As we celebrate our seniors’ success here at HerCampus UCR, I wanted to take the time to get to know Mya Benavides, a senior that has been on the Her Campus writing committee since the start. From what I gathered, she is a one-of-a-kind giver in a world that needs more people that like to see others smile. Here’s a little snippet of what we talked about and the unique image that is Mya Benavides.
Q: What is one way (or more ways) that you feel like you have grown since your freshman year? What is one thing you would like to tell your freshman year self?
I definitely became more outgoing. Freshman year, I was a little bit shy. Once I started to get more involved though, I was able to network and meet a lot more people. It was really nice to gain trust in myself to speak, especially professionally towards authority figures like mentors. If I could tell my freshman year self one thing, it would be to just keep doing what you’re doing and don’t doubt yourself. It gets better and freshman year is a year to grow so don’t be too hard on yourself.
Q: What is one thing you feel like you’ve gotten from Her Campus and what is a word of advice you’d like to leave the remaining undergraduate students?
Well I joined Her Campus because of the starting president’s pitch about a place to write about anything I wanted to. I had always wanted an outlet for writing creatively, other than scholarly essays and my minor in English, and I was excited to find such a great community within. It’s been a trip seeing the growth of the chapter from the start until now. My word of advice to the remaining undergraduate students is to stay involved in the chapter. It is such a gift to keep the girl gang going and get to know your gal pals more as it is a great group of people. Finally, submit articles on time and give your editors a break!
Q: Do you have any experiences that you were involved in during UCR that catered towards any skills that have proven to be beneficial?
I worked at the ARC and the University theater where I met mentors, staff members, and theatre players that were incredibly kind and supportive. It gave me the opportunity to network which was a big point of growth for me. I’m definitely a giver and I love to help people so it was great to work somewhere that catered towards my personality as well as the opportunity to help others. Working at UCR was both a necessity and a want to get more involved. I wanted to help with monetary expenses towards my schooling, but I also really admired the workers I saw so I wanted to experience that kind of college worker life.
Q: Any finishing words?
I’m really thankful for UCR and HerCampus for such a transformative experience. I’m happy with my journey and the conclusion and I want to thank the writing committee for not only everything they’ve given me but the chance to speak in this interview. My parting words are to live it up and have fun. Each of us has our own journey!