The time has come to bid farewell to one of our amazing editors here at Her Campus UBC. You may recognize Seher Asaf from her previous Campus Cutie article on Her Campus UBC or from the excellent articles she has produced over her two years of writing and editing. Seher has been part of Her Campus its inaugural year here at UBC. “I wanted to immerse myself in writing about issues that college women can relate to,” Seher explains. “I’ve always enjoyed writing and the excitement that comes along with uncovering the depths and nuances of an issue I’m deeply curious about. The very first article I wrote for Her Campus UBC was about dangerous ingredients in our personal care items, and why we need to eliminate them. At the time, I did not know a lot about this topic, but I really enjoyed researching and discovering how everything works. Cycling through the stages of investigating, writing, and sharing my article prompted me to learn and write about things that make me curious and issues that readers can connect to. After my first article was published, I was instantly committed to being a member of the HC team.”
Seher is from Hong Kong and is now graduating UBC with a degree in Political Science. “I really enjoyed Gender and Politics, Conflict and Peace Studies, and my political theory classes,” says Seher. While she found some aspects of these subjects challenging, she was very inspired by the course’s content. “I have to admit, the academic jargon can be frustrating at times but in a way, I’m very fortunate that most of my ‘homework’ consists of reading some really influential thinkers who have changed the world!”
Along with being the Co-Editor for Her Campus UBC, Seher has kept busy writing for the Ubyssey, and through her involvement with CiTR’s News 101 show; she also has her own show on CiTR: “The Social Focus.” Her extra curricular involvements have definitely been a highlight of her undergraduate experience. “I have been lucky to listen to the stories of people who are involved in many different facets of UBC life by interviewing them for Her Campus, the Ubyssey and CiTR. I absolutely love listening to people’s stories and what brought them to where they are today. My interviews with people are definitely amongst my most memorable moments at UBC,” says Seher.
Seher describes her role as Co-Editor this year as “a great experience.” She adds, “I think being around a team of motivated and driven writers is by far the best part about writing and editing for Her Campus UBC. It has been great seeing different women come together and fuel fresh perspectives, ideas, and share their interests during our weekly meetings. Ensuring that meetings are a space where people can comfortably pitch their ideas was very important to me. I’m very happy that Her Campus UBC is a magazine that has created an environment where creative freedom and the flexibility to work on one’s own passions have flourished. It definitely makes me proud to know that Her Campus has cultivated and brought together an incredible team of writers and social media strategists throughout the last two years.”
When asked what she was most proud of with regards to our chapter of Her Campus, Seher replied that she feels “that Her Campus UBC has been a great platform to ignite conversations about things that are difficult and uncomfortable to talk about at times. While lots of magazines geared towards women merely focus on physical beauty and consumerism, seeing the HC UBC site address topics like sexual assault on campus, breast cancer, stress, sustainability and much more is an extraordinary feat.”
Seher has ambitions to work in journalism. She explains how her experiences writing for student publications during her time at UBC reinforced this passion of hers. “Whether it was writing for Her Campus UBC, The Ubyssey or on the radio, I really enjoyed introducing people to interesting causes, stories and individuals who are contributing to the community. I would like to continue shedding a light on pertinent issues!” While we on the Her Campus UBC staff will certainly miss Seher, we know she will find success in her future endavours and wish her all the best!