This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCLA chapter.
Name: Ekta PartaniMajor: PsychobiologyHometown: San Jose
Meet Ekta Partani, one of our chapter’s Campus Correspondents (aka our Editor-in-Chief)! When she isn’t busy with Her Campus, she’s busy pursuing her passion for medicine.
HC: What inspired you to join Her Campus?
EP: I stumbled upon Her Campus before my freshman year of college. I was getting really nervous to make that transition from high school to college life and I had so many questions that couldn’t be answered by the UCLA brochure. Luckily I found Her Campus and it became the source that I used to help me navigate college life. Then my sophomore year I applied to become a writer and I eventually worked my way up to becoming the CC.
HC: What is it like balancing school and being campus correspondent for the UCLA chapter?
EP: At times it’s been pretty tough. I remember my first year as campus correspondent was difficult and confusing. I didn’t know how to do anything from event planning to assigning articles to running meetings. But once I figured out how to efficiently manage the weekly activites of Her Campus UCLA, balancing school and HC hasn’t been a problem.
HC: Are you in any extra-curricular activities at UCLA?
EP: Yes! Besides Her Campus, I’m currently the Publicity Coordinator of Global Medical Brigades and until my junior year, I used to be a part of the UCLA Mock Trial Team. I’m also a research assistant at Semel for a study dealing with children with NF1 disorder.
HC: What has been your greatest experience at UCLA so far?
EP: I wish I could pick just one, but there have been so many to choose from. I’ve meet so many interesting/wonderful people here and had so many amazing experiences that at least ten experiences could easily rank as being the top experiences I’ve had at UCLA.
HC: What are your career aspirations?
EP: I want to be a doctor and I will be applying to medical school this June!
HC: Has Her Campus helped you in any way towards that aspiration?
EP: I’ve always loved to write and to watch people be able to relate to what I have to say. Her Campus gave me an outlet to continue that passion. While it didn’t necessarily inspire my aspirations to go to medical school, it’s definitely equipped me with skills that I think could be useful in the healthcare field such as communication and learning to connect with others.
HC: What is your favorite thing to do in Westwood?
EP: One of my best friends and I LOVE going to the ramen place next to Flame Broiler. We call it the “cheap sushi place” since the sushi there is only 2-3 dollars. We’ve been going there for so long that the lady that works there knows us and our orders. Anytime we want to catch up with each other or just talk about life, we go eat sushi there.
HC: Who is your current style muse?
EP: Oh gosh, I don’t even know if I’m that knowledgeable about fashion to even say that I have a style muse. But I definitely spend a lot of time on Pinterest trying to create looks with the clothes I already have or just to figure out what styles are trending for the season.
HC: If you could only wear one outfit for the rest of your life, what would it be?
EP: Sweats and a t-shirt. It’s basically what I wear every day the minute I get home from class. Wiggling out of jeans and sliding to a pair of comfy sweats is truly one of the greatest feelings in the world.