You’ve read their articles, shared them and even tweeted about them. Now it’s time to get to know the amazing writers behind the screen that make up our Her Campus team!
Her Campus Illinois State Staff
Her Campus Illinois State Executive Board
Editor-in-Chiefs: Raquel Ugalde & Alyssa Ortiz
Raquel Ugalde: Editor-in-Chief
Raquel Ugalde is a senior public relations major who grew up in Chicago, but lives with her parents in Morton Grove on some weekends (refuses to say she’s necessarily from Morton Grove). This semester will mark her two year anniversary with Her Campus ISU. Besides Her Campus, Raquel is also involved in Phi Sigma Sigma and was a Panhellenic Rho Gamma last semester! You can find her hanging out at Pub America playing darts, in her bed watching Bob’s Burgers enjoying a perfect bag of popcorn, or napping and dreaming of puppies. After graduation, Raquel plans to join the bandwagon by moving out of her parents’ house and back to Chicago. She’ll probably end up working for the Chicago Blackhawks but if all else fails, you’ll probably catch her in Boston working for (surprise, surprise) Her Campus Media’s headquarters.
Alyssa Ortiz: Editor-In-Chief
Alyssa Ortiz is a senior who gets reminded she looks like a freshman every day. You can catch her in the basement of Fell Hall where she’s a producer/anchor for TV-10 News, working in uptown at Maggie Miley’s Irish Pub or breaking into her sorority house, Gamma Phi Beta, to steal snacks from the basement or rolls of toilet paper. Some of her hobbies include reading comments on Facebook, giving long feminist rants and cooking bomb meals just so she can Snapchat them. Alyssa automatically judges anyone who is a fan of the Kardashian’s, or even worse, pays actual money for one of their apps. She believes the cheapest form of therapy is a glass (or bottle, idk) of White Zinfandel followed by a cuddle session with her bff’s. The easiest way to her heart is her through her stomach – preferably with tacos, French fries or avocados. She loves Her Campus because not only has it helped her become a better writer, but it also constantly teaches her about responsibility and leadership.
Whitney Scasny: Senior Editor
Chloe Kasper: Senior Editor
Chloe Kasper, better known by her multitude of nicknames (Chlobird, Chlorider, Clover, and many more), is a sophomore at Illinois State University majoring in public relations and minoring in Latin American and Latino/a studies and Women and Gender Studies. When she isn’t writing for Her Campus, Chloe can also be found actively participating in Illinois State University’s Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America as the Alumni Newsletter Chair. And when she can’t be found there, you’ll most likely find her cozied up in her apartment wearing all black binge-watching episodes of Jane the Virgin while eating an entire bag of Hershey’s caramel kisses. Outside her love of writing, Chloe also enjoys singing, dancing, crafting, and practicing the lost art of actually talking to people on the phone. Some of Chloe’s favorite items in the entire world include Hallmark greeting cards, sparkly Minnie Mouse ears, Christmas ornaments, and L’Oreal’s Blushing Berry red lipstick (number 590). Chloe loves writing for Her Campus because she feels it is not only a space where she can share her thoughts and interests with the world, but it is also a space where she can connect with other writers like her.
Heather Tidwell: Events Director
If you want to please Heather, buy her a green tea and a pop culture magazine. Heather Tidwell is a junior public relations major and writing minor, who loves everything Kardashian-Jenner related. Her love for writing began at a young age but truly kicked off when she came to ISU and began her major and minor classes. Although writing in class was fun for her, Her Campus became her preferred writing outlet. With a passion for beauty, fashion and everything girly, she was quick to realize Her Campus was her place to be. When she isn’t writing for the online magazine, Heather loves to grab an iced coffee from Starbucks with her sorority sisters or watch E! with her roommates. While obtaining a leadership position in her sorority, four classes, as well as two academic internships, Heather does not mind fitting Her Campus into her busy schedule.
Sidney Holman: Events Director Assistant
Meet writer Sidney Holman. Sidney has been writing for Her Campus Illinois State since her first semester of freshman year. She is now a sophomore majoring in apparel merchandising and if she wasn’t already busy enough, she added a Business Administration minor this year to her work load. Sidney is a member of the Delta Zeta sorority and continues her love of fashion by being the apparel chair. If she isn’t drowning in homework, she is usually watching food or animal videos on Facebook, working for University Tees, playing with her cat Khali (short for Khalifa and previously featured on our Instagram), or online shopping. Her favorite thing about Her Campus is that she gets to be creative and when her friends and family share her quirky articles! ~Shout out to the loyal fans~ After college, Sidney aspires to move to Chicago and work in the fashion industry.
