Seek MORE with Claudia

This Summer, we will be highlighting our six lovely interns, who are part of the MORE Magazine team. Seek MORE by reading their stories on who they are and why they chose MORE Magazine.

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My name is Claudia Gil Matias, a rising sophomore at Lacy School of Business at Butler University. As of right now, I am double majoring in Marketing and Applied Business Technology.

I was born in Mexico but raised in the U.S. since I was 2 years old. Growing up, there were moments in my life when I felt ostracized by my community because, to them, I wasn’t Mexican enough, which led them to label me as “white-washed,” a phrase that would follow me throughout my journey. I wasn’t aware of how much weight those two words carried until I attended a Summer program in 2019 for high school students who identified as Hispanic/Latinx. At that moment, I realized I wasn’t the only one fighting to break the cycle of generational trauma that was holding me back from becoming myself. After that Summer, I decided for myself that I was going to be the best version of myself and that no one would define my worth except for me. Of course, it is easier said than done, but I am continuing to grow as a person every day and embrace my culture as what it is, which has profoundly shaped my identity.

During my first year of college, I applied to be the first-year chair for the Latinx Student Union, which, I must say, was one of the greatest decisions of my life. I was able to connect with the Hispanic/Latinx community on my campus. I was mesmerized by how the community has grown since and how similar our experiences were to each other. I became quite familiarized with the Efroymson Diversity Center, which opened in 2006, a home committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. This is where I felt safe to be me. I have never felt understood as much as I did in this space which helped me in my journey of embracing my identity even more.

Eventually, my first year of college ended, and my search for internships began and that is how I found MORE. MORE was one of the first companies that truly understood what diversity and inclusivity meant, as shown throughout their impact in the community. When I received the news that I was to join MORE as an intern, I immediately felt ecstatic to work with such amazing women and with a company that was Making Opportunities Reachable for Everyone. For me, “Seeking MORE” is more than a phrase. It is a lifestyle where you choose to come out of your comfort zone and go beyond the limits that you and society have imposed on you because, in the end, you’re the one writing your life story.