I never thought coming into college I would find an organization that means this much to me. When my friend from high school sent me the link to the application to join Her Campus at UNT, I did it on a whim. I didn’t think I was the type of person to join an organization in college, especially an all female one.
I almost didn’t join when I found out I had to do a phone interview. 18-year-old me suffered from severe anxiety, but I promised myself I wasn’t going to be the thing that held me back. So I did it. And when I got accepted, I wasn’t prepared for what came next.
Freshmen year was hard on me. Transitioning from a private high school with 50 people to a huge public university was a huge step for me. Pursuing writing when everyone told me I shouldn’t was a huge step for me, too. But every week, I made myself go to Her Campus meetings and events, and was writing articles that I thought people could relate to.
That spring, the two presidents asked if anyone would be interested in becoming the President/Editor, and even though I was sure I wasn’t qualified, I remembered my promise from the summer before, and took a chance on myself. Later that week, the OG presidents Kayla and Orooj took a chance on me, too, and changed my life in ways that I will never be able to thank them enough for.
Over the last two years, I’ve learned more about myself through Her Campus than I ever thought possible. I’ve gotten amazing opportunities to travel—to LA and NYC for Her Conference, and again to NYC for New York Fashion Week Fall 2019. I’ve met some of my best friends through this organization, and I can’t wait to make more memories with them even after I move to the next stage of my life. I’ve gotten to help host some amazing events on campus, and hopefully left a small mark on my university.
The thing that has truly made this whole journey worth it, though, is how much it has taught me about myself. How I can be a leader. How I can overcome the things that scare me. How I can make things happen for myself. Most importantly, how this is only the beginning for me.
Of course, I couldn’t have gone through this journey alone, and the thank you’s I have for people that are apart of Her Campus could be a whole article by itself, but I will try to sum it up.
To Corinne, who always found time for me when I popped into her office. Thank you for helping me make tough decisions, and always encouraging me the last two years. Your support has meant the world to me, and I hope to be half the person you are in the future.
To my executive board, thank you for putting up with my endless texts, my crazy ideas, and my constant stress. Y’all are what make this organization work as well as it does, and I will be forever grateful for all the hard work y’all put in to make my job just a little bit easier. I’m truly going to miss each and every one of you, and I can’t wait to see you all achieve your dreams. (p.s. sorry for ruining breakfast at our retreat, next time I’ll stick to mimosas)
To Ashli and BB, who I know are going to lead Her Campus UNT to the next level. Y’all love this organization as much as I do, and I couldn’t think of two better people to hand this off to. I know y’all have what it takes, and I hope you don’t forget that. Love y’all!
To all the members of Her Campus, past and present, thank you for your dedication to this org I love so much. Without y’all, our events wouldn’t happen, and our impact on campus wouldn’t be half as big.
So today, on my last day as president, I want to say thank you to anyone that has ever supported me on my journey the last three years. College has been tough, but I know I am always going to look back grateful for my times I spent in Denton, at UNT, in Her Campus. I hope everyone has something greater than themselves to find a home in—I know I did.
HCXO forever,
Scotlyn Ogle