Now that HCUBC has featured the campus correspondents of this year, Jessica and Katie, and the upcoming campus correspondents of the 2016-17 school year, Emily and Jackie, it is now time to take a look into the past. Check out our conversation with Seher Asaf, a past campus correspondent of Her Campus UBC:
You and Her Campus
What was your position with Her Campus UBC and how long did you write for the site?:
I initially started out as a staff writer and became Co-editor-in-chief/ Campus Correspondent the following year.
What was your favourite part about being part of HCUBC?
It was wonderful being part of a diverse community of passionate and talented writers. I was part of Her Campus’ inaugural year on campus so I definitely got to witness its growth, not merely in terms of its readership but also in terms of the team of writers, social media assistants and photographers that came together to build a thriving online magazine for female voices on campus. I also loved having the creative freedom to write about a wide array of topics pertaining to UBC and the rest of the Vancouver community. Ultimately, what makes Her Campus UBC so great is that behind HC’s UBC chapter is a community of students exchanging ideas with the goal to create an informative online platform for personal narratives on campus.
Tell us about a memorable time you had while working with HCUBC.
The very first Her Campus meeting when Jessica and I became campus correspondents was quite remarkable. We did not have enough chairs for the number of students that showed up to the meeting in Irving K Barber’s tiny room. It was definitely very encouraging to see so many people from various different backgrounds take an interest in contributing to Her Campus, especially because previously, when Her Campus was in its inaugural year, there were times when we did not have enough writers for each content section on the website.
You and UBC
What do you miss most about UBC?
I actually really miss the extra-curricular life! I enjoyed being a part of Her Campus and writing for The Ubyssey as well as contributing to CiTR, the campus and community radio station. My involvement with different media platforms on campus really exposed me to new ideas and people from different walks of life.
What have you been up to since graduation?
I worked as a Due Diligence researcher in Vancouver at a risk advisory firm and wrote for Schema Magazine during my spare time. Recently, I moved back to Hong Kong, my hometown, and now I’m heavily invested in the job hunt here.
Do you have any advice for undergraduates nervous for life after graduation?
I would say embrace the inevitable post-grad life change. Definitely don’t fear it. Change is good.
While post-grad life is quite different from university life, especially if you’re transitioning into a full time job, it’s a fantastic opportunity to adapt and learn something new. If you find yourself in a position where you have not exactly figured out what you want to do after graduation, don’t give up just yet. I’ve learnt that one of the most important things is to put yourself out there and engage with something – whether it’s volunteer work, learning a new skill or taking on a job that is unrelated to your previous experiences – engaging with something is a crucial step you can take towards figuring out your goals.
This is a bit clichéd, but I think it’s worth quoting something Steve Jobs said during his 2005 Stanford Commencement speech – “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.”
Getting to Know You
What is your favourite movie?
I love the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Also, I recently watched Spotlight and as an aspiring journalist, it struck a chord with me.
Name a food you could not live without.
Ice cream. Hands down.
Name a quirk that you have.
This is quite strange, but I passionately hate ketchup. And I don’t know why. My disgust for ketchup used to be so bad to the point where I was unable to have a meal with anyone who was eating ketchup in my presence. I’ve learned to slightly tame my irrational hatred for ketchup but it is rather odd, I have to admit.
Thanks for the lovely interview, Seher!