Meet Tori Canonge, a former TCU student who still considers herself a Horned Frog at heart. After receiving a quality education and gaining valuable insight as to what it means to be a successful college student, Tori started her blog, Chase the Write Dream. Keep reading to learn more about Tori and what she’s been doing since graduating from TCU!
Q: What did you study at TCU? What made you choose that major?
A: “I was originally an Advertising/Public Relations major, but current students know it better as Strategic Communications. I have always loved to write and the thought of creating content that appealed to a wide variety of audiences really sparked my interest. Along the way, I declared minors in sociology and psychology and it’s those two subjects that have actually paved the way for my current career.”
Q: How did your time at TCU impact you?
A: “TCU was going through a lot of changes when I was a student, but I felt so fortunate to be at such an amazing school. I had awesome professors, I was a part of Soul Steppers, and I began volunteering at a local YMCA. On top of that, I took on two campus jobs, one as an intramural official. Ultimately, TCU taught me to get more involved and to gain experiences so that I could truly figure out what I wanted to do. My time on-campus also showed me what it really meant to have school spirit and to feel part of a community. I still proudly support my TCU gear on a regular basis and have even got my coworkers to hop on the Horned Frog bandwagon.”
Above: Tori performing as a Soul Stepper at TCU.
Q: How has TCU changed since you were a student?
A: “To start, I was there when the Student Center still existed, as well as several of the older restaurants that are no longer there. I was one of the first students to move into Wright Hall (I literally watched the entire thing be constructed). I saw where Frog Fountain used to be and I watched as it moved to its new location. It’s amazing to see how the campus has transformed and all the big events and construction that are taking place there!”
Q: What have you been up-to since graduation?
A: “I have moved a few different times but I currently live in California and work as an Educational Mentor which allows me to help foster youth in my county achieve academic success. I even went on to get my master’s degree in psychology! Oh, and I also met the love of my life along the way and got married!”
Above: Tori on her wedding day. Photo courtesy of Paul Seiler Photography.
Q: What made you interested in blogging?
A: “I have been writing journals since I could write, but I was really hesitant about jumping into a blog because I wanted it to have purpose and meaning. I knew I wanted it to be informative and not just a daily journal of what I was up to. Early in 2014, I started to read a lot of blogs and I knew that I wanted to have my own site. I eventually made it a goal to create my own site and that’s what I finally did in July 2014!”
Q: Tell us about your blog! What made you start Chase the Write Dream and what sort of things do you write about?
A: “I entered college when I was 17 with literally no direction, so I had to figure a lot of things out on my own. As I went through my own college experiences and struggles, I realized that it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and lost unless you have someone guiding you through the process. When I started Chase the Write Dream, I wasn’t exactly sure what path I wanted to take, but as soon as I got my first few posts written, I realized that I could actually use my college experiences to help other students with their journeys. The more I started to write about college, the more I wanted to add categories and subjects and build my audience. Today, Chase the Write Dream is heavily focused on college students and recent grads. It includes information about being successful in class, making your dorm feel like home, preparing for the real world, getting into a career you’ll enjoy, and I’ve also thrown in some fashion pieces for all the fashionistas out there!”
Q: How often do you write on your blog? How do you share your articles to the online community?
A: “I try to write at least once every week. The reason I don’t post every day is because I spend quite a bit of time sifting through my content and making sure I’m posting stuff that is going to be relevant and easy for my readers to follow. Also, I have a full-time job outside of blogging, so I don’t get to be on my site as much as I would like sometimes. When I share my articles, I typically post on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. My Pinterest following has grown tremendously over the past couple of months as more and more people start to find my site. It’s very exciting!”
Q: What advice would you give to college girls?
A: “Enjoy every moment and go to as many events as you can. I look back and think about all the things I should have taken advantage of while I was on-campus… There are SO many resources and way too many of them go unutilized. Another thing – Get to know your professors! I still keep in touch with some of mine and a few have actually been references for me. They are full of valuable information and are also great for networking later on!”