It was the second semester of my freshman year, and I wanted to become involved in every publication that presented itself to me. I’d already been working on two literary magazines for Emerson, but the desire to do all the things was eating me up (Emerson, am I right?). Having two org fairs starting that semester, one for recognized clubs on campus and one for unofficial groups, sounded perfect to me: now I could see the full range of everything that Emerson students were doing.
I already had a semester under my belt, but I was still trying to break away from being so introverted and anxious about meeting new people. My friends and I were circling our way through all the tables clamoring for our attention, and I followed their lead, feeling safe in a group. We had stopped at a table I wasn’t particularly interested in, so I let my eyes wander, and Her Campus Emerson’s table caught my attention. My friends had moved on at that point, so I made a mental note to look into it later. A few short weeks later, I was a writer for HC Emerson.
I remember showing up for my first meeting and being simultaneously thrilled and terrified. I was originally accepted to Emerson as a Journalism major, but switched to WLP to focus on publishing once I realized I didn’t really want to pursue writing as a career. I still love to write, but I have this insurmountable fear that I’m not good enough. Putting my work into the world for HC Emerson on a regular basis was scary. How would I know what to write about? Why would anyone care what I had to say? Was I just fooling myself by joining this organization? But when my first article was published, my heart was racing (in a good way) as I read my words presented to me online. I thought to myself, Wow, we really did that!
The Her Campus community has been so good to me. I love everything that this magazine stands for: bringing relatable, enjoyable content to college women; giving young people professional experience in the magazine industry; and overall, embracing your voice and yourself. That may sound corny, but being part of HC Emerson has really brought me out of my shell. When you’re part of Her Campus, you’re part of a whole network of schools throughout the world, all supervised by a team of hardworking pros at HCHQ. We’ve held events with chapters in Boston, attended programs at fun places like Primark, and received products from cool brands like Garnier, Carefree, and Buxom. I’m finding my voice as a writer while also pretending I’m a beauty guru receiving some free PR, and honestly, what more could you want?
When I first joined, I could never imagine that I’d end up being one of the Campus Correspondents of the Emerson chapter. Although I just stepped into this role last semester, the experience has already been so rewarding. We became a recognized club on campus and are becoming more visible than ever. Talia and I, as well as the rest of our amazing executive board, have so many exciting things lined up for this semester, and we can’t wait for you to be part of it. We’re working on a chapter spotlight series to highlight all the cool things that other HC chapters are doing, assembling a video team to create even more exciting content, and planning to partake in events like College Fashion Week. Our chapter is thriving (we’re in the top 5% of all Her Campus chapters, not to brag or anything), and now is the perfect time to get started with HC Emerson.
If you take anything from the story of me as a dumb freshman who was scared of doing anything by herself, let it be this: college is your fresh start. I wasn’t really involved in any extracurriculars in high school, and I regret missing out on things that could’ve been fun because no one else wanted to do them with me. Joining HC Emerson was scary because I had no friends there, but guess what? I made friends, I found my footing, and now I couldn’t imagine my life any other way. Whether you’re a freshman or senior, it’s not too late to join clubs and orgs that interest you. Also, even if you missed Org Fair, you can still get involved on campus (psst…you can email hc.emerson@hercampus.com).
We hope to see you soon!
(photo courtesy of Talia Santopadre)