Sarah Madaus does not let being a freshman stop her from going out and getting what she wants.
In her first year at Temple University, she has earned an executive board position as Secretary of Her Campus Temple, and has been chosen as a Features Writer for Her Campus Nationals. That’s pretty incredible for someone who has not finished her first full year at college.
Sarah comes from Harleysville, Pennsylvania and her decision to come to Temple was her first step toward her success. “First of all,” says Sarah, “It’s in Philadelphia. As a journalism major, it’s important and logical to be studying in a place where my career is relevant. What better than a huge city? The journalism opportunities in Philly are innumerable. Additionally, we are nationally recognized for our School of Media and Communication”.
Once Sarah got to Temple, she looked for an outlet where she could build on her writing abilities. She found this opportunity at Her Campus Temple. “After the first GA meeting, I knew it was going to become my niche-and it has! I love writing stories and being able to use my very distinct writing voice. I love the balance between serious and casual articles. It goes from 8 Guys You’ll Meet at Temple to Hillary Clinton on Feminism real quick,” Sarah shares. After a semester of writing for Her Campus Temple, Sarah was offered a position on the executive board as secretary. “Being asked to join the e-board was so incredible. I never thought that I could actually move up the ranks this quickly. I have loved every second of my secretary responsibilities and getting to know my fellow e-board members. I can’t wait to see what else is in store for the year”.
Sarah has also been featured on the Her Campus national website. She shared her personal struggle with Orthorexia in an emotional open letter. This prompted Sarah to apply for an internship with the national branch. After being rejected due to lack of experience, she overcame her discouragement and decided to apply for a Features Writer position. Sarah explains this experience, “It took me awhile to build up the courage to apply, because I was afraid of rejection. But I’ve learned that fear is the enemy of progress. I applied and got to the second round, and then the third round. A few days later, I was sitting in church and I checked my email (is that a sin?) and I saw ‘Congratulations! Features Writer OFFER’ in my inbox and I let out a vocal squeal”. Sarah has yet to write her first feature for the national branch, but she’s excited to get started.
The future looks bright for Sarah Madaus! Her long-term goals include pursuing a career in magazine journalism. She hopes to one day work her way up to an Editor-in-Chief position at one of her favorite magazines such as Vogue, Elle, or Cosmopolitan. All of her current success and future goals all are fueled by her love of writing. She says, “I love to write because, as a relatively introverted person, it’s the easiest way for me to express myself. I’ve been writing since I could hold a pencil, and I just think it’s so incredible what people can do with words. As a writer, it’s my ultimate goal to put mine and others’ thoughts into understandable concepts so that a wide audience can get meaning out of it”.