Cassandra Zimmer: Marketing & Publicity Director
Cassandra Zimmer is a senior public relations major here at Illinois State. She has loved being on this campus for the last four years and is sad to be leaving in May. She is excited for what is ahead in her (hopeful) public relations career and could not be happier with her choice to join Her Campus her freshmen year. Her Campus has allowed her to stretch-out her writing skills and has helped her devise a career path that integrated both her passion for writing, as well as working in a creative environment. Cassandra is a lover of caffeine, donuts, and anything cheese-related. Living really close to Wisconsin all of her life has really solidified this passion of hers. She spent last semester studying abroad in Florence, Italy where she was able to travel around to some of the top destinations in Europe, as well as consume the best pizza and pasta on a daily basis. With that, she has definitely caught the “travel bug” and cannot wait to go on her next adventure. Till then, she will be consuming an excessive amount of coffee, catching up on her course work in the library, and probably re-watching Friday Night Lights on Netflix because clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.
Arielle Steward: Marketing & Publicity Assistant
Arielle Steward is a sophomore at Illinois State majoring in public relations and hoping to minor in international business. Working two jobs and being a full-time student, Arielle makes sure each of her days are productive and exciting. Being African-American, Puerto Rican and Polish, Arielle strives to add diversity into all aspects of her life. She absolutely adores cats and hippos (thanks to working at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago!) and practically has all of the Gossip Girl series memorized. Arielle is passionate about women empowerment and equality, and continues to be outspoken about what type of things are going on in our society and what we can do to fix them. Her plans for the rest of her undergraduate career include writing for Her Campus until graduation, having at least three internships under her belt and getting more involved within the ISU community. Her biggest dreams include working for Glamour or Marie Claire Magazine and traveling to Cuba and Australia. And as Jenna Rink would say, Arielle also wants to be “30, flirty, and thriving.” Arielle loves writing for Her Campus because it gives her an incredible opportunity to meet other writers who love writing about the same things she does, and it is a step closer to fulfilling her dream!
Alyssa Damato: Social Media Manager
Alyssa Damato is a sophomore at Illinois State University and is a member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority. Alyssa believes that there are three major keys to life: knitting, Netflix and puppies. Oh, and chipotle #AnotherOne. Her job is a joke, she’s broke, and her love life is D.O.A. She is an organizational and leadership communications major with a passion for interacting and writing. She currently serves as the art chairwoman for her sorority (who knew a sorority girl would be good at crafting?) Alyssa not only writes for Her Campus Illinois State, but she also writes viral articles for the national Her Campus website. She is self-diagnosed with OGED (Obsessive George Ezra Disorder), and if you don’t know who George Ezra is then she is very sorry for you. Alyssa lives under the influence of DJ Khaled and believes that your day is not truly successful without checking up on the major keys first. Her message to the public is “don’t let they stop you from doing your thing.” Alyssa loves writing for Her Campus because it has not only opened so many doors and opportunities for her, but feels truly lucky to be able to have an outlet that lets her express herself and share her thoughts with others. Her Campus brings people together and you form a second family throughout the process.
Mallory Lovings: Secretary/Treasurer
Mallory Lovings is a journalism major at Illinois State University. She likes to spend her time eating lots of watermelon and getting kicked out of the zoo for touching the penguins. When she isn’t letting Grey’s Anatomy ruin her life, she’s probably writing for Scope Magazine, preparing for her weather segment on TV-10 or writing her news and sports broadcast for 103.3 WZND. Mallory dreams to have her own talk show and she imagines herself being a mixture of Tina Fey, Ellen DeGeneres, Dr. Phil, Beyoncé, a hint of Adele, and of course Martin Luther King Jr. Her favorite thing about writing for Her Campus is that she has the ability to be as creative as she wants. HC ISU allows her to better her writing and gain experience in writing about multiple different topics as well asconducting interviews. If you would like to know more about Mallory you can either creep through photos from 133 weeks ago, or check out her portfolio at mallorylovings.wordpress.com.
