When someone asks me what my favorite club at UConn is, I always reply with Her Campus. While UConn offers tons of amazing student organizations, being a part of Her Campus has truly given me a place where I feel empowered and at home. Here’s why you should consider joining HC.
What Is Her Campus?
Before jumping into why you should join, let me explain how HC came to be. Her Campus Media was founded by Harvard students Stephanie Kaplan Lewis, Annie Wang, and Windsor Hanger Western. After their small publication for women on campus gained national attention, they decided to create something similar on a national level. Her Campus Media became a reality in 2009 with the help of Harvard’s business plan competition.
Her Campus UConn is just one of the over 300 HC chapters globally. HC UConn was founded in 2011 and slowly grew from just a handful of members to the over 70 amazing members we have today.
1. Creative Expression
Where else can you write about almost anything and get it published in a low-stakes, fun environment? Writing articles is basically my way of ranting about my favorite topics without my friends asking me to be quiet. A quick look at any of our members’ profiles will show that we write about anything and everything from Christmas movies to diet culture. Not only does this allow for a ton of writing practice, but being creative has also been proven to reduce stress. By fostering a creative environment, we hope to give members the space to voice their opinions, discuss important topics, and have fun. Her Campus UConn accepts members from all majors and academic years!
2. Build Your Resume
I’ve never met anyone who loves the idea of creating a solid resume, writing a compelling cover letter, and attempting to find a job. However, every time I get an email from the career center, I get a pit in my stomach. Thankfully, as a part of Her Campus I not only have a cool activity to list, but I have also gained tons of skills that will be useful in the future. Using WordPress, researching, and brainstorming content are just a few of the many skills I have gotten out of HC. Plus, I have met and built connections with tons of cool people from alumni to industry professionals.
3. So Much More Than a Magazine
Sure, we write articles. But being a part of HC is so much more. Our weekly meetings are often the highlight of my week. Catching up with members, participating in bonding activities, and laughing about the past week’s pop culture moments never fail to make me smile. We also take part in other activities such as holiday parties, apple-picking, bowling, and guest speakers!
4. Empowered Women Empower Women (AKA we’re really cool and really feminist)
At Her Campus UConn, we pride ourselves on creating an inclusive, welcoming space where people can feel free to be themselves. We’re feminist to our core, which basically means we love to uplift and support one another while being open to conversations about social change and equality. While writing about feminism or any social issue is not at all required, being a part of such a supportive group is a truly incredible thing to have on such a large campus. We love to look out for one another, hype each other up, and have intellectual conversations about things that matter.
5. Make Friends!!!
Last, but certainly not least: joining HC UConn is an amazing way to make friends. Getting involved on campus is one of the easiest ways to find a group of individuals that share your values and goals. Even just seeing familiar faces in class and throughout campus makes UConn feel a bit smaller and more manageable. Whenever I need advice, a ride, or a laugh, my HC family is there for me.
Come join our girl gang! Check us out at the spring involvement fair on February 1st and look out for our spring applications soon after.