Dearest gentle Her Campus reader,
I bear the warmest of welcomes for your presence, and I thank you for spending a few minutes of your life with me and this letter. It matters not whether you know me, are an avid HC reader, or have just stumbled upon these words, I am simply glad to have you here.
I introduce myself as Lovleen Gill, a fervent student of the world (and, of course, the University of Toronto Mississauga), and I have had the pleasure of serving as the Co-Founder and inaugural President of Her Campus at UTM (HCUTM).
Our beloved HCUTM was born in October of the 2024th year, conceived through the fertilization of my ambitious heart by the stagnant creative loitering in my mind. Alas, the care of one was not going to be enough in the upbringing of this project. So, it came as no surprise when I found myself knocking upon the inbox of my eloquent friend in do-gooding, Julianne Bullock, with a particular question:
Would you like to start a Her Campus chapter with me?
After a passionate acquiescence, gleefully sending in our application, begrudgingly being buried under heaps of correspondence, and weeks upon weeks of never-ending preparation, Julianne and I had launched what would someday be termed as our love child on April 8th, 2025. In a place far beyond consciousness, our souls had linked arms and collectively released a terribly pent-up sigh.
In the months since, we have nurtured a beautiful team of 27 executive and editorial members, enchanted over 115 general members, published 43 articles, and watched HCUTM receive more love than we ever thought was possible for, not only a student-led organization, but the written word.
The alchemy of writing is, perhaps, one of the most gratifying experiences in this lifetime. The equivalent exchange of cognition for tangible expression is labelled by many as art, a phenomenon that has kept me spellbound for longer than I can, unfortunately, even remember. I love writing. I have loved it and will love it for as long as my time goes. I have been writing since 2015 and, since then, have appreciated the way with which I encourage words to wisp from my soul into something more palpable in this world. I love writing, and I love to share my writing, and I am so incredibly grateful to have cultivated a space that empowers the artist and the audience through this art form, a legacy entwining a plethora of stories for years, possibly even generations, to come.
I crave passionate expression. I crave fervency and the courage to live out all my dreams. In a way, HCUTM soothes these cravings. And it feels liberating. And it feels demanding. I have cherished my Presidential position from the start to now, the very end. It was the most fulfilling thing I had adopted, and it gave me a bird’s-eye view of my own metamorphosis as a human. I learned what it means to be a leader, what it means to nurture the environment of a team so they are able to transform themselves alongside me. And, oh, how joyous it is to marvel at said transformations with an eye-crinckling smile!
For weeks, I had been racking my brain, trying, pleading to find the right words to describe the gargantuan extent to which this position has enlightened me. This position that has scared me, and thrilled me, and obliged me. This position that has doused me in more gratitude than I think I was ever meant to endure. I sat myself down and finally bared my heart and soul to my keyboard to commemorate it. This is the outcome. I thank you for reading till the end.
I’d like to thank our past, present, and future teams who pour their heart and souls into cultivating the experience that is HCUTM, the general members and loved ones who cheer us on from the sidelines, and the UTM student body who has shown us unwavering support. I’d like to thank our readers who cherish our words and stories with starry eyes, the HC community who welcomed us with arms wide open, and the UofT SOP who, with some humorous persistence, granted us official recognition.
Thank you, Julibean, for gracing the role of Editor-in-Chief with extraordinary care and elegance, for gifting HCUTM the time and love it needed to sprout and bloom. Thank you for sharing your beautiful voice and eloquence with the world, for eternally believing in me and my abilities. Thank you for saying yes.
And finally, thank you, dearest reader, for being here. I hope your time with HCUTM this year has been as illuminating for you as it has been for me. I hope you were able to take from this experience as much as you were able to give. I hope you stay with HCUTM throughout wherever your journey takes you.
I encourage you to keep creating. This life and this world will never tire from more creations, so give it more, more, more! Create, and give, and take, and do it all over again! Live, and laugh, and love, and do it all over again! Be yourself, and do. It. All. Over. Again!
It was an honour being your President, HCUTM. Thank you! I love you!
fin.
HCXO,
Lov