Happy super late Thanksgiving, everyone! The Her Campus Chapter at UMich gave me the opportunity to partner with somebody from another Her Campus chapter, and I got paired with Alejandra Negrón Rodríguez, from the University of Puerto Rico Rio. :) In this article, I’m so happy to introduce you all to Alejandra.
Alejandra and I had a casual conversation over the phone about this article, sharing responses, questions, and ideas. We had the chance to bond and get to know each other pretty well, and I really enjoyed my time conversing and collaborating. I wanted to provide some questions that I asked Alejandra, so, here they are. I hope you all enjoy getting to know her as much as I did.
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- What is your major, year in university, and where are you from?
I’m from Puerto Rico. I’m 19 years old and in my second year of uni, majoring in french but I’m soon changing majors. I’ve always loved languages but I just found out that I love them only as a hobby.
- Why did you join Her Campus and when did you join?
I joined Her Campus at the start of this semester. A friend convinced me to join Her Campus. But I think that I would have joined regardless; I like the creative freedom we have.
- Does writing evoke any emotion for you? Why do you write?
I’m not sure it evokes a particular emotion. It really depends on what I’m writing about, but with every piece I write I always have the same goal, and that’s for the audience to feel something. I want them to be moved more than myself.
- What is unique about your HC chapter?
I’m not well informed about the other chapters but at the University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras, we hold a lot of fun bonding events. And this has been especially nice since the pandemic has cut down almost completely any type of socializing.
- What was the first thing you’ve ever written?
My first article “The Anthropocene Review… reviewed” a review on John Green’s first nonfiction book. It has a deep place in my heart, not just because it was the first one I wrote but because my family and I were staying at the beach for my sister, aunt and puppy’s birthday when I was reading it.
- What’s the toughest part of writing articles for you?
Personally, I think the toughest part about writing articles is finding out how you want to elaborate on the topic you choose. Sometimes I find myself trapped in a corner debating on what approach I’m going to take for the article. What seems to help me until now is that I try to find a quiet place, I feel that I can hear my thoughts more clearly or I leave and come back the next morning.
- Do you enjoy writing on an internet article style versus a newspaper/magazine style? Are there any differences for you?
I’ve only had the opportunity to write for Her Campus so I don’t know about the differences. But I always leave my options open for any chance in the future.
- What are some of your favorite articles/writers that inspire you?
Everyone that writes for Her Campus has been an inspiration for me. I joined the chapter not so long ago and I’m still learning how to get right the tone the writers have acquired. Her Campus is like this all knowing deity that has written an article about any question/problem you could have. And writes these pieces in an amicable way to not scare you away. In my experience, I’ve been reading from Her Campus even before I joined the chapter. Usually if I need reassurance that I’m not going through something alone, there I go and find a similar life experiences.
- Do you think Her Campus has made you a better writer? How?
Yes, or at least “is making me a better writer”. The editors at HC are always kind and resourceful. There’s been times where I’m not too happy with my work and somehow they make me look at it in a different light, to which I’m always grateful.
- What is your favorite piece of work that you’ve done?
Up until now, my favorite piece is “An Ode to my childhood toys”, it’s the most personal I have been in an article. And I hope you can give it a read; maybe you can relate.
- Do you have any advice on getting your voice to shine through your articles? How has this process been for you?
I’m fairly new to writing articles but I think the best advice I can give is to stay true to yourself. It sounds extremely cliche, but even though you are writing for an audience, it is important that you are engaged with what you are writing. I feel that people know when the author is uninterested or hiding behind words. I make an effort to do as following, try to make your articles an extended part of your life, whether that is something you like, an experience you went through or a news item that impacted you
- Is there anything else I should know about you?
I started reading books last year. Thanks to my humanities professor who made us read so much about mythology and philosophy, now I’m an active reader. That being said, I recently completed my goodreads goal, to read 20 books this year.
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I really enjoyed getting to know Alejandra and found all of her responses very sweet and interesting. I am so happy Her Campus gave me the opportunity to interview and write this article, and I hope you readers go check out some of Alejandra’s work- like “An Ode to my childhood toys.”
That’s all for today, see ya. <3