As a newer addition to the UF fam, I’ve found myself begging the question, “how can I be as successful as everyone around me?” Imposter syndrome is SO real, and luckily, our campus offers some of the most valuable resources to guide us. I decided to lend you all one of my valuable skills: sliding into DMs!
With this, I reached out to some of the most influential changemakers, entrepreneurs and creatives here at UF and gathered some integral advice for us gator girls.
(*insert thank-yous and roaring applause).
To start off, I spoke with UF Senate President-elect Maya Idiculla. A senior from Tampa, Florida, Idiculla previously served as Member at Large, Party Leader and Budget and Appropriations Chairwoman, where she helped allocate $23.4 million to UF’s four core entities. She has led initiatives to strengthen our campus community, whether it be through serving as Chairwoman of the Reitz Union Board of Managers, occupying director roles for the Panhellenic Council and the Indian Students Association and many more.
Q: How would your freshman self react if you told her where you are now?
Maya: I think she would be ecstatic. I came into UF only having one goal, and it was to one day become Senate President. I honestly never knew if that goal was going to come true because I ended up losing my first election, and I didn’t get slated in my first semester. Coming this far after so many obstacles, I think that she’d be really proud of me. I think she’d be really surprised too, because at one point, I was considering taking a completely different route in student government and no longer doing Senate, but I’m really glad I stuck with it.
Q: What is your biggest piece of advice for freshmen girls who want to be as involved as you? Or as successful in their majors?
Maya: Don’t compare yourself to everybody! You have to understand that the University of Florida is a competitive school. Everyone who came here was a student body president or a president of their National Honor Society in high school. All of us are very successful people, so all of us are going to end up taking very different routes to meet that success. You’re also going to meet a lot of friends along the way. The best thing to do is to make those friends and keep those connections. However, their involvement journey can be a very different journey than yours, and you could all end up taking different directions. Everything happens for a reason. That’s also another big piece of advice that I live by. There’s no point in comparing yourself to someone because your journey is moving forward for a reason.
Q: Who is someone who inspires you everyday? Why?
Maya: Two people! One being my mother. My mother came from India and traditional ideals. Her family expected her to dedicate her whole life to being a wife. And as much as she’s an amazing mother and an amazing wife, she never makes me feel that I can’t keep flying as high as I can. She will always push me to do the best and be the best leader I can. I really appreciate that because that’s not how she was raised. She’s kind of assimilating to a whole new generation and a whole new lifestyle, and she’s just really been my biggest supporter. Another person I would say is my old advisor, my first advisor, Jackie. She’s my student government advisor, and she pushed me every day to be better. Knowing and being surrounded by people who give all the time makes you want to continue to give. She is truly the epitome of a selfless person.
Q: Any hobbies outside of your on-campus involvement?
Maya: As much as involvement is so important, it is so worthwhile to have things that distract you and make you happy. I’m a very big music girl. I have been singing my entire life. I was in show choir. I was in musical theater. My hobbies would include writing music, singing music and watching musicals. I do a lot around my music. It’s definitely my happy place. Besides that, I cook a lot. I’ve taken up a huge hobby in cooking a bunch of different cultural cuisines. Not to mention the fact that I’m a super, super extrovert. My social battery is purely charged off of being with the people I love.
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While on the search for a first-year interview, I looked no further than Sofia Ortiz, a mechanical engineering major who launched an original coffee truck business with her boyfriend, Titan, known as “Brewing Thoughts.” Starting with just a flower logo and a dream, Ortiz crafted an entire collection of graphics, customers and some killer matcha.
Q: What can you tell us about your new business? What inspired you to create it?
Sofia: Brewing Thoughts is a traveling coffee truck that is just starting up! We recently had our first event selling matcha, and it went super well. We plan on selling at farmer’s markets in Gainesville or on campus, but we also cater for events. I’ve always loved the energy of coffee shops and coming up with new flavors in the kitchen. With this, I found this coffee truck as a way to experiment with both, especially because I make the recipes for our syrups. Eventually, we’d like to have a brick-and-mortar, but for now, we’re enjoying the mobility of bringing our coffee to our customers.
Q: Any advice to UF girls who want to be entrepreneurs on campus?
Sofia: My advice is to go into your project or venture knowing how much time, money and energy you are willing to put into it. You may think that you know how much you need to put into a business, but if it turns out to be more of an investment than you thought it would be, you should already know what you are willing to sacrifice. More importantly, what you aren’t.
Q: What is your favorite drink you’ve made? And which one do you recommend?
Sofia: My personal favorite is a vanilla latte with banana cinnamon cold foam. It tastes like a comforting slice of banana bread and just makes me feel at home. One of our more popular drinks is the vanilla matcha with raspberry cold foam. I honestly recommend this one because I love the tang of the raspberry with matcha, and the sweetness of the vanilla really balances it out.
