A year ago, Anna Carbone was probably sitting in her Lower Fulton house on Marist campus, chatting with friends and making a meal together while preparing for a weekend full of fun and also, yes, some homework. But, now that Anna’s graduated and left Marist, things have changed a bit – but in an exciting way. What exactly has she been up to since she left Her Campus Marist? We caught up with her recently to find out.
HC: What was your first job out of college, and what are you up to now?
AC: Five days after I graduated from Marist, I moved to Washington, D.C. and worked as a White House Intern in the office of former First Lady Michelle Obama. I worked specifically on press and communications, having a hand in all-things media that the First Lady was involved in. There will never come a time when I’ll be able to express in full how grateful I feel for that experience!
I am back in New York and in the middle of transitioning. I’ve been working for a local health and safety based non-profit organization, and am now gearing up to start a new position with AOL’s MAKERS – a storytelling platform for the trailblazing women of today and tomorrow -as a digital and editorial fellow.
HC: What do you miss most about Marist?
AC: Marist is bursting with opportunities to engage in whatever it is that you love, so I miss its warm sense of community and excitement! (Please note that this is only a close second to the peanut noodles at Lola’s which is what I really miss more than anything).
HC: What’s the best part about your job now?
AC: Working with non-profit organizations has impassioned me ever since my earliest days as a girl scout. My favorite responsibility at my job is being able mentor high school students who are implementing service projects that leverage media as a catalyst of social change. I really love working with younger students that are excited to use today’s tools to make an impact!
HC: What are the best and worst parts of life after college?
AC: I think the best and worst parts of life after college are one and the same, because balancing new freedom is a joy and a burden! It’s liberating to finally have the chance to do whatever you’ve been itching to do with your degree, and independence is empowering. At the same time, your friends, mentors, and opportunities are harder to access when they’re not all confined in one space like they are on a campus.
HC: What do you wish someone told you before you graduated?
AC: I wish I’d known the importance of maintaining balance in post-grad life. If you have things that make you who you are outside of your work (a love of fitness, artistic endeavors, travel, volunteering, etc.) make sure you carve out time to keep those things in your life! It can seem surprisingly challenging at first in the midst of change, but I’ve learned that it’s possible.
HC: How did your time as Campus Correspondent influence your life today?
AC: Being an HC Campus Correspondent opened my eyes to how we can utilize today’s ever-changing tools to bring people together. It definitely made me more creative and more passionate about female empowerment!