This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at American chapter.
Meet the AU collegiettes on our spring 2013 executive board!
Contact for general inquiries and new member applications.
Year: Senior (’13)
Twitter: @lesleysiu
Major/minor: Film and Media Arts, minors in Marketing and International Business
Loving Her Campus American since: Fall 2011, when I co-founded the chapter at AU!
Favorite article written: Globe-trotting to Glasgow – my first post for Her Campus. I wrote weekly articles for the HC Study Abroad Blog.
Campus activities: Alpha Kappa Psi, AU Student Media Board; previously: theatre, AU Chorus, AU Ambassadors, SOC Ambassadors
Three things you are currently obsessed with: Paris Fashion Week, Instagram and brunch.
Favorite part about DC: The diversity—the food, people, events and endless opportunities to learn about different cultures.
Memorable HC moment: Winning a social media award for increasing Her Campus American’s Facebook following by 30% in the first week of February!
Best part about being on the team: Being a mentor for a group of bright, passionate, dedicated young women (and having team that supports my affinity of S Club 7 throwbacks, Kate Middleton and cupcakes at our weekly meetings).
How did you get involved with Her Campus?
I randomly replied to a tweet by Stephanie Kaplan, the Her Campus co-founder, CEO and Editor-in-Chief. She saw my website, replied and suggested I start a chapter at AU. The rest is history…
What inspires and motivates you to succeed in your role?
Free Kickboard scooters! Just kidding (a little). I’m inspired by the people—from the HC founders and national team to the AU chapter and our advisor, Caty Borum Chattoo. I want to make them proud of what we are doing at Her Campus American. I wholeheartedly believe in Her Campus’ mission and dedication to providing a platform for collegiate women to gain experience working for an online magazine. I’m also motivated by our readers; I want to provide content that is interesting, engaging and relevant to collegiettes at AU.
What is the most notable (or craziest) thing you’ve done in the past year?
I had the amazing experience of interning at GLAMOUR magazine last summer. Within 10 days, I interviewed, got the position, moved to New York and started working. Notable and crazy? Yes. It was worth it!
What is one thing you hope to accomplish this semester in your HC role?
I hope to create dynamic editorial content every week and reach the top 10 most viewed chapter pages by the end of the year!
Contact for editorial information.
Year: Sophomore (’15)
Twitter: @ClaireShriver
Major/minor: Public Communication and Marketing
Loving Her Campus American since: January 2012
Favorite article written: The 5 Best Parts About Her Campus’ First National Intercollegiette Conference… Best conference I’ve been to!
Campus activities: VP of Comm for AU Social Media Club and AU Ambassadors
Go-to karaoke song: Dancing On My Own by Robyn (which is a Girls Reference, if you’re new to the best show on TV right now.)
Something you consider yourself an expert in: Eating dessert and impersonating Kristen Wiig.
Memorable HC moment: Seeing my first article published… It was an amazing feeling!
Best part about being on the team: Having a platform to share ideas with my peers and promote a site I love. Meeting other girls at American that love writing and being creative as much as I can really make learning that much better.
What advice would you give to a freshman?
Well… 5 Things I Wish I knew As A Freshman. Aside from that list, eat your way through Washington. The food trucks and cupcakes are unique to area along with the dining options.
What is the most notable (or craziest) thing you’ve done in the past year?
Getting up at 4:00 a.m. to see President Obama inaugurated. And getting to sleep at 2:00 a.m. the night before that.
Name an HC team member you admire and why:
Lesley because she founded the site, taught me everything I know about Her Campus and lets me film Harlem Shake videos.
What is one thing you hope to accomplish this semester in your HC role?
Create content that people love to read! I love this site because it’s for college women, by college women. An outlet as direct and relatable in college is hard to come by.
Contact for inquiries regarding events, publicity and promotions.
Year: Sophomore (’15)
Twitter: @Colleen_Antonio
Major/minor: Public Communication with a minor in Marketing
Loving Her Campus American since: Fall 2011
Favorite article written (or event planned): I would have to say my favorite article would be my letter to Taylor Swift. Sarcastic writing was surprisingly challenging, but it was fun being sassy. I’m really excited to be planning our first Her Campus event, a celebrity baby shower!
Campus Activities: I’m a member of Phi Sigma Sigma and I am Vice President of Public Relations for American’s Chapter of the Panhellenic Conference.
Favorite part about DC: I love how the city can always be surprising. It enjoy walking around finding new places to explore, shop, or eat. My favorite neighborhood I would have to say is Adam’s Morgan with its thrift shops and quirky restaurants.
Place you are dying to visit: I really want to go to China! After seeing an episode of Anthony Bourdain’s show, it just seems so modern yet so opposite of American culture which I find so interesting.
Memorable HC Moment: I had so much fun going to the HerCampus National
Conference in New York during the summer. It was awesome meeting the founders,
girls from other chapters, and learning from the various panels. It was also a great
excuse to go to the city!
Proudest HC accomplishment so far: I’m so proud of being part of a Her Campus Silver Level Chapter! It’s great knowing all the hard work from being on e-board and the other members for being recognized for our hard work!
