When I started college, it was the first time living on my own without my parents’ guidance. But ironically, the thing that scared me the most wasn’t living independently, it was walking into a club meeting alone. Whether you’re a freshman or a transfer student, I’m sure we’ve all been there where joining student organizations seems like the most daunting thing to do. Knowing that you could be alone or that it could be awkward when introducing yourself to the rest of the club – I totally get it. But, as I begin my senior year of college, I’m so grateful I forced myself out of my comfort zone to become more involved on campus.Â
From Nervous Freshman to Club Vice President: My Experience with Joining Women in Media
I first joined Women in Media (WIM) at UCSB, during Spring Quarter of my freshman year after seeing my friend repost a story of her at a WIM event. I texted my friend and asked if I could go with her the next time. When we walked in together, she told me who the Executive members were and explained that WIM had different committees, such as an Events and an Outreach committee, and the one that struck my interest the most – the Marketing committee. She pointed me toward the WIM President, Giovi Andreassi, to talk to her to see if I could still join the Marketing committee. Since it was spring, WIM was wrapping up the school year and ending it strongly with their Annual Spring Conference, a weekend-long event that invites around 30 successful women in professional industries ranging from film production to marketing to journalism and more.Â
Even though it was about a month before the Spring Conference, Giovi allowed me to contribute to the Marketing committee and I came in every week leading up to the Conference. The Spring Conference honestly changed my life. I felt like I had the most genuine conversations with the guest speakers and after the Conference, I reached out to a few on LinkedIn, where I was able to meet with them on Zoom to hear their experience and advice. I had never experienced a space where professionals felt so accessible and encouraging.
During my sophomore year of college, my sales job of creating custom apparel for student organizations coincided with WIM’s need to make merch for their next Spring Conference. I remember staying after their regular meeting to pitch to them about why they should use my company for their Conference’s merch. After I finished speaking, Giovi, in her 2nd year as WIM President, was impressed by how outspoken and confident I was. Yet again, I felt the same support that I felt almost a year ago when I attended my first WIM Spring Conference. They ended up choosing my company to produce their tote bags and stickers for that year’s Conference. By managing their merch from start to finish, I showed that I could deliver everything smoothly and reliably, which helped me build a strong connection with the Executive team.
After attending WIM’s Spring Conference for my second year, I realized how much my values aligned with their mission and I knew that I wanted to become more involved with this club. Not to mention, I also met my now mentor, Becci Casas, the Director of Marketing for The Hollywood Reporter during my second Conference. I applied for their Executive team and was selected as WIM’s Head of Marketing for my junior year. I was in charge of supervising the newly implemented Marketing Interns (this year we changed the structure of our team to include Intern positions). As Head of Marketing, I managed our social media platforms, promoted events, and coordinated all marketing materials for our next Spring Conference. My Marketing team and I were successful in our marketing strategies because we ended up hitting the most tickets ever sold for our Spring Conference. All of these experiences exemplified my determination and passion, leading me to be chosen as WIM’s Vice President for my senior year in college.
Finding Confidence and Developing Professional Skills: What I Learned Through Women in Media
Over the years with WIM, I became more and more involved with the club and through this, I grew in confidence and skills. As a freshman, I learned how to cold message professionals and hear their insights. In my sophomore year, I pitched my custom apparel company to the Executive team and managed the merch delivery. By junior year, I stepped into my first leadership role in WIM as I delegated tasks to my Marketing Interns, and ensured the success of our marketing tactics all while fostering a collaborative team environment. Also through being the Head of Marketing, I delved deeper into my passion for marketing, creating a content planner for my team to utilize and designing consistent branding for our club’s social media presence.Â
Take the Leap: Why You Should Join a Club – Even If It Feels Scary
Without joining WIM, I wouldn’t have been able to find a community on campus that was filled with so many like-minded people. Being a part of this club not only helped me develop real-world skills but also gave me opportunities to further explore my interests by hearing about on-campus jobs or joining other clubs that WIM members were already a part of. If you’re on the fence about joining a club – do it, no matter how scared you are to face a club meeting alone, because I promise you, it will help you learn more about yourself and grow during your college experience.Â