A few days ago I asked my mother if she regretted helping me enroll in art school to pursue a writing degree. I’ve always wanted to be a writer, and even though my parents have done nothing but support my creative ambitions, SCAD has also been known for skyrocketing fees, insurmountable student debt and (worst of all) prepping naïve dreamers for a graveyard of career options. The number of people who’ve grilled me over the years about studying journalism at a fine arts college didn’t help either and as my last day of classes loomed nearer, I started to panic that my parents would wake up from some rose-tinted, scented marker-smelling mirage to find a dead-end future awaiting their daughter.
But my wonderful mother surprised me. She consoled me with the assurance that no matter what career path I went down, writing would always be a solid foundation to build off of because communication skills are valued for life. What’s more is that I have my experience with Her Campus – recently declared the number one college media site for collegiate women – to thank for my progress. Almost two years ago, I grew the Her Campus SCAD chapter from Savannah to Atlanta and have since fostered a creative and empowering community for SCAD ATL women to showcase their talents. Along the way I learned a series of game-changing skills and developed the confidence to keep striving towards my dream career as a writer and activist. But the best part is that I’m not alone. Here are the top three ways Her Campus inspires women to succeed in their personal and professional lives, now and after college.
Everyone Has Something to Offer
Image courtesy of Christine Burney.
Unlike other national college media sites like Odyssey and USA Today College, Her Campus isn’t just a sanctuary for writers. Since 2009, they’ve made a name for themselves by welcoming marketers, editors, graphic designers, videographers, bloggers, social media starlets, tech enthusiasts, and business and operations managers into the feminist circle. The SCAD Atlanta team mirrors this goal by encouraging artists of all disciplines to contribute to our chapter in their own way on their own time. This network of diverse majors has made our content stand out even more by featuring illustration, sequential art, photography, fashion design and animation segments to accompany text.
Networking and Friendship Bonds for Life
Image courtesy of Her Campus SCAD Atlanta.
The promise of resume and portfolio building will hook you in to Her Campus, but the genuine friendships you’ll forge along the way will make you stay. That’s because in addition to producing both fun and thought-provoking content, Her Campus wants chapters to have each other’s back by making time for team bonding. This is encouraged not only for extra incentive points, but to form a strong community that will continue to support each other after college. We at Her Campus SCAD ATL have participated in a variety of activities ranging from: popcorn-and-movie nights, coffee get-togethers, team outreach, Fitness Fridays (yoga at main campus), the occasional sketching Saturday (at ACA Library) and a successful feminine products drive for Atlanta homeless women. Next quarter we’re also moving forward with plans for a team creative retreat along the Chattahoochee River and a spring student gallery exhibition. However, we understand that social time at SCAD is a struggle and often limited to rushed greetings with friends on the way to class or to shut yourself in a room with your old pal Adobe Creative Cloud. That’s why we never pressure our members to be involved in every team building opportunity, even though that doesn’t stop our door from always being open.
Swag and Leadership Benefits
Image courtesy of Christine Burney.
Even though Her Campus contributors don’t get paid, we are offered the next best thing: intern and leadership opportunities and lots of free goodies from luxury beauty and lifestyle brands. If you decide to become a campus correspondent (CC) – either the president or editor-in-chief of your chapter – you are eligible to earn college course credit for an internship; all other staff positions and contributors can include Her Campus membership as an internship on resumes but not for course credit. Aside from the campus CC’s, the chapter executive team consists of the senior editor, events director, marketing and publicity director and social media director. Her Campus also mails ‘survival kits’ of swag to college chapters multiple times a year for CC’s to distribute among team members. Some of my personal favorites have been: tea, dry shampoo, agendas, mascara, lipstick, tote bags, wallets, Camelbak water bottles, colored markers, UTI gummies, and Chipotle and Juicy Couture discount certificates. Not bad incentives for getting your work out there!
As I look back over my time at SCAD Atlanta, I can proudly say that one of my greatest accomplishments has been helping female students share their voices at Her Campus SCAD ATL. After all, college is a time for exploration and self-discovery and what better way to get there than amongst friends and artists?
For more information about joining the Her Campus SCAD Atlanta team, reach out to Campus Correspondent and mentor Christine Burney at christineburney@hercampus.com – don’t wait to be appreciated.