From: Wooster, Ohio.
Major: Religious Studies (minor Anthropology), Media Fellow
Former DePauw student, Ashley Baxstrom, wasted no time after graduation in pursuing her dream of an acting career in L.A. However, last fall Baxstrom decided move to New York, where she currently resides, to pursue her Master’s in Religious Studies at New York University. Baxstrom writes a hilarious and relatable dating blog in her spare time called “Not Ok, Cupid”. This Alum has led quite a whirlwind life and is gracious when recounting her time at DePauw.
What have you been doing since DePauw?
“Right after graduation I packed up my car and drove out to L.A., where I pursued an acting career for a couple years, during which time I also worked as the Personal Assistant & PR Coordinator for fashion designer Paula Thomas (CEO of Thomas Wylde). Then, last fall I started a Master’s Degree in Religious Studies at New York University”.
How did DePauw prepare you for the real world?
“I think more than anything it was the work I did at DePauw that set me on my way. The experience I gained through my time at The DePauw and in my Media Fellows internship (at the UN World Food Programme in Rome) gave me invaluable professional knowledge. I was lucky to work with great news teams and under professional writers at TDP. Academically, I was lucky to have some wonderful professors who really helped me cultivate an ethic of knowledge building and a foundation for future academic pursuits. I’m grateful for the liberal arts sensibility that allowed me to pursue different interests and expand my intellectual base”.
You started the blog http://www.not-ok-cupid.com/. What inspired you to start it?
“Guess what? Dating in the real world is different then “dating” in college! I decided to try internet dating because it’s surprising how many people really are doing it in the city. I was a little embarrassed, but I knew I shouldn’t be, so I started the blog as a way of maintaining my own agency. I wasn’t going to be ashamed – I was going to OWN this site – I was going to BLOG about it! And it became a really great way both to force myself to engage the site, and to exercise my writing in a non-academic, non-journalistic setting. I reminded myself that writing isn’t just work – it can be a lot of fun. And funny. And it’s such a great feeling to have people tell me they enjoy my blog, and know it’s really my voice that they’re enjoying”.
Future plans?
“I’m currently halfway through my MA program, working on a thesis on the intersection of American Islam and social media as a practical site for the meaning-making process, primarily the cultivation of identity formation and ethics creation, and the embodiment of that in everyday life. I’m not planning to go directly into a PhD program, though the possibility is there. At this point I’m looking into writing and blogging – I’ve gotten back into journalism and media analysis through my work at The Revealer (therevealer.org) – about religion and society, or perhaps social media work (I know I can do it!). I might also consider going back to the UN in some capacity, or even, maybe, something with the State Department (my dad keeps telling me they have a GREAT retirement package). One thing I know for sure is that I want to stay in NYC for a little while at least – it’s a great city with a million possibilities”.
What do you miss most about DePauw?
“What I miss most about DePauw is the built-in community, and that was there in a lot of ways – my TDP newspaper family, my theatre friends, my sorority sisters, and most importantly just living so close to my best friends, people I met at the beginning of freshman year and stayed close to all the way through. Whether we were in the same dorm, on the same campus or finally in the same duplex, we always had each other. It’s harder in the real world – I mean we’re still best friends, and here I am living in the same city, same apartment as my best friend! But the feeling of the whole community, I miss that sometimes”.