This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Penn chapter.
Meet our very own former Editors in Chief, Alexis Richards and Monika Haebich!
Name: Alexis RichardsMajor: Communications, Minor: Consumer PsychologyYear: 2015Hometown: Morristown, NJ
Name: Monika A. Haebich
Major: English
Year: 2015
Hometown: Melville, NY
Tell us a little about yourselves.
Alexis: We’re the former Editors-in-Chief of HC UPenn. I’m also President of Penn Fashion Collective, Finance Chair for Abuse and Sexual Assault Prevention, and Co-Producer of The Vagina Monologues.
Monika: I’m a member of Sigma Kappa, the former Art Director of The WALK, Head Style Guru for CollegeFashionista and Vice President of the polo team.
What did you take away from being HC’s Editors in Chief?
Alexis: The most valuable thing I learned from being one of the Editors-in-Chief of Her Campus UPenn, I think, is how to manage a large group of people, whilst meeting deadlines and maintaining creativity. We had to learn how not to sacrifice form for function – just because we were strapped for time was not a good enough reason to sacrifice high quality content. It’s a hard lesson, and sometime you feel that there’s nothing you can do, but learning to strike the balance has definitely helped me in my life outside of Her Campus.
Monika: I learned a lot about working as a team and motivating people. I couldn’t be more grateful to have been Co-Editor-in-Chief with one of the most inspiring people I know, and Alexis taught me a lot about how to become a better leader.
Why did you want to be Editors in Chief?
Alexis: I wanted to be Editor-in-Chief because I’d been with Her Campus UPenn since it first launched in December of my freshman year. I’ve grown with Her Campus as it has grown, and I wanted to work on it in the largest capacity possible. Getting to do it with Monika was just an added bonus. I couldn’t have imagined doing it with anyone else.Monika: I wanted to challenge myself and my team, and I had a strong vision for what I wanted Her Campus to become. As a founding member of the Penn chapter, I was incredibly lucky to be able to watch HC grow so organically on campus, and I wanted to take my junior year to really expand the chapter’s presence on campus.
Do you have any plans for after graduation? Has your Her Campus experience helped you or influenced you in any way in terms of post-graduation job choices?
Alexis: I don’t have concrete plans after graduation right now, but if anything, I think Her Campus taught me to not worry about that. Things work out, and with the skills I’ve learned from Her Campus, I know how to manage and present myself, work with professional partners, and stay on top of everything. As far as job choices, I found that I loved working more on the managerial side of Her Campus than the Editorial. I had the most fun and felt the most satisfied in coordinating successful events and giveaways. Because of that, I think I’d most likely love to go into Public Relations or Marketing.
What do you miss most about Her Campus?Alexis: I miss the community and watching people on Facebook or Twitter get excited about content that we published. I miss being able to help fledgling writers develop and grow their own columns and watch them become sensations. Helping Diana launch Wellness Wednesdays will always be one of my favorite things I’ve done at Penn. More than anything though, honestly, I miss having an excuse to email, Facebook message, and text Monika at all hours of the day. Although, not much has changed. Monika: I miss the team, and I miss the brunches!
Any advice for the HC team?
Alexis: Don’t sweat the small stuff, have fun, and even if you think the color pink isn’t for you, if it says Her Campus on it, you’re going to love it. HCxo!
Monika: Be involved! You never know where things will take you.