This week at Her Campus Illinois we’re celebrating “Senior Sendoff Week.” As a senior myself, it’s a little sentimental to think about all of the things my fellow class of 2015 graduates accomplished over our four years on campus. Many of us were leaders of student organizations, others scored envy-inducing internships and some ventured off on their own, creating mobile apps or other businesses. Through my position as President of Her Campus Illinois, I have been lucky to meet a variety of these people and I am constantly inspired by the go-getters who call our campus home. One such person is our Campus Celebrity for this week, senior in advertising, Angela Yang. Currently, Yang is the President of Journalism, Advertising and Media Students (J.A.MS), but she has been involved in a number of other campus organizations such as Ignite Media and American Advertising Federation. We sat down with Yang to hear about her experiences and what advice she has for underclassmen looking to get involved on campus.
Her Campus: Describe your role as President of J.A.MS.
Angela Yang: I oversee the three committees that make up J.A.MS: BluePrint Advertising, SeeYou Weekly talk show and The Spread Magazine. I work with the directors of each committee to make sure everything runs smoothly. If they need any help with creative or strategic direction, I’m there to make it so our members get the most out of their time with us.
HC: You just finished hosting the JAMMIES. Congrats! What was it like planning? What’s next for J.A.MS?
AY: Thank you! Planning was hard! We have been working towards the JAMMIES since the beginning of the school year, and it has been a roller coaster ride up until they happened. I would definitely do it all over again because I think it’s something the College of Media needs. We have so many talented students whose work needs to be recognized every year. Now that the JAMMIES are over, we are working towards the next school year and finishing up any projects our committees have been working on.
HC: Tell us about interning for Louis Vuitton. Talk about dream internship!
AY: Interning at Louis Vuitton (LV) was an unforgettable experience, and it was definitely my dream internship that I never thought would happen. I was at the location in Chicago on Michigan Avenue, and I worked around all areas of the store. Every week, I was assigned to learn about a different aspect of the business. One week I learned about asset protection which included security and loss prevention. Another week I learned about operations, supply chain and merchandising. My favorite part of my internship were the private client events. For two days, the store hosted a trunk show featuring the new fall collection. The company recently switched over to a new creative director for the women’s ready-to-wear, so this was a huge deal for us. I’m so grateful to have been a part of that experience. This internship made me realize how different it is to work in the city and what a difference your coworkers make in your work life. For instance, the LV in Chicago had this family environment that I really appreciated, and I’m hoping to find something similar to that in my new job after graduation.
HC: What are your post-grad plans?
AY: I really wanted some agency experience, so I accepted an offer to work for BBDO at their Atlanta location in account management. If that doesn’t work out for me, I would like to go to law school!
HC: What will you miss most about U of I?
AY: I will miss my friends the most. Throughout my years here, I have met a lot of amazing people that I would still want to stay in touch with after graduation. I was never involved with a sorority or other social RSO, so making friends was a little harder. All of my friends are a diverse group of people who I love and appreciate so much! That’s the one thing I love about U of I – no matter what you are involved with on campus, you can make friends with so many different kinds of people.
HC: What advice do you have for other collegiettes looking to get so involved on campus?
AY: My advice would be to do what you think is best for yourself and don’t let others make the decision for you. Everyone is different, and college is the best time to get to know yourself a bit more. Fun fact: I was a biology major before I switched into advertising. I thought I wanted to be a doctor, ha! This school is really big, so try and make your college environment a little smaller and more familiar. There is never one, exact way your college experience is supposed to be, and I think that once you realize that you’ll get the most out of your four years here.
HC: We’re celebrating “Senior Sendoff Week” at Her Campus Illinois! What do you wish you could tell your freshman self?
AY: I wish I could tell my freshman self that my goals and ambitions shouldn’t be mistaken as trying to be “bossy.” My motivation to be successful is not something I should be afraid of, but proud of. Don’t play down your accomplishments because the people that are genuinely happy for you are the ones to keep close. Being happy is the most important thing, and failure is just a part of life that is an opportunity to learn something new!
Photos courtesy of Angela Yang