Her Campus at Yale began last year with now-senior Jackie Manzer. Her ambition and creativity was evident by just a quick sit down at the New Haven Starbucks. Graduating this year, she leaves behind more than just Her Campus and is beginning a new chapter of her life traveling and living in New York City.
How were you inspired to start her campus at Yale?
Regarding the Fall of Jackie’s junior year she says, “I was bored”. After stopping participation in softball sophomore year due to an injury, Jackie needed something to do. Because of her aspiration to go into journalism, her desire to not bash people on Rumpus, and her disinterest in the YDN style of reporting, she felt as though she needed to join a different writing based activity. However, there wasn’t one that sufficed. Also, she thought there was a missing outlet for something fun on campus. So when a friend approached her with the idea of starting a branch of Her Campus at Yale, she jumped at the opportunity.
So how did you bring it all together?
“It started out with five of us in a room last fall,” said Jackie of the first Her Campus team. “This year,” she continued, “Alison Hutchison is taking the lead.” According to Jackie, Alison, with her superb organizational skills and interest in the job, is a perfect fit. Since she took the lead, the small staff has grown and Her Campus’s prominence on campus has skyrocketed.
Did you encounter and problems with registering HerCampus with Yale?
In the beginning there was a problem with funding. Her Campus does not provide funding to individual branches. So, Jackie took on the task of fundraising herself, but promoting publicity with just her and a few others was the biggest problem of them all. Money was essential to promote her campus, so that kept the Yale Her Campus team small.
What is your major?
“Sociology”
Where and what will you be found doing now that your college years are over?
“Next year I will be in New York City, where I lived last summer, working in real estate for a start up company called ‘Bisnow’” Bisnow produces commercial real estate news. “I will get to travel, which I absolutely love doing” especially because she will be traveling to metropolitan cities, her favorite.
What else were you involved in at Yale?
“After playing softball for two years, Her Campus took up all of my time”
Registering, building and promoting the team and publicity of Her Campus became a full-time job for Jackie, “People management was really time consuming,” she said. “With Alison taking the reigns of her Her Campus this year, I was able to have a free senior year and be involved with senior society”
How do you feel leaving Yale?
“I feel like there is never going to be a period in my life again where I experienced this much fun in such a concentrated amount of time with this many awesome people – I don’t know how to explain it”
Along with an amazing experience at Yale, Jackie also feels she changed herself throughout the four years.
“I don’t think I would be friends with my freshman self – that’s how much I feel I’ve changed. It all was a turn for the better, but to think about how much fun I had freshman year and how much fun I am having now, it’s two different types of fun”