Q: What has it been like balancing your business with freshman responsibilities?
Sofia: As expected, it’s been a journey. I haven’t really stopped doing stuff since I’ve moved in. It’s been stressful at times, not knowing whether I should study for a test that my grade depends on or reach a set deadline for Brewing Thoughts. Resisting temptation is also huge. There are so many things to do in college, people to spend time with and clubs to join. In this sense, it’s incredibly important to be wise with the decisions you make so that you don’t waste time. While balancing my commitments can be complicated, it has encouraged me to grow in the best ways possible.
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Next up, we have Rachel Sae, a sophomore who has been making waves in her time here at UF. From involving herself in Florida Cicerones to serving on the E-Board for the Freshman Leadership Council, Sae finds fulfillment through influencing others and positively contributing to UF’s community.
Q: What has been the most rewarding part of your involvement here?
Rachel: A lot of my involvement, especially as a Florida Cicerone and as Vice Chair of Membership for the Freshman Leadership Council, is centered around helping current and prospective students find their place here at UF. Whether it was leading a tour last year or leading an FLC meeting this year, the most rewarding part of my involvement is definitely knowing I can positively shape someone else’s UF experience for the better.
Q: What advice would you give to freshmen girls who want to be as involved as you? Or as successful in their majors?
Rachel: Honestly, apply for anything that sparks your interest! There were some organizations that I absolutely loved during my freshman year, and others that weren’t the best for me, but still ended up being an incredible learning experience. I also did countless interviews my first year and even though I didn’t get every position I applied for, gaining interview experience is truly invaluable. Just try, fail, learn and grow!
Q: Who inspires you?
Rachel: My twin sister! She’s an aviation major at the Florida Institute of Technology and spends her days flying planes and being way cooler than me. She has this inspiring, unshakable confidence that I always try to channel before interviews and speeches. I always think that if my twin can be that sure of herself, and we share the same genetics, then I can find that same confidence within myself, too.
Q: What uplifts you during the more challenging days?
Rachel: I have this quote I found on an old Pinterest board that says, “don’t miss out on your life trying to get it together,” and honestly, it’s been guiding my mindset lately. Struggles, challenges and mistakes are inevitable, but life will go on. There is always time in the day to pause, take a deep breath, forgive yourself for being human, and just enjoy life for what it is.
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And lastly, I spoke with the president of HerCampus, Sara Ismail, a senior here at UF who has fashioned together quite a list of achievements. If you haven’t seen her iconic interviews on the GatorChicks social media or features on the HerCampus site, now you can learn about her incredible roles on campus.
Q: How would your freshman self react if you told her where you are now?
Sara: I think that my freshman year self would be proud to see where I am now. Funny enough, I remember my freshman year making all these goals for my college experience. Almost like a bucket list. And over the past four years, I’ve slowly but surely been able to make those goals a reality that I said I would 4 years ago. Getting into my combined degree masters program, being the head creative director of Gator Chicks, being the president of Her Campus and also being the Project Manager of Marketing for the Warrington Diplomats. Reflecting on all of it, senior year has been a full-circle experience for sure. These days, I’ve been soaking in all of these accomplishments since my freshman year self did everything to get here.
Q: What is your favorite part of your position?
Sara: In all of my positions, my favorite part has always been brainstorming creative ideas to connect people. Whether that’s on a professional level with the Diplomats, a sporty and mainstream level with Gator Chicks, or a more female-focused approach with Her Campus, I love finding creative ways to use my marketing background to build community, identity and engagement. The people make the place, and being able to create that togetherness within all my positions means the world to me.
Q: How did you get involved with Gatorchicks, and did you expect it to become so popular?
Sara: I am actually the third generation admin for Gator Chicks. Before me was Hope Underwood, and before her was Kylie Coulter. I knew from the moment I saw my first Gator Chicks post freshman year, I wanted to be a part of it. I wasn’t sure how I was going to do that, but eventually the opportunity kind of fell into my lap in my sophomore year. Ever since then, it has been one of the best parts of my college experience. Being able to almost be a voice to all UF students and make people laugh on such a large scale is something that I am going to miss so much when I graduate.
Q: Is there anyone who has inspired you to get where you are today?
Sara: The people who inspire me the most are my parents. They have always pushed me to be the best version of myself in any regard and have supported me in all career decisions I’ve ever made. Having that kind of support is huge, especially with a career like the one I want to get into. My parents have always said that I need to always put 110% into everything I do, which is why I’ve gotten to where I am today. Even though throughout my college experience I’ve had the privilege of being involved in all these organizations, contributed to academic research and am getting a master’s degree along with my bachelor’s, I know my post-grad future has so many more opportunities that I can’t wait to unlock and immerse myself in!