Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SBU chapter.

I live for events. Concerts, festivals, celebrations, you name it. When people ask me what I want to do post-grad, I can now give a comprehensive answer. I smile at them and set the scene of my dream job. My face gets flushed and my hands start moving over-animatedly as I describe this vision. I answer that my dream job would be to work in corporate events- preferably for a sports team (you know I am going to say the Buffalo Bills.) 

My “event planner alter ego,” as I call it, has been years in the making. As a child, I loved the magic of the holidays—but primarily when my house was hosting. I don’t know many 12-year-olds concerned with seasonal centerpieces and themed candles, but that was (and still is) me. It is a tradition for my parents to host Thanksgiving each year. We don’t have a large family, but I love the intimate feeling of our Squires’ Thanksgiving.

I reminisce on being a little girl and informing my mom that I wanted to make a seating chart for our family Thanksgiving table. She laughed at me, puzzled, explaining how our family is small and low-maintenance- there was no need for place cards. I remember even at this young age telling my mom that I did not want our Thanksgiving to become too “casual”. We could watch football and have a quick meal, but I was compelled to embellish our event and give our dining room a classy feel. It’s no surprise I also started our “Thankful Tree”, in which I made family members write down what they were thankful for on paper leaves to be hung up in our foyer.

As silly as this all sounds, I am grateful that my parents let my personality and passions shine. Though they would sometimes chuckle at my outlandish ideas, they ultimately let me have more say in our family events at a young age than they did. My parents affectionately joke about my “girl boss” and “businesswoman” tendencies. When my phone rings, regardless of who’s calling, they say in unison “Oh look! Katie’s getting a business call”. 

My event-planning passions were able to flourish during my first summer job at a boating club, which I still return to on school breaks. The club was known for its restaurant and banquet events. I fell in love with the thrill and adrenaline surrounding milestone life events. I got to watch weddings, baby showers, and family reunions unfold in front of my eyes. I felt immense pride and happiness that I could play a tiny role in these magical moments. I’ll never forget my first day on the job. Shy, timid 16-year-old Katie was thrown into working an Irish-themed wedding complete with bagpipes and pints of Guinness. 

During my sophomore year of college, I landed an internship at Independent Health in Buffalo as their first-ever Corporate Events Planner Intern. At just 20 years old, I was responsible for developing and implementing company events for over 800 employees. I found so much fulfillment in the work and had immense fun doing it. 

I was hoping to take these skills into the classroom as I progressed in my college career. I discovered through upperclassmen that our marketing department offered a class called MKT 310: Events and Sponsorship Marketing. I knew I had to enroll. Our class was divided into three sections: promotions, logistics, and sponsorships. With my background in communications and marketing, I was drawn to the role of promotions leader. Through guidance under our campus activities board, our class was responsible for planning a spa-themed event for all undergrad students on campus. The reviews were over resoundingly positive. 

Through my class, work, and internship experience in events, I get more excited about my future each day. Beyond corporate Katie, I marvel at where this passion will take me in my personal life. No matter what phase of life I am in, it’s safe to say I desire to be the designated hostess. Whenever I am asked to picture my dream house, I never see walls, doors, or windows. I picture a space filled with all of my loved ones laughing and sharing stories. 

Creating moments of joy for myself and others is perhaps one of the most important things to me. I will never sacrifice gatherings and excitement. I believe part of my “event planner alter ego” stems from romanticizing life and finding reasons to celebrate our mere existence. People say, “Life is a party” and now I finally understand it. Life is messy and imperfect, yet it’s a canvas for memories and priceless time with those we love. 

Katie is a Junior at St. Bonaventure University. She is an executive board member for Her Campus at SBU. Her experience with social media, advertising, and writing allow her to combine her passions and advance her university's chapter of HC. She has been a part of Her Campus since freshman year. It has been her favorite on-campus extracurricular to become involved with. Katie is currently studying Strategic Communication and Marketing. She finds joy in being involved on campus through various organizations including Her Campus and Jandoli Women in Communication. Katie is both an Orientation Leader and a Peer Coach- she loves welcoming new students and helping them transition to college. She is also a full-time student ambassador who enthusiastically leads tours for prospective students. (Request her as your tour guide!) In her free time, you can find Katie reading, hiking, and laughing with her friends. She loves spending time outdoors, especially in the fall. Her kryptonite is iced coffee. Some of her favorite artists include Chris Stapleton, Fleetwood Mac, and Noah Kahan. Her favorite show is New Girl. Katie will eagerly engage in any conversation about her beloved hometown, Buffalo, New York. She will likely attempt to convert you to become a Buffalo Bills fan, and could talk about Josh Allen for hours. Post-grad, Katie hopes to be using her creative talents towards a fulfilling career in the world of advertising.