Our founder, Lelsey Siu, shares her birthday wishes for Her Campus American.
It all started with a tweet. I discovered Her Campus on Twitter and almost immediately wanted to be a part of it. Stephanie Kaplan, CEO and editor-in-chief, responded to my inquiry and tweeted that she would love to have a chapter at American. I was preparing to start my junior year, passionate about magazines and fascinated by the online editorial world. There was one small problem: I was in the middle of a summer internship…in Australia. And I wasn’t planning to return to campus for another six months. You know, a typical junior year at AU.
But I was optimistic, determined and unfazed by long distance. I passed the application process, persuaded a handful of friends to contribute and pieced together an editorial calendar. In September 2011, I launched Her Campus American—from my flat at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, 3,420 miles away from campus.
The first few months were incredibly challenging. I worked with writers individually, managing various deadlines on my iCal while establishing our social channels and writing and editing the minimum seven articles per week. I was also writing regularly for the Her Campus Study Abroad Blog, traveling every other weekend and adjusting as a full-time international student.
But the craziness of it all forced me to learn quickly. I had the freedom to figure out the operations on my own with support from the national team. Deadlines had to be met, and time had to be managed. I once wrote a post—yes, pen on paper—during a five-hour overnight train ride, typing it on a friend’s laptop and posting it before catching a 7:00 a.m. EasyJet flight. I met amazing peers who were equally dedicated and passionate about making this magazine work. They were dependable, digital-savvy and insanely creative. You know, typical AU students.
Since then, Her Campus American has partnered with major brands, hosted successful on-campus events and served as a launching pad for student writers, editors, designers, event planners and marketers. We hosted SELF Magazine’s first-ever Workout on the Quad to AU in April 2013, bringing together 900 students, faculty and alumni to celebrate leading healthy lifestyles. We ranked third with the highest pageviews out of 200+ chapters nationwide. We were named a platinum level chapter in 2013 and pink level chapter in 2014, the highest honor by Her Campus. We committed to being a go-to resource for AU students by AU students. We did the Harlem Shake.
The most rewarding part of it all has been serving as a mentor and seeing writers grow as editors, leaders and all-around media mavens. I’ve had the opportunity to work with MTV, travel to Southeast Asia with Contiki and, most recently, speak at Her Campus’ National Intercollegiette Conference in New York.
To sum it up in 140 characters or less, Her Campus AU has come a long way in three years. I am incredibly proud of the team, and I can’t help but fangirl over the continuous success of the chapter today. You know, the typical HC alumna.
My 3 favorite events/promotions:
1. SELF Workout on the Quad
2. A Royal Affair: Celebrity Baby Shower for Kate Middleton and Kim Kardashian
3. Campus Cutie of the Year
My 3 favorite articles:
1. Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Travel Now
3. The Dos and Don’ts of Quadding
3 things I miss the most:
1. Playing throwback early 2000s jams at the beginning of every meeting
2. Being unapologetic about the excessive use of hot pink and “HCXO” on campus
3. Seeing freshmen and sophomores grow and succeed as leaders