Name: Nicole Bianco
Major: Telecommunication Management and Strategy
Year in school: Second year
Hometown: Clearwater, Florida
Finding your way through college can be a bit of a daunting task. If has proven they are up to the challenge it is sophomore Nicole Bianco. She has dazzled in making her presence on campus known by making career moves as well as those simply within her major. To get some insight on her drive and hopefully give some tips to others on ways to get involved HerCampus asked Nicole some questions on her experiences on campus. Her is what she had to say.
HerCampus (HC): What publications have you written for and how did the process of you writing for them come about?
Nicole Bianco (NB): I have written for The Odyssey and Society19, two publications through the University of Florida. I became involved with writing for both of these publications through Facebook, which seems strange, but advertisements are really effective and makes it super easy to get involved!
(HC): Do you have a favorite article or writing experience?
(NB): One of my favorite articles to write was one I did for The Odyssey called “Road Trip Hits: Florida Edition.” It was fun to research popular spots including restaurants and places to visit. I was also able to reach out to the proprietors of some of the establishments and they worked with me to help get the word out about the article. It was a great experience and helped me to grow as a confident writer and researcher.
(HC): Have you ever thought about creating your own website or blog?
(NB): I currently do have a blog! It’s all about my experience and my life while becoming a vegetarian. The blog is: roadtovegetarianismblog.wordpress.com. I also plan on making a professional blog that includes my prior writing pieces and work that I do at the university in general.
(HC): Have you always wanted to pursue Journalism as a major, if not what brought you to it?
(NB): Going into college I honestly had no idea what I was doing. All I knew was that I liked to write, I liked talking to people and I loved researching. Since I knew math and science weren’t my strongest subject areas and I knew I liked to write, journalism seemed like a natural first-choice. However, as time went on I discovered that I had a greater love for researching than writing. This ultimately led me to change my major to Telecommunication Management and Strategy, but I still love writing!
(HC): Did you enter the year knowing what you wanted to pursue publication and organization wise or did you find these opportunities more organically?
(NB): I definitely did not know that I wanted to pursue publications or organizations going into college. I saw friends of mine getting involved on campus more and working with publications and I decided that I wanted to do that as well so I would feel more productive. Working with deadlines and having to constantly think of new content helped me grow as a writer. I would not have been involved with organizations and publications without my friends on Facebook so I’m really glad that it all worked out!
(HC): What are your career goals?
(NB): My career goals change almost every year. I find that as you get older, you take more classes, you find yourself more. So, as it stands today, I hope to go to graduate school for marketing and pursue a career in strategic marketing and branding, but I am indecisive sometimes, which is totally okay!
(HC): Do you have an extracurricular activities or organizations you are a part of that have influenced your writing or career direction in general?
(NB): I am currently a member of the Reitz Union Board Entertainment, which helped me enter the world of marketing and branding while planning events. I am also a member of The Agency in the Strategy Pillar. Being the Secondary Research Assistant has helped me understand how to research better, what goes into the process of researching and how much I love it!
(HC): Is there anything as a hobby or career oriented on campus that you have not gotten to do that you would want to pursue later?
(NB): I would like to work more with the College of Journalism and Communications and become an ambassador to improve my leadership abilities, but besides that I feel like I have a very fulfilling college career so far. Also, if anyone wants to contact me about how to get involved with the two organizations I am in or about the publications I worked with, I am totally open to that!
Photo Credit:
Nicole Bianco