HCAU Members: Where Are They Now? RHQ
This week I had the absolute PLEASURE of catching up with a Her Campus original member. RHQ (Rachel-Helena Quinn in case your weren’t familiar with this actual goddess) was such an integral part of Her Campus and I couldn’t wait to find out what she has been up to since leaving the city of Aberdeen!
HC: Hello my love! We have so much to catch up on but first of all let’s start with the basics, where are you currently living and working?
RHQ: First of all, shalom lil Frey! I miss you.
I’m currently living in London, working for a music PR company called Stoked PR! We represent artists like Annie Mac, Fuse ODG, Annie Lennox, Madison Beer and Taylor Swift.
HC: Sounds unreal!! So, your Instagram since you left uni, it’s basically babies, booze and you just being an absolute babe. Tell us the most exciting/noteworthy things you’ve done since leaving the granite city!
RHQ: Hahaha not sure about the babe bit, but babies and booze is literally my whole aesthetic. I will be a willing, but terrible mother. Ummm, I honestly don’t know what to tell you! I worked at an all girls boarding school in Oxford for a year after I left university, which was beyond intense. I’m loving being back in London again, and giving all my money to ASOS and TfL. Working for Stoked has been so cool, I started the same week that Taylor deleted her social media and then made her ‘comeback’, so it’s been pretty full on since then! The girls I work with are great, and they’ve gotten used to me blasting shit/amazing throwback anthems in the office all day. I’m just so happy to be living where I live and being surrounded by all my pals again. Sorry, that’s such a boring answer!
HC: No not at all, sounds like your living your best life just now. So you were heavily involved with Her Campus during your time at Aberdeen working your way to the VP position in your final year. What’s something you learnt from Her Campus have you been able to use in your life following university?
RHQ: Oh god, pretty much everything I learned as a part of Her Campus has been so useful! I think the main thing though is being aware of people’s endless potential. Leading writers meetings with Ren or Rhona really taught me to listen to other people’s ideas and to encourage them when they were doubting themselves or their ability. Everybody’s ideas have value and merit, whether they believe it or not. It’s amazing what people can achieve when they’re given the space to be creative. I’ve seen so many girls surprise themselves by what they can do as a part of HC; I really miss that aspect of it. Seeing how quickly girls’ confidence grows when other people read their articles or go to an event that they helped plan and tell them what a great job they’ve done is magic. I always want to encourage others and remind them how capable they are, because I truly believe that, for the most part, any dream can be made into a reality. For example, I encourage myself daily to achieve my dream of marrying Gerard Butler, and I remind myself how capable I am to remember where I left my keys!
HC: That’s such an amazing answer, we also love the way Her Campus encourages everyone to reach their full potential. Also we better be getting an invite to that wedding. What’s something you miss about being at university/being in Aberdeen?
RHQ: I miss living with my best friends, I miss £1.50 drinks and I miss thinking £400 a month rent for a four bedroom flat was a lot of money. I definitely miss Her Campus, and I miss the kids I nannied while I was at university. I miss being so close to the beach and I miss the cheesy floor of Institute. Omg, I need a Wednesday night out in Insta right now. I can almost taste the VK’s and regret.
HC: Those Skite Wednesdays are definitely something to cherish. Now that you’re out in the big bad world, how do you cope with the stress of adult life?
RHQ: I literally don’t. There’s a high chance that I’m the worst adult out there. I feel like a fraud every single day. I regularly wear a dress with stars all over it, I have to buy only black socks because otherwise I would never have a matching pair, and I recently had to talk myself out of buying a distressed denim jacket with ‘Barbie’ scrawled across the shoulders. In all seriousness though life is great, but it can be tough. I couldn’t get through anything without my best friends. I speak to my gals every single day – thank God for WhatsApp. Plus one of my best friends lives literally around the corner from me and I live with pretty much the coolest, most boss woman in the world, so I feel very lucky. No one really knows how to be an adult, I reckon just getting up and getting dressed in a socially acceptable outfit most days counts as adulting.
HC: Don’t worry gal, sounds like you’re killing it. It’s great to hear that you’re surrounded by lots of great friends. What’s some advice you would give to staying friends with people after you’ve left university?
RHQ: Commit to it. Stay involved and interested in the little bits of your friends’ lives. Remember the name of the co-worker who they love/hate, give them your full attention when you talk. I’m a huge fan of phone calls over texting, because I am approximately 107. Seriously though – call your friends! Call while you’re walking to the pub or walking home, but make time to call. Nothing brightens my day quicker than hearing Millie or Jess’ voice on the phone, even if we’ve been texting all day. There’s just something special about calling your friend! Also, follow up on what they tell you. Even if they just made a small comment about something that they were struggling with the last time you spoke, ask them about it again the next time you chat. Most importantly… always, always, always tell your friends you love them.
HC: RHQ you are honestly a queen. You were such a key player in building up our society to what it is today and the way you’re still able to talk about it with such passion is heart-warming. It sounds like you’re living your best life right now and honestly we couldn’t be happier for you! Hopefully we can catch up again soon (fingers crossed at your wedding with Gerard Butler).
All Photos Rachel’s own