Courtesy of Christina Cox
SMU is proud to be home to world changers, and it all starts with the moment a student decides to become a leader. We are proud here at Her Campus to present SMU’s Leading Ladies, taking charge and making a difference in the community.
This week, we have the pleasure of featuring Christina Cox, SMU senior and Editor-in-Chief of The Daily Campus.
Courtesy of The Daily Campus
Majoring in journalism with minors in business administration and English, Cox is able to balance it all, despite the intensity of her role in producing the weekly publication.
“It’s a lot of moving parts,” Cox said. “I oversee a staff of about 15 to 20 editors, plus staff writers. I coordinate shifts, make sure pages look right when they’re being laid out. I approve content, and sometimes deny content. I’m the last eyes on the paper before it goes to print.”
The pressure is on every week, but Cox knows where her priorities are.
“Daily Campus is above school work, 100 percent, which I know sounds really bad,” Cox said, “but I have a lot of focus with my school work. Most of my time still goes to the Daily Campus, though. I have a strong support system in my friends and my mom. I have such wonderful people behind me, it makes it easier to focus on work and dedicate time to it. They keep me motivated.”
Cox’s dedication to her art began 2 years ago, when she was a sophomore.
“I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do, but I loved English and reading. I really like talking to people and meeting people from different backgrounds. It was only natural I move towards Journalism,” Cox said. “My sophomore year, I applied to be a copy editor with The Daily Campus because I’m really detail-oriented. It seemed like a good way to get my foot in the door and see how I felt about it. The staff was great, it was a fun environment, and I learned a lot from it! I thought ‘This is it, this is perfect for me, I’m going to stay here. I’m passionate about this, and if this is what I want to do, I really should devote all the time I can to hone my skills.’ Now it’s my senior year, and I’m still there!”
Outside of her position at The Daily Campus, Cox is the Vice President of Communications for the Delta Gamma chapter at SMU and interns as a staff writer for The Dallas Morning News. So where does she get her drive to keep up with it all?
“My mother,” Cox said without hesitation. “She’s worked her whole life and is one of the hardest working people I know, so I think she really instilled that drive in me.”
In the future, that drive will continue pushing her towards her dream job.
“My dream of all dreams is working for The Wall Street Journal, doing business news while doing other education, investigative and feature stories,” Cox said. “That’s the ultimate goal.”
Until then, Cox says she’d be happy in any number of cities. She has only a few requirements.
“I’d be happy anywhere as long as I get to write,” Cox said. “I just need enough money to keep my electricity on, food in my mouth, and gas in my car. I don’t care how much I make, I just want to be doing what I love.”
Her Campus SMU is excited to support Christina Cox, an enthusiastic leader in our Student Media, and we are proud to call her one of SMU’s Leading Ladies.
Feature Image: Courtesy of Christina Cox