When I joined the Her Campus at UPR Chapter three years ago, I felt an instant connection with its members. It was right after Hurricane Maria, and just being with people that were going through the same things and were helping and supporting each other was just what I needed. I didn’t realize it at the time, but Her Campus quickly became a family for me. I remember when members said goodbye once they graduated and published their own farewell articles. I couldn’t imagine doing that back then.
Well, dear reader, here we are.
My time at the University of Puerto Rico has ended, and so has my time with Her Campus. It feels surreal to be writing this, but it is time to say goodbye.
When I started my college career, there were many things that I didn’t know. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I knew what I loved, but I didn’t know what to do with it. I joined Her Campus on a whim because, after my first year, I yearned to make more friends, and I thought it would be a good opportunity. Her Campus allowed me to develop my skills as a writer and made me realize how much I enjoyed writing articles and non-fiction since I had been so used to writing fiction and thought that I would always be writing it. Her Campus allowed me to write about my love for film as much as I wanted, becoming the creator of our “Movie Mondays” segment. I covered the film awards season during my time, it was something that I had always wanted to do, and Her Campus gave me the chance to do so. Alongside former member, Josie Melendez and our Editor in Chief Luna, we would work together with The Bookmark, a local book shop where we would go monthly and FaceTime with an author to talk about their book. Thus our “Book Lover’s Night Out Segment” was born.
I saw the UPR chapter grow, reaching the Pink level for the first time! We had so many bonding events that brought the members closer, and I managed to step out of my comfort zone. I met so many people that I would’ve never met otherwise and found some of my closest friends.
The Her Campus community was there for me when I needed it; we celebrated our accomplishments together and held each other during our sorrows. I have created so many fond memories, and I will be forever grateful for my time at Her Campus. It’s not easy to say goodbye, and our time was cut short, but they taught me everything I needed and strengthened my voice. As I embark on my next journey, I will always carry Her Campus in my heart, and I hope that our paths cross again.