Alex Warren
Alex Warren is halfway through her junior year at Illinois State for a degree in marketing. She’s a member of service sorority Epsilon Sigma Alpha and has been a writer for Her Campus since the start of her sophomore year. She spends her spare time obsessing over all things Johnny Depp and Justin Bieber (since 2009, NOT 2015, thank you). Alex takes pride in how quickly she can dig up old trending tweets or completely random facts about any actor in the show or movie she happens to be watching. Her favorite app at the moment is the IMDb app to expand this knowledge. She’s also become an expert at finishing full seasons of various shows on Netflix in under a week. Alex found her love of writing in high school when she became a writer for her schools newspaper. Her Campus has given her a creative way of expressing her thoughts and opinions through writing and she’s so glad to be a part of such a great team.
Amber Allison
Amber Allison is a soon-to-be senior at Illinois State University. She is an elementary education major and a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority. She has been on the Her Campus ISU team for over a year. You can usually find her in line at Starbucks waiting for her grande caffe mocha with no whipped cream or sitting on the couch at her apartment watching a crazy amount of TLC (or reruns of The Price is Right). Amber is an avid fan of the Beatles, not spilling coffee all over her clothes, shopping on Etsy and spending 2+ hours on YouTube watching makeup tutorials. Amber loves writing for Her Campus because she enjoys the idea of sharing her thoughts with other women on campus through her writing. Her Campus is a creative outlet for Amber and she can’t wait to see what’s in store for her last year of HC ISU before she goes home to student teach.
Danielle Farrow
Say a suh dude to writer Danielle Farrow. Danielle is a senior majoring in interpersonal communication and an active member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority. When she is not writing blogs on the latest trends or making us laugh with her creative articles, you can find her binge eating ice cream, losing brain cells watching reality TV or crying over puppies. WARNING: She is NOT a morning person until she has had her coffee. After graduation, Danielle plans to move back home and cry in the fetal position until she knows what she wants to do with her life. She speaks two languages, Sarcasm and English. After almost three years with Her Campus, she would have to say that the best part is all the doors it has opened for her!
Mia Volpe
Mia Volpe is a junior at Illinois State and is a public relations major. Mia is also a member of the Phi Sigma Sigma sorority and the College Panhellenic Council on campus. When Mia is not in class, you can find her obsessively streaming her favorite movies on Netflix, rooting for the Blackhawks on TV or having dance parties to Sam Smith’s music in her bedroom. Her favorite foods are her dad’s homemade pasta, Chinese and shamefully, McDonalds french fries. Mia’s dream job is to be a late night talk show host but hopes to work for a public relations agency in her favorite city, Chicago. If she could go anywhere in the world she would travel to Italy with both of her grandmas. In her spare time, she also writes for The Odyssey Online & Sorority Stylista. Mia’s family, friends, sisters and dog, Gigi are the most influential and supportive people in her life. Her favorite things about Her Campus are being able to share her writing with students at ISU and working with all of the talented members on the team!
Alexis Bauer
Alexis Bauer is a junior at Illinois State majoring in FOMO and minoring in procrastination. No one understands her sarcastic humor, and no one understands how much she loves her cloud of a bed. It is in fact the best relationship she’s had yet. Alexis is a member of Gamma Phi Beta and misses living in G-Frat solely because she can’t cook herself. When she graduates she plans to move to the city, but in reality will have to live with her parents again before she can afford to live in said city. Alexis hopes at this time she finds a nice, tall dark and handsome husband with a trust fund so that they can afford all of the puppies she wants. Her favorite food is Firehouse pizza, with ranch of course. She was once DM’ed by a random on Trivia Crack and been terrified of DMs ever since. Alexis loves writing for Her Campus because she can channel her sarcastic ways into something good, for the kids you know.
Alyse Marin
Alyse Marin is a sophomore here at Illinois State University who loves fashion, writing and all things Disney. Alyse is majoring in public relations and minoring in French. In her free time she likes to shop, sleep, eat, craft and re-watch her favorite shows on Netflix. Her idols are Blair Waldorf, Kourtney Kardashian and Giuliana Rancic. Alyse dreams of the day that she finally gets to travel to Paris and speak the language of love while shopping in the most prestigious cities while eating her (Blair Waldorf’s) favorite Ladurée macaroons. Until then, she hopes to work in Chicago and live in the suburbs with her fair share of Labrador retrievers and Bernese mountain dogs. Alyse loves Her Campus because it allows her to express herself by doing something that she loves!
