It’s been seven long semesters, but I finally made it; it’s my last semester of college! As the Fall 2025 Editor-In-Chief, I have had a whirlwind of a semester. Still, I am so grateful for the experiences/opportunities Her Campus gave me throughout my college experience.
Joining HC my sophomore year of college was a life-changing and character-building experience. I joined HC when I was struggling with my confidence and self-worth, just like every other 19-year-old. The organization gave me a safe place to come once a week and socialize — it was a creative and emotional outlet for me, and I am so grateful.
I found HC on Instagram one day; they only had a handful of posts and couldn’t have had more than 200 followers. Texas State was a fairly new chapter; they had just started a year prior, but I could see that it was something special. I ran to their booth during the org fair (I would always go to the org fair and chase down the orgs I wanted to join) and introduced myself. When I had my interview with then EIC, Melanie Salazar, I knew my suspicion was right. She was such a lively and friendly girl, and I made the (correct) assumption that these girls were going to be fast friends.
In my four semesters with HC, I went from contributor to senior editor to editor-in-chief. Taking on the editorial role meant everything to me; with my newly found confidence and purpose, I knew I wanted to provide that space for other girls. It might sound cheesy, but to me, our meetings were a place I could relax and be myself,
When I found out that I had received the senior editor position, I was ecstatic. I had never been in a leadership position before, and it felt very official. In a way, it was very validating to me; it made me feel like I was doing something right, and I wanted to continue to prove myself.
To me, HC stands for feminism and sets college girls up to be successful career women. Our chapter holds workshops on LinkedIn, resumes, Canva skills, interviews, applying for internships, and more. My top priority was always my writers, with that in mind, I knew they needed additional resources and that as EIC I was now responsible for giving that to them. I was able to host a few writer workshops. With topics like how to write a feature story, conduct an interview, and advocate for yourself at work.
As women, there are so many fields that we are unprepared for. These “male-dominated” fields, and we women have no one to guide us. Journalism, for example, most of the student journalists I have met are women. Though when I attend professional conferences or work with internships, the bosses are always men. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve met countless talented professional women journalists, though there is something to be said about men getting these leadership roles. What I am getting at is that HC gives us the direction that the professional world isn’t giving us, making us more prepared and confident for our careers. Many of our former HC writers have gone on to do amazing things: Nina Bailey kicking ass doing entertainment journalism, Melanie Salazar being my favorite SA Express reporter, Keyla Holmes with her KUTX internship, and so many other talented girls. Personally, I know it is because of HC that I feel comfortable taking up space. I hope that I have provided a space for my members to feel the same way.
When I tell people about this organization, I often hear, “What about his campus?” “Why is it just girls?” “Is that just a sorority?” The amount of misogyny I have opened my eyes to throughout college has been a depressing experience (especially at work, which is an entirely different story). Her Campus is a remedy to that — we are a group that welcomes everyone who identifies as a woman, no matter your background, your hobbies, or the number of Instagram followers you have.
I can’t wait to see what our new editor in chief, Piscis Martinez, will get up to. I know the org is in good hands… have fun, and keep in touch!
Thank you to my friends; there are too many of you to list, but I will stay in contact with you girls and cheer you on forever. Thank you to the smart, talented, hot women in this organization. I know you are all going to go on to do amazing things.