HC: Introduce yourself! (name, major, hometown, etc)
KU: My name is Kristen Uppercue. I am from Martinsburg, West Virginia, and a senior journalism major in the Reed College of Media with minors in English and business.
HC: To get to know you, what is your favorite… TV show, movie, food?
KU: My favorite TV show would probably be Friends because I literally watch it all day long. It’s great to have on in the background while I’m working. I’ve also been binge-watching the Handmaid’s Tale and Riverdale… (but who isn’t?) I think my favorite movie would be the Devil Wears Prada but I also love the Marvel Universe and thrillers. My favorite food is for sure lobster bisque.
HC: What are you involved in at WVU?
KU: Currently, I am the editor in chief of Mirage Magazine, which is published through the Reed College student organization Ed On Campus. I am also the activity director our Her Campus chapter at WVU and a student editor at 100 Days in Appalachia. During the day, I work at the WVU Eberly College as a multimedia intern.
HC: How did you first get involved with Her Campus?
KU: My freshman year, I followed someone on Twitter that wrote for the national chapter of Her Campus and I began reading their articles through that. During my sophomore year, I found out at a student org event that we had our own Her Campus chapter and joined right away. This is my third year in the org and I have previously served as Vice President.
HC: Can you talk about your role as activity director, and what direction you’re taking this group in?
KU: I’ve always known that our chapter of Her Campus can accomplish great things if every member pushes the chapter to be successful. My role as activity director is to basically help accomplish that goal. While I still write articles regularly, my main job is to help every officer with whatever that may be, from scheduling events to social media and publishing work online. I’m kind of like a fall through, so if someone can’t work on a project, I swoop in and help them out.
HC: What are your future career goals and aspirations?
KU: I really like working in multimedia, so in the future I hope to be able to continue that. I’ve been into photography for years and also love writing and working with social media so I hope to find a job where I can do all of the things I love everyday.
HC: Who are some of your role models?
KU: I would have to for sure say my parents. They taught me how to be independent and have a strong work ethic. I am who I am today because of them. Their compassion for the people around them and hardworking personalities inspire me everyday. I also look up to YouTuber Jamie Genevieve. She’s very creative when it comes to content and social media work, so I would say she’s my career-related role model.
HC: Is there anything else you want readers to know?
KU: Definitely get involved on campus. Through the student organizations I am involved, I have met some of my closest friends, grown my portfolio, been able to travel and received countless work-related opportunities and of course, Her Campus is the best organization to accomplish all of those things!