Name: Ellanjé Ferguson
Age: 20
Year: Junior
Hometown: Springfield, MA
Major: Double Major in Journalism & Communications with an African American Studies Minor
Occupation: Intern for Beauty & the Dirt (beautyandthedirt.com) / Style Guru for College Fashionista (collegefashionista.com)
Current Residence: Abroad in London, England
Relationship Status: In a relationship (for almost 5 years!)
HC UMass: What clubs or organizations are you involved with on and off campus?
EF: “On campus I am solely involved in Her Campus as an Executive Board member, Assistant Head Photographer, and a contributing writer. On and off campus, I’m a ‘Style Guru Intern’ for College Fashionista, where I capture style on campus and feature it in specific columns.”
HC UMass: So you are currently studying abroad! Can you tell us about why you chose London?
EF: “I chose London because it’s one of the most diverse cities in the world right now! And fun fact, half of my family lives here, and although I’ve been here before when I was around four years old, I wanted the chance to meet them as an adult to create new memories. I just recently ‘met’ my Grandad and Nan, and they are just so sweet and loving. It’s great!”
HC UMass: What are some things you are doing in London?
EF: “The program I chose (CAPA) is basically internship based where classes are secondary, so I’m working! I intern for an online publication that focuses on beauty, fashion, and entertainment. I’ve written over 20 pieces for the website, and it hasn’t even been a full month yet!”
HC UMass: Fashion seems to be one of your strong suits! How would you define your style?
EF: “I would say my style is very boyfriend-fit chic. I’m the definition of a jean-and-t-shirt type of girl. I love anything that’s baggy and oversized, I play with lengths because I’m so short. I really just buy what I like, and wear it. You’ll rarely ever see me in anything other than black, white, or grey. I get a lot of my inspiration from street style blogs and Instagram accounts.”
HC UMass: What advice do you have for girls and guys trying to find their own unique style?
EF: “You don’t have to wear exactly what everyone else is wearing. Get inspired from what you see, and make it your own. It won’t be your style unless you’re satisfying your likes and needs. Clothes aren’t the only thing that are representative of personal style, I change my hair anytime I feel like I need something new. Style can be displayed through subtleties.”
HC UMass: And what sparked your passion for writing?
EF: “For as long as I could remember, I liked telling stories and I had a mild obsession with handwriting. I still handwrite class notes, and if I mess up I have to write them again afterwards. I had every kind of diary you could imagine. Secret passcode ones, even ones with invisible ink and a black light (I still have it)! In the 11th grade my AP Language and Composition teacher made us write a persuasive essay and when I got mine back it read, ‘You either become a lawyer or a journalist,’ and from that moment it’s all I’ve focused on.”
HC UMass: What are some of your other hobbies?
EF: “Photography. I’ve been into photography for awhile now, I love being able to capture a specific moment in time from my point of view and having it on record. I used to dance too, 13 years straight.”
HC UMass: What would you say is your most favorite thing about yourself?
EF: “My attitude. I can go from a smile to a straight face in five seconds flat. I know that may sound weird, but my attitude is what makes me, me. I’m extremely sarcastic so I never come off as rude, but if you really know me, you’ll know I’m being smart.”
HC UMass: What is your dream job?
EF: “My dream job would be to run and own my own online publication based all around beauty, fashion and entertainment. But before that, I want to be a fashion and entertainment writer, or an editor for a magazine like Teen Vogue or Interview Magazine, or an online publication like nymag.com.”
HC UMass: Where else might you travel to while abroad?
EF: “I already have my Spring Break trips planned for Spain and Portugal! I also plan to go to Paris at least for a weekend. Greece and Italy are trying to find their way into my planner too, but we’ll see about those.”
HC UMass: Where can we catch your published work?EF: “Her Campus link, College Fashionista link, and my Instagram account is ‘@loveisellanje’.”