When I came to The New School in the fall of 2018, I wanted to be a journalist. In high school, I spent many hours editing the school’s newspaper, covering everything from politics, entertainment news and which prom dress to wear based on your personality traits. Writing for the paper was fun because it was anything like I’d ever written in English class, and I thought I’d go on to make a great reporter.
I was wrong. I was not made out for reporting. My first assignment for Lang’s Journalism + Design program left me in tears, and the next semester I decided that Literary Studies was the place for me. I also joined Her Campus that semester because my mom suggested I make some new friends while doing something I love. Although I only wrote two articles my first semester as a member of HCTNS, I fell in love with the freedom it gave me as a student writer. I could write about anything that was on my mind — my favorite places in New York, exciting food news and thoughts on working out during quarantine to stay sane (true story). I wished to bestow that freedom to other students across the university and was delighted to accept the offer to lead the chapter my junior year.
Being part of HC has allowed me to grow as a writer, editor and leader. Like the rest of the world, our chapter faced many setbacks during the pandemic, but these roadblocks encouraged me to turn HCTNS into a hub for student writers looking for community in a time of crisis. We welcomed new members and introduced a new editorial strategy that allowed us to jump levels within the Her Campus chapter program — and I couldn’t have done it without the support from our E-Board and writers!
I want to thank Sabrina Romviel, our social media director, for promoting our chapter’s content across our accounts for the past two years; Ananya Shrivastava for serving as Senior Editor; and our staff editors, Clara Garcia and Micaela Miller. Your small-but-mighty efforts have made my tenure as Chapter Leader and Editor-in-Chief a breeze, and I can’t wait to see what each of you accomplishes in the future!
As for our writers — we wouldn’t be a chapter without you! It’s been a pleasure to hear your stories, and I hope you continue writing about the things that excite you most — activism, fashion, food, film and all the other things you guys have come up with this past school year. I’m confident that each of you will go on to do big things at school and beyond.
I can’t believe graduation is only a few days away — it feels as though the year just started. As a stand on the threshold between student life and adulthood, I encourage my fellow chapter members to set goals and join communities that excite you. Your path to success might waver, but I promise that hard work and attention to detail will land you right where you’re supposed to be! HAGS, and good luck next year.
HCXO,
Claudia