You might catch her in the Farmer School of Business working on a marketing project or at a sewing machine designing pieces for the annual spring fashion show, but you’ll find her at her best behind a computer typing up a story and coming up with plans to increase publicity. She is this year’s Her Campus Miami (OH) President, Emma Strupp. A junior with a major in strategic communications and minors in marketing and fashion design, she already has a full plate of experience and achievements in the editorial and public relations fields.
Strupp has always had a passion for writing. That became clear in high school when she became the editor-in-chief of her high school magazine, Verve. It was in her senior year that she realized she wanted to turn her passion into a career.
“I enjoyed running our staff meetings, with our creative brainstorming sessions being my favorite weekly event. I also was able to create a fashion blog that I was constantly working on in class when I should have been taking notes during AP Government,” Strupp says.
Her position with Verve lead her to become an editorial intern for the Dublin Villager, a local branch of The Columbus Dispatch. She watched firsthand the entire process of creating a weekly newspaper and played a role in attending interviews and meetings, writing stories and briefs and worked with their social media accounts to increase publicity. In between her usual intern assignments she also took journalism courses online and passed a reporter’s test.
“I learned the importance of thinking on the fly, as a reporter must always be prepared to ask appropriate questions that lead to insight,” Strupp says. Strupp has gained experience in public relations as the current PR Chairman for Kappa Kappa Gamma, in which she plans events for Mom’s and Dad’s weekends, produces the chapter’s annual newsletter and updates all social media pages.
“My position is creative and involves networking with local businesses to plan events for my sisters and their parents to enjoy,” Strupp says.
She also serves as the Event Planning Coordinator for Up Magazine, a designer for Miami University Club of Fashion and Design (MUCFD), a campus tour guide and a member of PRSSA and WIB. She holds more positions on campus than one can count on one’s hand.
A little piece of advice she has for those looking to get more involved or to improve their resume:
“Take any and every opportunity to write and network! Whether it’s a personal blog or writing for the sports section of your school newspaper, every experience counts,” Strupp says. “I find that the more I write the more comfortable I feel in my own voice as I continue to develop my distinct writing style. On campus with events like career fair, resume workshops and etiquette dinners with large companies it’s easy to make connections with business professionals that are essential to landing your dream internship or job after graduation.”
“I was given a platform to write about issues that were not only important to me but the rest of the student body. Two years later, after gaining experience as a contributing writer and publicity staff member, I am honored to serve as President of our dynamic and tenacious chapter,” Strupp says.
In between running staff meetings, communicating with national advisors and planning an event with People StyleWatch, currently she is working to expand the chapter and is excited to bring new events and speakers to the Miami campus.
“As President, I’m most looking forward to encouraging and empowering students to follow their passion in the media publication industry,” Strupp says.
One of the first changes Strupp has made to the chapter is combining the social media and publicity teams in hopes of creating more involvement within the committees, though last year the social media team was awarded 2nd place for Best On-Campus Publicity by Her Campus National.
“I hope to increase awareness of our chapter on campus through social media, partnerships with other student organizations as well as events on campus sponsored by national brands and publications,” Strupp says. “Overall, I believe organization and pre-planning will be key to ensure the success of our chapter that makes up the #1 online magazine for college women.”
What’s her favorite section of content published on Her Campus one might ask?
“By far our features section, whether it be an article detailing the 7 reasons to love Scott Disick to New Year, Same Ex: 9 Tips for Getting Over Him or the Top 5 Do’s and Don’t of Freshman Year, this area of our website is unpredictable gold. I’ve always been amazed by the endless creativity of our writers to produce insanely entertaining articles, and the features section is my first go-to reading material during a study break,” Strupp says.
Last spring the chapter had the privilege of welcoming Her Campus co-founder, president and publisher Windsor Hanger Western to campus. She gave a presentation titled “How to Start a Business and Achieve Your Goals With No Money, No Experience, and No Business Education”. The speech and experience of meeting Western is Strupp’s favorite memory from being a part of Her Campus. She was impressed with the co-founder’s 11 rules for launching a successful business and even had the chance to sit down and talk with her one-on-one.
“It was evident from Windsor that in order to succeed you must have ambition, commitment and positivity,” Strupp says. “This event was eye-opening to say the least and provided me with invaluable information that triggered my desire to take an entrepreneurship class this semester.”
Strupp clearly has the drive to succeed and will no doubt prove that in the coming years after graduation. She plans to move to the big apple and pursue her dream of working on the business side of the fashion industry, whether that be for a fashion PR firm, magazine or event planning company.
“I can’t wait for what the future holds! For as long as I can remember, I’ve aspired to be Anna Wintour due to her powerful influence in the fashion industry and smart business decisions that make her an American icon,” Strupp says.
With her passion for writing and public relations, there is no doubt this fashionista will find success. Buckle up New York City, because Emma Strupp is on her way.