Katie Sall
Katie Sall is a sophomore English education major who is also pursuing a minor in teaching English as a second language. Besides being a contributing writer for Her Campus, she has been published in ISU’s literary journal Euphemism and runs her own personal blog. Katie is also a member of Delta Zeta where she has served as President and is the current Academic Chair. Books keep her busy in and outside of school and she constantly contemplates the dream of writing her own someday. You can find Katie regularly taking amateur pictures of her puppy Cooper (or anything for that matter), posting political rants on various social medias, cheering on the Blackhawks with her crazy hockey family and listening to Mumford & Sons during her yoga sessions. Her days revolve around the next meal she will eat – breakfast being the best while dessert being the most vital to her dietary needs. Although she is incredibly indecisive, it is strongly declared that her favorite bird is the pelican and that Forrest Gump is the answer to all things. She loves writing for Her Campus because it allows her to practice her brightest passion, which is writing, with especially talented and intelligent young women.
Morgan Basso
Morgan Basso is a junior public relations major with a writing minor from Shorewood, Illinois. Although she lives in a town with subpar shopping options, she is a fashion enthusiast who dreams of doing PR for major labels. Morgan is a tree-hugging vegetarian who has a love for animals so big that it can only be compared to her love for Dunkin’ Donuts iced coffee. When she’s not busy saving the whales, her hobbies include: crying about how much she misses her mom, spending time with her amazing friends and putting in work at the gym.
Sammie Cedano
Sammie Cedano is in her second semester of her sophomore year, majoring in mass media. Not only is she a writer for Her Campus but she is also a member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority and a DJ at WZND radio station. On any given night you can find her procrastinating on her work by watching British TV shows, but more likely she’s Skyping her boyfriend from New Jersey. When she is actually doing her work, she likes to listen to her amazing vinyl collection that she is trying to slowly build up. Her favorite movies are Harry Potter and Scarface and anything made in the year 1985. She hopes one day to move to either New Jersey or New York to peruse a career that has to do with writing—which is why she is happy to have joined joined Her Campus because she is now able to improve her writing and express herself.
Stephanie Rodriguez
Stephanie Rodriguez is a sophomore Broadcast Journalism major who is also minoring in Spanish. She was born on the island of Puerto Rico but was raised in the Chicago suburbs. She is very proud of her culture and frequently visits the island. For her, being bilingual is a (as DJ Khaled would say) major key. She loves animals, specifically cats and dogs. She had her dog, Scooby-Doo, for 15 years before he went to doggie heaven last October. Her cat, Little Girl, is anything but little (she’s a chunky monkey) yet Stephanie still loves her baby. Her favorite food is chicken and she doesn’t think she could ever live without it. She became a member of the Illinois State Spanish club last semester and recently became the club’s Historian. For Stephanie, being a member of Her Campus brings her great joy. She loves writing fun, witty and relatable articles. She one day hopes to be a news anchor for a major channel in Chicago. She also really loves SpongeBob Squarepants.
Tara Babic
Tara Babic is a sophomore at Illinois State. She’s an All-Girl Cheerleader and a member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority. Tara is a public relations major and is minoring in civic engagement and responsibility. Nothing makes her happier than sleeping in and dogs (mainly dogs). Her favorite thing to do is cry over One Tree Hill or make ridiculously long snapchat stories. She’s a sun goddess and is not meant to live in the Midwest. Tara loves writing for Her Campus because she gets the opportunity to share her thoughts through her articles and relate to people on a higher level.
Taylor Leddin
Taylor Leddin is a senior interpersonal communication major. When not spending her time in Fell Hall, she can be found watching the same shows over and over again while attempting to humor her Twitter followers. She loves to write and, in addition to Her Campus, is a news reporter for The Vidette and an author at The American Genius. Her goal is to travel and work as many odd jobs as possible. Taylor’s favorite part of writing for Her Campus is having the opportunity to write about relatable and fun topics.
And that’s a wrap! Hope you enjoyed getting to know us :)