My journey with Her Campus is not your typical story. I didn’t join my freshman year—or sophomore year, for that matter. I didn’t even know we had a Her Campus chapter at BU until I was a junior, and I joined mostly because my best friend and roommate found out about it and was interested in it. So I signed up at our student activities fair, and little did I know, Her Campus would become a major part of my life from then on.
I went to the first meeting, fell in love with the idea of Her Campus, and decided to apply for a spot on the PR team. I ended up getting placed on our Facebook and Twitter accounts, and every Monday of that semester I was so excited to come up with creative captions for the articles that I posted.
After my first semester, a position opened up for PR Director. I knew that I had only been with Her Campus at BU for one semester, but I was feeling a little ambitious and applied; I got it. I remember being so excited to be on the e-board and get more involved.
By the end of my junior year, one of the Campus Correspondents announced she was leaving, and that she was looking for someone to replace her. I jumped on the opportunity, and—you guessed it—I got it.
Fast forward to today, in my second and last semester as a Campus Correspondent and last semester at Boston University. In just two years with Her Campus BU, I have learned and experienced so much more than I could’ve imagined. So, how has Her Campus changed my life? Let’s take a look.
The learning experience
In all of my positions at Her Campus, it would be an understatement to say that I’ve learned a lot. It has taught me so many life skills and is one of the first organizations on my resume. I’ve learned how to be a leader, the importance of teamwork, how to manage a large team, how to stay organized, how to meet deadlines, how to create editorial calendars and social media schedules, and how to work with the national Her Campus team on their client programs.
On a more personal note, I have learned that you can’t please everyone. I have learned the importance of following through when people are counting on you. I have learned that hard work really does pay off, as they say. And most importantly, I have learned that for others to believe in you, you need to first believe in yourself. I don’t think there is any other organization on campus that can teach you all of those things combined.
The friendships
As a member of the e-board, I definitely get to talk to and get to know everyone on the team. Through meetings and events, I have slowly gotten to know the girls on a more personal level, and have been able to form some amazing bonds with them. Not to mention the e-board, who I work with every single day. It would be hard not to form friendships! Along with that, many girls have gotten close with each other through team bonding events, and it is so rewarding to see how well everyone gets along. Her Campus has brought so many wonderful girls into my life that I would never have otherwise met or become friends with, and I am very thankful for that.
The support system
This is one of the biggest ways that Her Campus has changed my life. I cannot emphasize how supportive this group of girls is of each other. As co-president, nothing makes me happier than to see the team getting along and encouraging each other. Whether it is through team bonding events, getting together outside of Her Campus, or inspiring each other to write very personal articles as a part of their own healing processes, I truly can’t think of any other publication that comes together in the way that the women of Her Campus do.
The community
In a more general sense, Her Campus has created a community of women at BU that I feel so honored to have been a part of and lead. There are so many different opportunities for people to explore in Her Campus; whether it be writing, event planning, or public relations efforts—there is a place for everyone here. Not only that, but my co-president and I have made sure that we are providing a safe environment for every one of the girls to feel comfortable in and be able to express themselves in. I really can’t think of a single time where I have ever turned down a pitch for an article. I believe that writing can be liberating, and I believe that the creative freedom that comes with being in Her Campus is what makes so many of the girls love being a part of the community as much as I do.
As my senior year comes to a close, it is hard to leave Her Campus BU, but I hope that I have inspired my team enough to continue on with even greater force after I am gone. If there is anything I would say to them, it is that I hope I touched at least one of their lives in the way that they have all touched mine. I have felt so heartened and so empowered by so many women that I have had the pleasure of meeting and working with these past two years. I am moved by their creativity, by their bravery, by their courage, by their commitment, and by their confidence. It has been a truly rewarding and life changing experience being a part of Her Campus BU, and I wouldn’t trade my time with it for the world.