Katie Tissington-Turner: Campus Correspondent

Katie Tissington-Turner has been part of Her Campus UBC for the past two years, and this year has been one of our wonderful Campus Correspondents. She is finishing her fifth year at UBC with a Psychology major and a minor in Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Social Justice, and we here at HCUBC will miss her (and all the yummy vegan treats she brings to our staff meetings). Here is a bit more about this splendid lady we’ve been lucky enough to call our Editor:

HCUBC: How did you get involved with Her Campus?

I was featured in the Campus Celebrity section in my third year, which is how I discovered Her Campus at UBC. I then took photographs for Eco Fashion Week in Vancouver that same year, and joined as a writer and photographer in my fourth year, eventually leading to my status as Co-Editor-in-Chief this year!

HCUBC: What has been your favourite part of working for Her Campus?

I like having the safe space to explore my journalistic abilities and a platform to use for elevating awareness about issues I deem important – the content is flexible and HC at UBC has a culture of intersectionality and equity that I really value. On another note, I really love editing grammar and spelling and making words come together, so being an editor this year has been very satisfying. However, overall, the community found within the team is probably the best part of being a part of Her Campus, and the opportunities that being a part of a larger organization offers are also abundant!

HCUBC: What are some of your hopes for future of the Her Campus chapter at UBC?

I hope that we will see readership that reflects at least 15% of the population of women at UBC, but in an ideal world, readership that reflects an even greater percentage of the entire UBC population. I believe that we write in a way that anyone can benefit from, and I want more people to know about us so that we can grow and write with them in mind more clearly.

HCUBC: I know you’ve been heavily involved on campus over the years; what are some of your other UBC involvements?

I have been heavily involved in Residence Life at UBC and will be returning in August as a Residence Coordinator. Outside of that, I have been a part of the Library Student Advisory Committee, CiTR’s Accessibility Collective, a Work Learn student in the Centre for Student Involvement & Careers, and a part-time employee with Access & Diversity. I encourage anyone to take up any of those opportunities!

HCUBC: What have been some of the highlights of your time at UBC?

Oh my goodness, I don’t know how I could choose… I have had so many amazing times at UBC, and will continue to for another year. I think my time as a First Year Experience Student Coordinator last summer was one of the greatest opportunities I have ever had for personal and professional growth related to UBC, and the people I became friends with and had the opportunity to work with are amazing and have left me with much to think about and a lot of learning opportunities. I also met a few special friends and my partner here, for which I am very grateful.

HCUBC: Do you have any plans for post-grad life?

As I mentioned above, I am going to return as a Residence Coordinator in August through to May of 2017, and beyond that, I expect to explore more people-centred work such as Student Affairs and Communications. I believe that I will return to school in some capacity, perhaps law, business, or counselling psychology, but those plans are not clear. Whatever I do, I hope to pursue my curiosities (as a mentor encouraged me to) and take time for me when I need to. I would also like to go to Norway!

HCUBC: Do you have any advice for incoming students?

You are worth more than your grades, but I do believe your grades will improve as you discover your work-life-school balance. I didn’t discover mine until third year, and my grades saw great improvements at that point. In my first and second years, I made friends and figured out what didn’t work for me, and in third year it all started to come together. Your mental health is a very real and potent aspect of your university experience, so acknowledge those things that make you mentally/physically well and unwell, and take time to take care of yourself. Reach out if you need support – I still do today. VISIT THE CENTRE FOR STUDENT INVOLVEMENT & CAREERS! Do it at least once per term, it is the greatest place on campus and has so many useful resources for new-to-UBC students and veteran UBC-ers.

Thank you so much for everything, Katie! You’ve been an integral part of the HC UBC team for the past two years and we know you’ll be successful at whatever you do next!