Name: Laura Flescher
Year: Senior
Major: Psychology
Campus Involvement: Her Campus Events Director, College Council Vice President of Communications, Club Tennis Events Chair, Emory Student Ambassadors Lobby Host
Q: What made you want to join Her Campus?
I hadn’t heard of Her Campus at Emory until second semester sophomore year, but I had seen the website before and the types of articles they published. I saw it as a combo of Cosmo, Buzzfeed or Refinery 29, and I liked all of those, so I thought it would be something fun and different to join. At the time, they were also looking for an events director, so it was a great opportunity to use my event planning skills and further my experience. Overall though, I appreciated what they stood for and the mission of the organization, and I was really looking for a group of women who would provide me with a close-knit community of new friends.
Q: Favorite holiday movie?
I love Halloweentown! That was my big DCOM movie when I was younger. But for the winter holidays, there’s a more recent movie I found on Netflix a few years ago that really resonated with me and my life at that time. It’s called Carrie Pilby. It’s about this 19-year-old girl who has recently graduated from college, and she’s trying to navigate the world on her own. It’s a movie that gives a lot of good feelings. But more traditionally, I’ll Be Home for Christmas – love that movie!
Q: What do you find most fulfilling about event planning?
Here’s how I see it: the best gift I could ever receive would be concert tickets. I love going to some spectacular live event where you feel a part of something bigger and you then have a memorable experience that you’ll never forget. That’s what event planning is to me. It’s all about being creative and combining that with something tangible that will then have meaning to someone later in their life and that’s why I love it!
Q: How do you think events like the Her Conference are influential for college-aged women?
This past summer I attended Her Campus nationals’ Her Conference in New York and thought it was really impactful to be with other college-aged women, hear from women who have essentially “made it” in their industry, and be inspired. Because of this experience, I really wanted to create a space like that at Emory which was my goal with Emory’s first-ever Her Conference: It Starts with You. I think this specific theme allowed Emory women to understand that in order to figure out what you want to do in life, you need to figure out who you are first. If you know yourself, and you know your interests and values, you will easily find where you belong. Lastly, I wanted to host a large event that would increase Her Campus Emory’s presence on campus since I believe that there are so many women who would resonate with our organization’s mission, articles, and topics discussed, they just hadn’t heard of it.
Q: What skills or knowledge do you think you’ve gained from your leadership roles on campus?
Having leadership roles on campus, I certainly learned about all the many resources Emory has to offer including a wide variety of offices and other organizations that are always willing to collaborate. I definitely believe that because of my wide range of leadership experience in my extracurricular activities, I am now a great point of contact who can give advice and guide other students toward their goals. Additionally, the organizations that I have been a part of and the responsibilities I have been given have allowed me to better my logistical and organizational skills as well as polish my overall communication and professionalism.
Q: If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?
Paris. Easy. I’ve never been and that’s my number one place to go. I went to Europe for the first time last summer, and I would love to go back.
Q: Who are the most empowering women in your life?
This of course sounds really cheesy but in the celebrity world, Taylor Swift is a personal icon. Not only do I love her music, but I really respect everything that she has done with her platform and how she uses her status to raise awareness and be an advocate for important issues. But also more prevalent in my everyday life, the women who have become my close friends at Emory in the last few years have been extremely empowering; they have helped me make the end of my college experience especially memorable and enjoyable!