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Cal State Chico | Culture

How Her Campus has Helped Me Find My Voice and Prepare Me for the Future – From the Editor-in-Chief

Simone Bryant Student Contributor, California State University - Chico
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Cal State Chico chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Growing up I was always intimidated by writing. I liked to get my thoughts out on paper, but I was always worried what I had to say was wrong, or someone might disagree with it. I was a huge ‘fake it til you make it’ person when it came to general confidence, I put up a good front, but inside I definitely had some huge insecurities when it came to people disagreeing with me. At the start of college I was a people pleaser, as I’m sure many of you can relate, and I can still have those tendencies today, but boy have I gained a different perspective on how powerful my voice is.

I joined Her Campus first semester of my Sophomore year. I jumped right into it and was eager to write because I hadn’t had the chance to do much free writing in high school and I missed it so much. It felt exactly the same as it had before. Her Campus gave me an outlet to freely express my thoughts and opinions, and it turned out a lot of people felt very similar to me. I wrote about things that truly meant something to me, everything came from the heart and was raw and authentic. I wrote light, funny pieces, as well as emotional and heavy pieces. I just wrote about what I was feeling, and a lot of the time when you’re feeling a certain way, more likely than not there’s a ton of people that are in the exact same boat as you.

Her Campus got me writing again, and it brought my voice back. I was officially part of something I truly resonated with, and every single girl around me was so supportive. I was meeting women from all sorts of majors that I never would’ve met before, they were so sweet and welcoming right off the bat. It never even had the chance to be intimidating or lonely joining an organization where I barely knew anyone, the girls were there for me from the moment I stepped in.

Everyone at Her Campus is encouraged to express themselves in the way that feels fun and speaks to them. When writing, we encourage girls to pretend they’re talking to one of their best friends. Make it your journal and put your opinion out there! Someone is waiting for a voice exactly like yours to come along.

One of the most beneficial parts of being a writer for Her Campus was being able to put the experience on my resume. Writing applies to all jobs and all majors, no matter the field. Recruiters and managers fly through resumes when searching for candidates, words like ‘writing’, ‘journalism, and ‘published work’ will catch their eye and stand out in an instant.

Neither of my parents went to a 4-year college, and something I had to figure out on my own is that you have to do everything you can to build your resume when you have the chance. It is never too late to start. A couple of months of experience could be the thing that sets you apart from other people applying for the same job. Her Campus is a unique and special opportunity, and most campuses don’t offer it. It’s your duty to yourself to grow as much as you can in your four years here and take risks you might have just discovered. I took that risk and now I get to put ‘Editor-in-Chief of a women’s magazine’ on my resume!

If you’re debating joining Her Campus and you’re not sure if it’s for you or not, or you’re nervous about joining alone, I encourage you to try it! This is your college experience, the time for you to start living for you has come. We welcome absolutely everyone and couldn’t be more excited to see new faces! If you’re still hesitant and need some words of encouragement feel free to reach out to me or our 2025-2026 President Olivia Garcia, we couldn’t be more excited to help you expand your college experience and help you get your voice out into the world. I truly hope to see you at our next Her Campus meeting.

Best,

Simone Bryant

Simone Bryant

Cal State Chico '26

Simone is a fourth-year student at Chico State University and the editor-in-chief of Her Campus. She also participates in other on campus organizations such as Alpha Delta Pi sorority and the Seufferlein Sales Program. She is majoring in Business Administration with a focus in Marketing.
Simone grew up in Sacramento, CA, where she visits often to see friends and family. She attended Rio Americano High School up until her Sophomore year, then Del Oro High School where she graduated from in 2022. Simone played lacrosse and soccer throughout high school and volunteered at an animal health center outside of her hometown.
On her free time Simone loves traveling and spending time with her friends and family. She studied abroad in Barcelona, Spain during the summer of 2025. There she upheld an event management internship for the Barcelona Festival of Song. Aside from this, she also has avid interest in topics such as wellness, fashion and interior design.
Simone loves showcasing her creativity and personality through her writing. She's been passionate about writing for as long as she can remember. She is so excited to be a part of the Her Campus team and enhance her skills even further.