Name: Kaitlyn Suppes
Year: Senior – round one
Degree Sought: Marketing
Hometown: Middle of Nowhere, Colorado
Her Campus: Why did you decide to attend school at UW?
Kaitlyn Suppes: I was looking at several other schools in Colorado, but nothing felt right. I’m a huge “gut-feeling” type of person, so when I stepped foot on campus and felt at home, I knew I was in the right place.
HC: Why did you choose your degree?
KS: I changed my major four times before ending up at marketing. I was in business administration with the hopes of starting my own business. Then I started doing the marketing and set up the social media for my current job. I quickly fell in love with the possibilities marketing has, and watching how the right marketing can impact a company.
HC: What is your dream job?
KS: Any job will be a dream at this point. (Jokes) I honestly am very open to anything! I guess if I had to choose one job though, I would love to work at a major magazine.
HC: What are some of your hobbies?
KS: I love being outdoors! Hiking, climbing, snowmobiling. Anything that gets me in fresh air and some sunshine, I’m thrilled. I also love drinking wine. That’s a hobby, right?
HC: What is your favorite class/professor at UW?
KS: As far as a class goes, Intro to Theatre with William Downs was by far one of my favorite classes. He really pushes you to question everything and broaden your perspectives. 10/10 highly recommend.
I’ve also had the pleasure of having two classes with Kent Noble. He’s a real inspiration and great professor to have. When I signed up for business ethics I was anticipating boredom and dry lectures. Instead I received a mentor pushing each of us to be better individuals. Every class I left wanting to change the world, and have a more positive outlook on life thanks to him.
HC: What advice would you give to freshmen?
KS: Three main points here. 1. Get involved. Not in everything, but find a group or two you really enjoy being in and broaden your horizons. It is a great way to make friends that aren’t on your floor! (Her Campus always welcomes new members!) 2. School first, fun second. I know you have all these new opportunities in front of you, but at the end of the day, you are here for school. I was more focused on fun than school my freshmen year. As a result, I lost all of my scholarships and have spent the last three years trying to fix my GPA. Not worth it. 3. Don’t forget to call home. I guarantee this is more difficult for your parents than you. Even if you don’t have time to call, shoot a quick text a couple times a week just to say, “I’m still alive and I love you!”
HC: Why did you join Her Campus?
KS: One of those four majors was actually English. I’ve always loved to write and hoped to be a well known author one day. I spent a year in the English department being told I wasn’t good enough, and I wasn’t going anywhere. My passion completely died and I never wanted to write again. When I found myself at a Her Campus meeting, I didn’t know what I was thinking. Three months later my first article was published. I received such a positive response that it seemed to have a healing power on my broken spirit. I kept writing, kept healing, and rediscovered my passion.
HC: What is your favorite article/event/memory from HC?
KS: Oh, where do I start?! I really have loved so many aspects of HC. Our HC with HC events have always been fun and great bonding experiences for our team. I think the best moment of this semester though, was walking into our first meeting of this semester and having 20+ faces staring back at me. Watching the growth of our chapter has been the most heartwarming and encouraging thing to me. I love seeing the growth in all our writers and how much we support and challenge each other. My love for this team is never ending.
HC: Why would you encourage someone else to write for HC?
KS: Her Campus encourages individualism and voice. Whether you are passionate about animal welfare, social justice, politics, or your love for Ryan Gosling, you can write about it! Not only do you get to use and discover your voice, you have an army of strong women there to back you. My team is what keeps me moving, and I have found some of my best friends and strongest allies through this organization.
HC: What are you most looking forward to moving forward in HC?
KS: I’m excited to see our new leadership team, have our first large-scale event (check out our Facebook for more information about our school-wide clothes swap) and to keep growing. Our chapter has grown so much in such a short time, and I can’t begin to tell you how proud I am of each of the women I work with.