreds of miles (I live in California while she is in Maryland), in that you can feel her passion in only a few written words. There’s no one who deserves this more than Mary. She would be a terrific choice as your winner as she would not waste the opportunity. Good luck!
Mary is a great designer. I am a web developer and have used many graphic designers to work with me. She’s one of the better ones that I have worked with.
She has very innovative designs and would definitely benefit from any conferences she goes to.
Mary Koster deserves every opportunity possible to have access to career options, education & social networking. she’s a creative, skilled & kind individual i am very happy to know. if not for people like her, the world, as i see it, would be a far darker place.
As an unemployed designer, Mary Koster needs the ticket so she can network and get work! (And because she’s awesome and my friend.)
Mary sounds like she’s one of those people who is incredibly full of potential and is just looking for a venue to express herself and achieve. Going to this conference is exactly the kind of opportunity a young designer needs to both learn and become known. You should definitely send her!
I first met Ms. Koster in the early to mid 1990s — I and others were working on Internet technologies back before anyone knew what the Internet was. But Mary already knew. Even if the “Internet Superhighway” was still just a goat path.
In the years that I’ve known her, the one constant has been her never-ending quest to excel and succeed in all that she does. While constantly educating herself, reinventing herself, and pushing herself.
I think that not only will this conference offer Mary the chance to explore the ever evolving state of media and social networking, she might also provide a wealth of background information about some elements of “how we got here”. So both Mary and the conference would benefit from her presence.
Pick Mary! 
We do a lot of work in the non profit sector for the arts. If you laugh about the term “Starving Artist”, think again.
Mary Koster gives her all and is an excellent designer and artist that deserves to receive this ticket to the conference. Getting recognition for fine work brings us to the “Who can market more effectively online” syndrome. We deal in branding and social applications development and wholly support Mary in her quest for even more knowledge; something we’ve found out that Mary has been diligent about doing for 2 decades. Wow, bring her on!
I personally have developed the new bid software and “widgets” which continuously monitor and track the activity around the 140hours.com to which she referred, the online fine art Twitter auction. I’m proud that Mary is using this to her full advantage and has embraced it, together with several hundred others in this new and exciting global venture.
I am @12flat
Wow! Mary WTG! (Way to Go) I trust that you learn all you can to succeed in your endeavors. Makes me feel lucky too! ;o)
Mary Koster has a thirst for knowledge like no other – she is a star in her own right and deserves to go to this conference for free, keep up the good work Mary!
Mary in her joy of art and desire to learn deserves this chance. Please send Mary to this conference where I’m sure she’ll mention more than once that she’s involved in an art auction this week @140hours ( http://www.facebook.com/140hours ) Send Mary!
I think that Mary Koster deserves to attend the conference for free. Her use and enthusiasm for the http://www.140hours.com widget to promote the online art auction shows that Mary recognizes the need and important role that new technology plays in marketing.
Mary gets my vote! Good luck Mary!
I’m for Mary Koster getting to the conference. I am especially for her getting there with a free ticket! I like helping people get ahead and contributing to various helpful things. Mary’s support for the Haitian Relief Art Auction shows she is an enthusiastic contributor!
May so deserves to attend the conference to free! She supports so many others, especially through http://www.140hours.com . I’d love to see her receive this gift. Mary you so get my vote!
I vote for Mary for a ton of reasons! First – she is my fabulous cousin. Of course I am gonna vote for her! Second – she is a terrific designer and is truly enthusiastic about social media and its role in the communications field. Did I mention that she is my cousin, yet?
Mary is incredibly talented and easy to work with. She’s got a great personality and is a lot of fun to be with. Go Mary!
Mary really wants to attend the conference for free! She supports http://www.140hours.com . I’d love to see her receive this gift.
Mary is one of those few people that gives freely to others. She shares her technical knowledge and artistic talent to social causes, while consistently striving for excellence in business and taking care of her family. I vote for Mary because if there is such a thing as karma…well, then Mary is about due for a free ticket.
Mary is definitely trying to use social media to further her business and charitable pursuits but no doubt would benefit from attending this conference. Plus she is awesome. Give her the golden ticket.
I’m not sure that I can add much that’s not already been said above, but I too think that it sounds like a wonderful opportunity for Mary, and can’t think of a more deserving lass.
I’ve worked with Mary in the past, she works hard and does a great job. Always looking to expand her knowledge, this is a great opportunity for her!
robert
Mary is a very accomplished and professional artist. She is very adept at using different social media types to further her work and to further her knowledge.
Mary will poke me with a stick if I don’t say something good here, but its all been said already so, just – do it! {:-)
Mary’s the best – she deserves whatever opportunities she strives for. She is a wonderful designer who does everything she can to expand her knowledge. yay for Mary!
Mary, she’s a sponge. She will definitely absorb every piece of information this conference has to offer. Give her the opportunity an up and coming designer needs.
I vote for Mary Koster! This is a great opportunity and I know that Mary would really make the most possible use of it.
I am voting for contestant #1 Mary Koster. She has the passion and needs some help to bring out her potential. She has a lot of experience starting back in the 80’s when we were kids and she was always on the computer talking to people and sharing her ideas. She even had carpal tunnel syndrome from typing so much. These times are changing fast and she needs to be up on the latest and greatest. As a Certified Professional Photographer, it is most helpful for me to attend conventions and conferences on a regular basis to keep up with technology and trends to move my business in the right direction without being left behind. The networking opportunities are also very helpful to guide and help you make the right decisions. Mary would benefit greatly from these opportunities and education at the Frederick Chamber New Media and Technology Conference. Thank you for allowing her this chance to better herself and the new media and technology community.
As an artist who is learning how social media can help my online store get going, how could I not support Mary in this? Therefore, Mary Koster has my vote!
)Mary is a great designer and always ready to improve herself. Going to this conference will help her to improve on her skills and extend her networking. She is a great person and fights to overcome any adversity. She is an excellent candidate to receive this ticket.
If I owned a business and wanted to find a graphic artist that I know would put in 110%, I’d choose Mary. She’s the person who works above what is expected and puts her artistic desire ahead of everything else. She’s even gone back to school, mid-career, to boost her credentials. This conference could really benefit her by further increasing her knowledge of social media, and it could be a step forward for her, in finding a job. I really think this ticket should go to someone like Mary. The job market is tough right now and she’s done everything she can think of to get her name out there, so she can work with a company doing what she loves. Please give her that opportunity; to learn and to network. Good luck Mary! You deserve it!
My vote is for Mary to win the “Golden Ticket”. With what she learns from this conference, I have no doubt she will return 100 fold through her efforts in Social Media.
Mary could really benefit from the experience this workshop will provide. It could be the boost she needs to find more clients and become an outstanding success at owning her own graphic design business. The job market is really tough right now and she deserves it. She’s put in her time — she needs some luck!
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
I’m not sure if we get to vote for ourselves, but if we do, here’s my vote. I would love to attend!