Her Campus is a community created by college women, for college women, with the goal of empowering and connecting women across the world. It is a website of handwritten articles from women around the globe, made up entirely of advice, beauty, politics, wellness, pop culture, relationships, and everything in between. For girls who have a passion for writing, event coordinating, or even social media, Her Campus is a platform that offers a space to do all three.
Inside the Org is a Her Campus at WVU series highlighting student organizations that help shape campus life. This feature takes a look inside Her Campus at WVU, the organization behind the articles, events, and social media content that brings together college women from a variety of backgrounds and interests.
At West Virginia University, Her Campus is more than just a place to write articles. It is a community where students from a variety of majors and backgrounds come together to create content, share ideas and support one another. Just last year, this club at WVU was made up of only a handful of members. The chapter began the year with three girls and quickly grew to nearly three times that size by the end of the year. This year, however, growth has already taken the organization to another level with the first meeting of the semester resulting in more than two dozen girls filling the room.
For president Talia Cartwright, that growth represents something much bigger than membership numbers. Not only does it encourage community, but it also allows the girls to connect one on one with students about a variety of topics.
“I hope Her Campus creates a community where everyone feels comfortable being themselves and trying new things. Whether someone loves writing, social media, events, photography, or just wants to meet new people, I want there to be a place for them here,” Cartwright says. “More than anything, I want members to feel supported and know that Her Campus is a space where they can build friendships, gain experience, and grow personally and professionally.”
Watching the growth of Her Campus has certainly been rewarding to see. But something special about the organization is how it not only helps those here at WVU, but also around the country. The content produced and the people reached have gone up dramatically within the last year which shows the hard work and dedication Cartwright and the rest of the staff has put into this club.
“The most rewarding part has definitely been seeing how far we’ve come. When I first became involved, we were a really small organization with only a few active members, and now we’ve grown to more than 35 contributors. Seeing people genuinely excited to come to meetings, create content, and get involved has been really special,” Cartwright says. “It’s also rewarding seeing members become more confident and take on new responsibilities because it makes me feel like we’re building something that will continue even after I graduate.”
For those who are thinking about joining or are simply curious about Her Campus, I can tell you from my own experience that it is absolutely one of the best decisions I had made my freshman year. The community, the freedom to speak your mind, and the impact you can see firsthand is exciting to see. However, if you are still on the fence, Cartwright encourages you to take a chance. If you don’t like it, that’s more than okay. But give it a chance!
“I know walking into a meeting where you don’t know anyone can be intimidating, but so many of our members started out in that exact position. You don’t need experience, and you definitely don’t need to already have friends in the organization. Her Campus is actually a really easy way to meet people because you’re immediately surrounded by others who have similar interests. Just showing up to that first meeting is the hardest part” Cartwright says.
This year, there are so many plans within the club that the girls want to accomplish. Only last year there was a collaboration with Valentino and earth day clean up with Garnier. This year, the executive board of Her Campus here at WVU have set their sites much higher.Â
“I’m most excited to see what our members do with the organization this year. We’ve grown so much, and now we have the opportunity to do bigger events, create stronger content, collaborate with more organizations on campus, and give our members even more opportunities. Since this is also my final year at WVU, I’m especially excited to watch newer members step up and make Her Campus their own. I want to leave knowing that we’ve built a strong community that will keep growing long after I graduate,” Cartwright says.
This year, Her Campus at WVU is looking to continue its growth while expanding the opportunities available to its members. Although writing remains at the heart of the organization, Her Campus offers students the chance to explore a variety of creative interests and gain experience in areas beyond journalism.Â
“I wish more people knew that Her Campus is so much more than just writing articles. Journalism is a huge part of what we do, but there are opportunities in social media, video, photography, event planning, marketing, and more,” Cartwright says. “You also don’t have to be a journalism or communications major to join. We have members from different majors and backgrounds, and I think that variety is part of what makes our chapter so fun.”