Name: Naja Innis
Major/Minor: English (Writing)
Hometown: New Rochelle, NY
HC: Congratulations on your graduation Naja! What are your plans after graduation?
NI: Thank you! Well, I’m hoping that after graduation I can spend some time exploring the city (Manhattan and maybe Brooklyn), so I can get some photography done for my personal album. Otherwise, I’m just hoping that I can find a job that allows me to be near books. At least until something serious comes along for me. I’m in no rush, really. I kind of want to enjoy my first summer without school looming over my shoulder.
HC: What do you think you are going to miss most about Marist?
NI: I think I’m going to miss the sky. I know that sounds a bit silly, considering the fact that the sky never really leaves. But trust me when I say that the sky looks much different here than it does when I’m home. You can see the stars so much clearer, and it seems like it stretches out so much further. Especially over the trees across the river.
HC: What is something you wish you could go back and tell your freshman year self?
NI: “Naja, I know things are looking pretty awful right now. Things will get even more difficult with time, but don’t give up. There are so many wonderful things you’re going to experience and people that you’re going to meet. I know it seems like these troubles will stretch on forever, but just hold on a little while longer. And be kinder to yourself.”
HC: What do you wish someone had told you about being a senior in college?
NI: “It’s not always easy riding. It’s natural to feel like everyone has their shit together but you, and that everyone has a plan. But they don’t. Everyone is scrambling around trying to figure out what to do next, they may just hide their fear really well.”
HC: Where do you see yourself in 10 or 20 years?
NI: When I’m 33, I’m hoping that I have some type of hold on my life. I’m hoping I have a better sleep schedule and that I have a job I love. I’m hoping that I still talk to my current friends and sorority sisters, and that I used some of my college experiences to help me in the long run. Maybe when I’m 43, I’ll be in the financial position to travel the world. Maybe I’ll be married with kids, but that’s not really my main priority as a woman.
HC: What was your favorite aspect of being a part of Her Campus Marist?
NI: I loved getting a feel for the editorial process. Though there were moments when I was a bit shaky, I feel like this was an excellent experience. I like that I had the freedom to write about whatever I wanted, and that my voice had the potential to reach so many people. Plus, our head ladies Cristina and Anna–as well as all of the other girls I’ve interacted with during my time here–have been the sweetest people I’ve ever met. I just wish I joined sooner, so that I could’ve experienced this longer than a year.
HC: Do you have a favorite article of yours? If so, which one and why?
NI: I think that my favorite article is “In Defense of Pop Music.” I enjoyed writing that article, because it gave me a chance to go through the Billboard archives and check out what the most popular songs were from the last 40-50 years. The idea of Alvin and the Chipmunks being on the same pop charts as Elvis is just so funny to me. And even though some people try to claim that it’s edgy to like Alanis Morrisette, she was on the pop charts too. As someone who loves pop music, exploring its versatility was so much fun.