This week, I got to know Lexi Hill, the president of our new sister chapter, HC South Carolina. Hill, a junior in journalism, shares a love for Her Campus with me, for the endless opportunities it provides. “Not only does it give women the chance to build their portfolio as an undergraduate doing real work on their campuses, but they also have the ability to become more involved on a national level as well,” she says. Some examples of experience she has gained in her time with Her Campus includes brand partnerships, writing and editing, social media marketing, event planning and team management.
Hill at Her Conference 2016, an event hosted by Her Campus to give women more insight to lead in not only their campuses but in their future careers.
I can agree with Hill that sometimes, a leadership position on campus requires lots of “good, professional work.” Everything we as college students do today is a reflection of the work we can put into our future careers, and we want potential employers to appreciate that work. Through her leadership, Hill has also learned “how to encourage members to be their best selves in an uplifting and motivating way.”
When asked if she would change anything about her college experience thus far, she says no. “There’s nothing I would change,” she says, “including mistakes or missed opportunities because, thanks to those, I am who I am today!” I think this is the attitude we should all strive to have. Without making mistakes, we never learn or grow.
I was very curious to know how Hill, someone who is from Pennsylvania, chose South Carolina when applying for colleges. I never even considered an out-of-state college, but she did. She says she always knew she wanted to attend a college far from home after going to an all-girls high school. However, she loved her high school and says it “was one of the best and most important decisions I’ve ever made for myself,” but that she wanted greek life, football, and the benefits of going to a big school included in her college experience.
Hill pictured with her mother, a woman she considers a leader in her life.
Last, I asked Hill to give some advice for women who want to be leaders in their lives. She told me about the networking event she is planning for women on her campus, which will help motivate women to achieve their goals. She also told me the following piece of advice.
One of the best pieces of advice I ever learned about being a leader is to just go for it. When I was in high school, all of the student leaders and most of the faculty leaders were women, so to me, women leaders weren’t out of the ordinary. However, as we’ve learned recently, the idea of a woman leader is still frightening to some. Thankfully for me, I learned from a lot of fearless women to just go after what I want. And on that same note, to never apologize for having opinions or being larger than life!
If you are a student at the University of South Carolina, you can attend this event on Sunday, March 21, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Russell House Theater.