“All good things must come to an end.”
As much as that quote saddens me, it’s the truth. I wish I could make great experiences last longer, but I can’t. By saying goodbye, it allows me to move on to the future and to await more great adventures and stories. We can’t stay in the past forever.
Her Campus at Kennesaw State has been one of those great experiences I wish I could hold onto for a bit longer. In May of this year, I’ll be graduating from Kennesaw State University with my Bachelor’s in English. This means that I’ll be leaving my Her Campus chapter. My experience with my school’s HC chapter has been nothing short of amazing. I consider my chapter as one of the best in the country – we work hard, produce quality content, and there’s a strong group bond. Being a part of Her Campus at Kennesaw State will forever be one of my defining college experiences, and I’m honored to have been a member for a year and a half.
I found out about KSU’s HC chapter through my Orientation team. In 2019, I worked as an Orientation Leader for the school, and two of my co-workers were on the writing team at the time. After hearing about it from them, I did some more research, and I became highly interested in joining. Once applications opened, I filled one out, and well – the rest is history!
I joined HC at Kennesaw State during the Fall 2020 semester. For some of us, this was the first semester back on campus after the initial chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, while we were back on campus, everything changed. Because many classes were still online, campus life was quiet, and very few people would occupy campus grounds. The same applied to extracurricular activities. Many student organizations I was already a member of transitioned to online-only formats. The same applied to Her Campus. I was disappointed, as I wanted to meet everyone and do events in-person, but I knew that it was to keep all of us safe.
As time went on, COVID restrictions began to ease up, and our chapter got the opportunity to hold in-person events. The most memorable in-person event was a bonding day picnic at a park nearby KSU. Looking back, it was my first time seeing some of the members face to face, but it didn’t feel like I was seeing them for the first time. It felt like I was meeting some friends after a long time of not seeing them in person. That’s how at home I felt with my Her Campus chapter.
Another memorable experience I’ve had with my HC chapter came when I was at my lowest. I was going through it mentally, and even though I knew I had support, it still felt like I was alone. After talking with our chapter’s president, she gave me some encouragement, which then led to other members giving me some positive words and affirmations. When I saw the messages, I was so moved that I began to tear up. Reading the messages made me realize that I definitely wasn’t alone and that I had several people to talk to if I ever needed anything.
Being in Her Campus has shown me that I’ve matured in defining who I am and what speaks to me. I’ve written about my studies, productiveness, mental & physical health, and entertainment (TV shows & music). The articles I’ve written show that even though I am reserved, I am also a vibrant, colorful individual, and Her Campus allowed me to display that in a way that only I can. Her Campus provided another outlet for me to express myself, and for that, I will forever be grateful. My Her Campus chapter has also further developed life skills needed in the professional world, such as working with a team and becoming more mindful of yourself. Being in HC for over a year has taught me to look inward and realize that there is so much more to me than just school and work. It has taught me there’s a beautiful woman that is enthusiastic, determined, and resourceful and can be so much kinder to herself whenever she feels she’s not enough.
Thank you, Her Campus at Kennesaw State, for all the memories, growth, and fun times. I’ll never forget you.