Last year, one of my good friends, Caroline, asked me and a few of our other friends if we would be interested in helping her start a club on campus. After a year of planning, scheduling, and networking, Caroline Russo successfully started the FeelGood chapter at Fairfield U. I interviewed her and asked some questions about starting the club, what it means to her, and how you can get involved.
Questions:
- Let’s start with the basics: name, grade, major/minors:
Hi! My name is Caroline Russo and I am a junior. I major in psychology with a concentration in behavioral neuroscience and minor in religious studies and American studies.
- What is FeelGood? Can you tell me a little about it?
Sure, happy to! FeelGood is associated with the global nonprofit organization The Hunger Project. It is a youth-led social movement turning college campuses across the country into effective social enterprises raising money to end global hunger (FeelGood). I’m happy to do an interview with Her Campus because it is similar to FeelGood in that colleges across the country have different chapters. It is nice to have the support system of other organizations in the U.S., which I know Her Campus can relate to as well.
- Why did you choose to start FeelGood?
I wanted to start a FeelGood chapter at Fairfield because it is a supportive, important, and fun club to be a part of. FeelGood’s mission is a great cause that anyone can relate to. I also had known some people previously who were members of FeelGood chapters at other universities and that also inspired me to start a chapter here. Lastly, I think it is a great addition to the Fairfield community. While we are just starting out, people who are involved in the club have had positive experiences and have spread the word about FeelGood so more people get involved.
- Do you want to work with/collaborate with any other clubs on campus to have joint events?
YES 100%!! Since this is FeelGood’s first year at Fairfield, we want to work with and learn from other clubs. This interview with Her Campus is great because I know it will reach a different demographic, so I hope whoever reads this is inspired to join! We also would love to work with the Humanitarian Action Club, or Leaders for Environmental Action (LEAF), to expand the FeelGood mission. I’ve also been in contact with some of the people in the Women in Stem club, which focus on female empowerment which is a goal that closely aligns with FeelGood’s mission.
- How can more people support and expand FeelGood’s mission?
Anybody is welcome to join at life@fairfield! We also just finished the Move to End Hunger, which was our biggest fundraising event of this year. The Fairfield U team raised $2,105, which is incredible. It was a great way for people to get involved with FeelGood, so we hope to participate in it again!
Anybody is open to join at life@fairifled if u cant that’s fine
- Do you have one goal or one big accomplishment you want to see at FeelGood before you graduate?
Ah, yes, this is what I have been working on the most. Since I will be graduating in 2024, I will have to pass the baton to somebody else. Because FeelGood is so new, I would love to see it stay at Fairfield post graduation. The board is composed of mostly juniors, with only one sophomore. So, my goal would be to get a lot more freshmen/sophomores on the team so they can take over when juniors/seniors leave.
- Any closing remarks?
Thank you for the interview! I hope to have more collaboration with Her Campus in the future.
Make sure to follow FeelGood on Instagram (@feelgood.fairfield) and join on life@fairfield!