Whether you’ve seen her helping freshmen feel at home as a Resident Assistant or witnessed her Instagram, Facebook and Twitter skills in full swing through her position as Her Campus Emmanuel’s Social Media Director, Autumn Dube can always be found rocking a perfectly put together outfit and living her best life. Between having her as an RA and as my mentor for Her Campus, I have gotten to know Autumn well. I will be one of the many members of the Emmanuel community that is going to miss her next year.
Through her many responsibilities at EC, her internship, and her personal blog, Autumn has used her creativity and passion for writing to achieve so much throughout the years. She is an inspiration to everyone she encounters. Check out our interview below to learn more about our outstanding Executive Board member!
Zodiac Sign: Libra through and through
Social Media: I only truly use Insta often: @aduslayy & autumndube.com
Favorite movie: The Devil Wears Prada
Favorite book: The Woman I Wanted to Be by Diane von Furstenberg
Favorite places to go in Boston: Any quaint coffee shop, Thornton’s Thursday ($5 margs, yes please), Loretta’s Last Call to please my inner country girl, and I love adventuring on Newbury St.
Her Campus Emmanuel: Graduation is coming up fast! What degree are you graduating with?
Autumn K. Dube: Eeek I know, it’s definitely bittersweet. I will be graduating with a BA in Communications with a focus in Cultural Media Studies!
HCE: How did you find out about Her Campus Emmanuel, and what made you decide to join?
AKD: I originally stumbled upon the Her Campus website my freshman year but noticed we didn’t have a chapter. That’s why I was so excited the following year to see this team come together, and I joined as soon as I knew about HCE. I figured it would be a good way to get into writing and the magazine world, and wow, was I right.
HCE: As a National Feature Writer for Her Campus, what has been your favorite piece you have written so far? What made it so memorable?
AKD: Getting a national writing position would never have been possible without my initial experience with HCE. The articles I wrote for our club, plus my personal blog, were the ideal writing samples to get this position. With that, I’d say my favorite national piece is one that really pushed me out of my comfort zone. I had the idea for a few months but finally worked up the courage to just go for it and the end result was more than I could have hoped for.
The article is called, I Took Risks in My Love Life for One Week & Here’s What Happened, and the premise of it was to live authentically, accept my sexuality, and see what happened when I pushed my normal dating boundaries. The week itself was memorable, but the feedback and thank you emails I received after writing it was shocking. It was truly humbling to have friends and even strangers thanking me for writing about this topic, calling me an inspiration, and supporting my decision to be my true self. The overwhelming amount of love I received is definitely something I will be smiling about for a long time.
HCE: What are some of the best opportunities HC has given you and how do you feel they have prepared you for the future?
AKD: I have always had a strong interest in working for a magazine or publication of some sort, and the ultimate goal of one day writing my own column. Thank you Carrie Bradshaw for influencing me — I want your lifestyle (and wardrobe). But I knew it seemed kind of ridiculous, and by that, I mean really difficult to accomplish. Oddly enough, I had intended to major in business coming into college but I’m SO thankful I changed that before sophomore year. Her Campus gave me a platform to turn my dreams into a reality — cliche, but true. I rediscovered my love for writing and I am grateful every single day I came back to myself because of HCE.
I have worked alongside ambitious women, gained mentorship from nationals, improved my skills immensely, attended so many fun events, and most importantly gained confidence in my own abilities. My goals no longer seem ‘silly’ to me. I mean, look how far I’ve come in just a couple years and the support I’ve gained along the way. I’m very excited for my future and eager to see what new opportunities I’ll take on. Her Campus restored my faith in myself.
HCE: This is both an exciting and daunting time for you and the rest of the class of 2017. Do you have any plans for after you graduate?
AKD: Ahhh! Still seems to crazy that I’m leaving this beautiful city so soon; it hasn’t fully hit me yet. I do have so much to look forward to though. I will be moving home after the summer to work and enjoy my summer in Maine – true fam, I’m coming for ya! And then, come September, I’m moving to Italy for 3 months with my three best friends. So I may not have the added pressure of looking for a job just yet, but I couldn’t be happier with my plan. I will still be writing freelance for various websites, including Elite Daily where I was recently accepted as a contributing writer, yayy!
HCE: Outside of Her Campus, what other activities and events have shaped your past four years here?
AKD: Well, I’ve been an RA for three years so that’s something. I do have to say that I made some of my greatest friends through that role though. I like being the “go-to” person so it was fitting in a lot of ways and allowed me to help a lot of people. I also got into yoga in college. My schedule didn’t line up with yoga club this year, but it’s become a huge stress reliever for me. I think just being a part of the Emmanuel community in general has helped shaped who I am. There are so many genuine people on this campus, even small conversations seem to impact me or open my mind to new things.
HCE: Both on social media and in person you put a strong emphasis on living authentically. How has this value guided your college experience?
AKD: Aww, I love that you asked this. Honestly, it took me years of struggling to accept who I am and to discover who I want to be. Once I came to terms with this, and realized the importance of loving myself, I have never looked back. Living authentically has allowed me to challenge myself and influence others in a unique way. You should never have to apologize for you who are, unless you happen to be a horrible person. Staying true to myself has proven beneficial in all aspects of my life, from love to advancing my career. I advocate for this mindset so strongly because I know what it feels like to live a lie and it’s actually not living at all. Figuring out who you are is difficult, because it requires total honesty and self reflection, but it’s worth it.
HCE: Through your leadership positions here at Emmanuel, you have been a role model to many people. Who do you look up to?
AKD: Thank you first of all; I love hearing that. Anyone who knows me understands my love for Blake Lively and Diane Von Furstenberg. Blake is a wonderful role model when it comes to being a genuine person. She is someone who has stayed true to herself and lives a blessed life because of it, speaking out on important issues she’s proud to stand up for. I love how she maintains her personal relationships too, and I understand the value of friendship as well. And then there’s DVF, who has been a huge influence in my life. I actually started my blog after reading her book– it sparked something inside of me. Her ambition and endless support for women is applaudable – she knows she’s fierce and owns it. They’re both wonderful women who I aspire to be like.
HCE: What are you going to miss most about Emmanuel? What advice would you give to your freshman self?
AKD: To be honest, I didn’t love Emmanuel my freshman year. I wanted wild parties and crazy stories, which felt nonexistent here at first. But I gave myself time. I reminded myself how much I loved the city and eventually made genuine friends. And then the party scene followed. And the city life won my heart over. Everything happened like I had hoped once I stopped trying to rush it.
I know I’m going to miss the people here the most. From my ridiculous junior friends to my day one girls, it’s going to be sad not seeing them everyday. I’d tell my freshman self to trust in the timing of the universe, to not force friendships because the right ones will come, and to indulge in whatever makes you happy. And most importantly, change is a good thing.
Her Campus Emmanuel has had so much success with you as a member of the team and we are all going to miss you so much! Thank you helping to make HCE the group it is today and for always reminding us to live vicariously through ourselves.