How did you get involved in Her Campus?
I actually found the website through StumbleUpon before freshman year of college. Soon enough, I wanted to get involved in it and checked if American had a chapter. Luckily, Lesley was just starting it and let me start writing right away. It was nice having break to write about things I am interested in and hoping the audience was just as interested too!
Why did you decide to run for e-board and your specific position?
After going to the conference, I wanted to get more involved in HCAU. I was not really sure if I had the experience, but I knew I would learn a lot. I decided it would not hurt to try and apply. I have definitely learned a lot this past year working with the rest of e-board and especially AU Student Activities.
What is one thing you hope to accomplish this semester in your HC role?
I hope to plan successful events with the publicity team!
Contact for fundraising opportunities and business inquiries.
Year: Sophomore (’15)
Twitter: @MaddieBagley
Major/minor: Public Communication with a Marketing minor
Loving Her Campus American since: Fall 2012
Favorite article you’ve written: Top Fall Drink Recipes (I just love fall in general!)
Campus activities: AU Ambassadors
Three things you never leave home without: My cell phone/ID and keys (they’re connected sometimes), a water bottle, my Nike Fuel Band (I’m totally addicted to it)
Favorite part about DC: The restaurants here are amazing and perfect for a foodie like myself. I’m dying to try Range in Friendship Heights; I hear it’s amazing.
Memorable HC moment: Our attempt of the Harlem Shake was pretty legendary….
Best part about being on the team: The ladies I work with are hilarious and amazing!
What advice would you give to a freshman?
Explore the city and be a tourist in DC! I know I forget how close it is and all it has to offer, and I always try to go out when I can. Whether it’s a museum, a restaurant, or even just a walk, take advantage of the city we live in!
What is the most notable (or craziest) thing you’ve done in the past year?
I just finished taking a self defense class offered here and our final class involves a simulation where you actually beat up a guy. Even though they are wearing pounds of padding, I’ve never physically fought someone before. It was awesome and I felt like such a bad ass!
How did you get involved with Her Campus?
I had always read articles from Her Campus, but then I found out my friend was a writer for it. I wasn’t that much of a writer, but I thought it would be a great way to get to know different girls here. Now, I love it!
What is one thing you hope to accomplish this semester in your HC role?
I want to have really fun and creative giveaways and fundraising ideas, I feel like a lot of clubs do the same thing and I really want Her Campus to stick out.
Contact for online publicity and social media inquiries.
Year: Sophomore (’15)
Twitter: @LailaLemonade
Major/minor: Broadcast Journalism and Marketing
Loving Her Campus American since: Fall 2012
Favorite article you’ve written: That would definitely have to be my Inaugural Ball experience.
Go-to karaoke song: Love Song – Selena Gomez
Three things you never leave home without: Cell phone, AU ID, debit card
What advice would you give to a freshman?
In all honesty, I would say that you need to step out of your comfort zone to actually enjoy your freshman year. Because that’s what it is all about, experiencing things that you would not have done if you were at home with the same group of friends.
How did you get involved with Her Campus?
This year, I was trying to find an activity that spoke more to what I wanted to do rather than doing something I felt like I had to do. So when I heard there was an online magazine that was aimed to target girls and would talk about fashion and things I would find interesting on campus, I decided to check it out. To this day it is still one of my best decisions.
What is one things you hope to accomplish with your role?
Honestly, I just hope to increase page views. I want the Her Campus American domain to be more of a “Oh, Her Campus!” rather than a “What’s Her Campus?” and I feel like through the utilization of social media, this is a possibility.
Contact for information regarding meetings, newsletters and internal communication.
Year: Sophomore (’15)
Twitter: @EmilyElls
Major/minor: Public Communication with a Marketing minor
Loving Her Campus American since: Fall 2012
Favorite article you’ve written: Currently anything regarding Founders’ Day. It’s kind of my obsession.
Campus activities: PRSSA, WVAU and pledging APO
Favorite place to shop: I’m addicted to Amazon. You can get such great deals on designer labels. When I’m not online, I really love small boutique stores where you can find some truly unique pieces.
Favorite part about DC: Adams Morgan and Amsterdam Falafel. You really can’t beat the price or deliciousness.
Favorite editorial section: News. It’s a different way of finding out things going on around campus that
Best part about being on the team: The people. I’ve made some of my best friends through Her Campus.
What advice would you give to a freshman?
Join EVERYTHING. But really. You’ll be able to pick out what you love the most and focus on that, but to begin with, it really is important to get involved and keep your options open until you figure that out. Branch out and don’t be afraid to try something that you’re unsure of or that you don’t know anyone in. You won’t regret it.
Why did you decide to run for e-board and your specific position?
I wanted to become more involved with Her Campus and be on the team. Secretary is fun because you get to know everyone through attendance and weekly emails.
What is one thing you hope to accomplish this semester in your HC role?
I’d love to start a weekly “Study Break” email that anyone can sign up to receive, featuring our weekly content and articles.