I’ll never forget the first time I read Seventeen magazine. I was in second grade, and my babysitter brought over a ton of magazines to read while she watched me. Obviously, she was a very attentive babysitter. Even when I was young, I always wanted to read whatever I could get my hands on. I didn’t just like to read, I lived to read. When I saw one of my babysitter’s magazines lying open on the couch, I grabbed it, and was instantly amazed by all the glossy pages, big pictures, and colorful letters. I remember reading an article about embarrassing period mishaps, and wondering what in the heck that meant. It didn’t matter that I didn’t understand what I was reading; I loved it all the same. My days of being able to read Seventeen at age 8 quickly ended after I asked my mom what a tampon was, but I never forgot how that magazine captivated me.
Years later as a teenager, Seventeen was by far my favorite magazine. I read each monthly magazine cover to cover, and I felt inspired after each one. While I was eating and watching Netflix in my room, the girls featured in Seventeen were starting their own businesses and traveling to third world countries. They were going out and pursuing their passions and Seventeen inspired me to go out and pursue my passion of writing. Every edition of Seventeen confirmed my desires to someday work for a magazine myself.
This past weekend, I had the amazing opportunity to meet Michelle Tan, Editor-in-Chief of my favorite magazine since age 8. I attended Her Conference, a conference for Her Campus writers, and she was the keynote speaker, and let me tell you, she did a fabulous job.
“The devil doesn’t wear prada, the devil eats Chipotle.”
With that one line, Michelle totally had us collegiettes hooked. We had just finished eating complimentary Chipotle for lunch (thanks, HC!), and Michelle opened up her speech by talking about how much she loves Chipotle. From there, the speech only got better. She talked to us in a real way, using humor to deliver a serious message. She quoted everyone from Taylor Swift to Eleanor Roosevelt, and used hilarious lines to keep us interested, such as “like Kim Kardashian squeezing into a latex dress, make it work.” Michelle spoke about the importance of being confident in your work, and to embrace mistakes in order to better enjoy successes. She told us to keep a work journal, to never be afraid to ask for help, and to “shake, shake, shake it off.” Small mistakes happen, but it’s important to not let them kill your confidence, and to just keep swimming.
After Michelle’s speech, I stuck around to meet her. She was so gracious and kind, and I was lucky enough to get her card and a picture. It’s safe to say her speech truly inspired me, and Michelle is definitely my newest role model.
Her Conference was one of the best experiences of my life. In addition to getting free Chipotle and meeting my role model, I learned so much about how to further both my career and writing skills. The notebook I received at the conference is now absolutely filled with advice and info on writing careers. I met so many strong, career-orientated women from across the country, and they all inspired me to work towards my goals. Of course, I can’t forget about all the AMAZING free stuff I got in the goody bag, and my new adorable Her Campus half zip! The best part? I got a picture with Carly and Nessa from MTV’s Girl Code. Overall, Her Conference was amazing, and I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity to attend.
Photos provided by the author
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