When you think of a Girl Boss, you usually think of a woman about her business and securing her bag. When I think of a Girl Boss, I think of Hampton Alumnae, who possess all of these qualities and more. The women who come out of Hampton are set up only for success and have a certain ambition and go-getter mindset about them. A true definition of what a Girl Boss embodies. A few of our HerCampus HamptonU Alumnae, have left Hampton and went off to grace the rest of the world with their presence. For Girl Boss week, we just wanted to highlight some of our favorites and update you on where they are now post-grad!
Victoria Daniels, @wordsbyvic
Our first Girl Boss Alumna is none other than our former Campus Correspondent from the 2018-2019 school year, Victoria Daniels, @wordsbyvic on Instagram. A recent 2019 graduate with a degree in Journalism, Victoria is currently attending the University of Maryland College Park, as an Inaugural Howard fellow studying multimedia journalism. In addition to school, she is also doing freelance work and pitching to different publications as well as blogging in hopes of building her bylines and perfecting her craft.
HC: What is one piece of advice you would give to current students about preparing for their future while at Hampton?
Victoria: “Breathe. You do not have to have everything figured out right away. Make several game plans and get comfortable with being uncomfortable, especially during post-grad! Also, remember that no amount of talent can cover up your unprofessionalism! Hampton does a great job of teaching you how to present yourself and communicate well.”
Mion Sade, @mionsade
Our next Girl Boss Alumna is 2018 graduate, Mion Edwards, @mionsade on Instagram. While at Hampton, Mion majored in Journalism with a minor in Marketing. After graduation, she packed up her things and moved to New York where she is currently a news associate at NBC National News. As a news associate in the New York bureau, her responsibilities include contributing to segments for the Today Show, MSNBC, and Nightly News with Lester Holt, accompanying coverage teams, correspondents and NBC producers in the field, and newsgathering by monitoring local NBC affiliates.
HC: What is one piece of advice you would give to current students about preparing for their future while at Hampton?
Mion: “It’s really hard to choose one piece of advice to give. So, I’ll give my top 3 that helped me post-grad when I was jobless frustrated and simply wanted to give up. I would try to remember these things. Stay in your lane & don’t be rushed by the internet. We often scroll our timelines comparing ourselves to our peers. Since we’re heavily on social media viewing other people’s highlight reel it’s natural to compare. Don’t compare yourself to other people who have positions or the job you may have wanted. Instead, congratulate them and ask them the steps they took to secure such a position. Define What Success Means to You. Define what success means to you and write it down, and work towards your personal goals little by little. Being able to track your progress will allow you to stay in your own lane and not try to live out anyone else’s timeline. Rejection Doesn’t Determine Your Self-Worth. After hearing 100 no’s it can be discouraging, but what’s meant for you will always be for you so keep that in mind, and don’t give up but persevere.”
Kristyn Beecher, @kristynstagram_
Next up is Kristyn Beecher @kristynstagram_ on Instagram, who is a 2017 graduate from Houston, Texas. While at Hampton she majored in Journalism and minored in Business Management. Post-grad, Kristyn was a producer in Fort Myers, Florida for two years and then moved back to her hometown of Houston, Texas where she is currently a newscast producer at KRPC.
HC: What is one piece of advice you would give to current students about preparing for their future while at Hampton?
Kristyn: “Hampton gives us this drive that sets us apart from other people. Honestly, it’s probably an HBCU thing. So we push ourselves to be these hyper-successful people because that’s what we feel you’re supposed to be as a Hamptonian. But the truth is everyone’s success looks different, it comes at different times and in different spaces.
I would caution people to remember that when they start comparing themselves to their classmates. You’ll drive yourself crazy trying to keep up in the races you weren’t even supposed to run in the first place.”
Kia Robinson, @dearkiaimani
Our last Girl Boss is none other than the woman who brought HerCampus to Hampton University, Kia Robinson @dearkiaimani on Instagram. A 2016 grad with a degree in Strategic Communications, Kia is currently a publicist in New York City, where she helps consumer brands secure media placements, execute launch and influencer campaigns, produce events and help increase brand awareness. She also has her own business, Her Humble Abode, which is a platform that explores the spaces women create in their homes and the world through their careers and passion projects.
HC: What is one piece of advice you would give to current students about preparing for their future while at Hampton?
Kia: “You don’t have to wait until junior year to intern. I would encourage all students to begin interning as early as they can to game as much experience as possible. I would also encourage students to reach out to those who appear to have the careers they want. Ask questions and be open to all opportunities.”
As you can see, our very own isn’t doing too bad out here. Be sure to follow all of them on their socials to keep up with their lives and accomplishments, and take notes from them. This could be you one day!