Campus Celeb: Jacqueline Kooser

Meet this week’s HCUCF Campus Celeb, Jacqueline Kooser! From being one of the founding members of UCF’s communications fraternity, Zeta Phi Eta, to being the President of Quotes the PR Club, all while maintaining multiple internships at the same time, she does it all. This ultimate go-getter even landed an internship during NYFW this year.(can you say goals?). When she’s not running around UCF you can catch her being a total fashionista on her blog, Welcome to My Walk-In. I had the priviledge of interviewing her and getting the inside scoop on how to land the internship of your dreams. 

Her Campus UCF (HCUCF): Year? Major?

Jacqueline Kooser (JK): I am a senior at UCF with a degree in Writing and Rhetoric and a minor in Mass Communication.

HCUCF: Hometown?

JK: I was born and raised in Hudson, Ohio, about 25 minutes from Cleveland. 

HCUCF: Tells us a little bit about your campus involvement at UCF.

JK: When I first started school at UCF, I was so nervous to be a part of such a large student body. Involving myself in Quotes, the PR Club at UCF helped me learn how to make valuable connections. I have served on the board as the Director of Communication and am now President. I am also one of the founding fathers of the professional communications fraternity that is new to campus known as Zeta Phi Eta, and am now a prospective parent, guiding the potential members and helping them realize their potential throughout the rush process. 

HCUCF: What’s your favorite UCF memory?

JK: My favorite UCF memory has to be when our executive board pulled off the most successful Intern Pursuit event in Quotes history. Each year, our executive board connects with employers and students and brings them together during the fall and spring in order to encourage students to make connections and find their next internship. In the fall semester of 2014, we brought together more than 100 employers and over 300 students, with the help of Ad Club. In the spring semester of 2015, we topped that and had even more employers, along with more students in attendance. Realizing how many students gained valuable internship experience from this internship fair is a great feeling.

HCUCF: Describe yourself in three words. 

JK: Passionate, dedicated and creative. 

HCUCF: Recently, you had the opportunity to intern during New York Fashion Week. What was the experience like for you?

Jacqueline: Interning at NYFW was a dream come true, yet the most intense and exhausting week and a half of my life. Being able to attend the shows and blog about them for my boss was everything I had ever wanted to do. Having a deep admiration for the art of fashion has always pushed me to pay attention to detail, so being able to write about it all, the fabric, the design, the models, was amazing, however, running from event to event in heels and not knowing which subway to take was really exhausting! Once I got the hang of it, I was so sad to leave! 

HCUCF: How were you able to land such an amazing internship opportunity?

JK: So many people ask me how I got this internship, and they are so shocked to hear that I made the opportunity for myself. I started a fashion blog a year ago this October, in order to show future employers that I could consistently write about something I love. When Welcome to My Walk In took off, I decided to build some credibility by interviewing the top ten bloggers, female entrepreneurs and designers that inspired me to begin blogging. One of them was Alexandra Dieck, an emerging designer and blogger from Austin, Texas living in NYC. I kept in touch with her and was able to visit with her when I went to NYC for spring break last year. I emailed Lex about an internship opportunity at NYFW, helping her blog and communicate the few weeks before hand. After being on the fence about hiring someone who didn’t live in the city, she called me and told me that I was hired and to book my flight! It’s all about staying connected and building relationships after you make a connection. 

HCUCF: Who’s your style icon?

JK: My favorite style icon right now is actually Lex Dieck herself. Interviewing her, working for her, and building a strong friendship with her has allowed me to really push my style boundaries. Her style is seriously one of a kind–edgy, chic, colorful and bold. I love following along her style account @lexiconofstyle, for it’s always giving me new outfit inspirations. 

HCUCF: Who’s your favorite celebrity girl boss?

JK: My favorite celeb girl boss is Dianne Von Furstenberg. I recently conducted a ton of research on her business and how she has continuously kept her messaging and language up to date when reaching her audience. I think that DVF and her history really set the stage for building a female empire–from trying and failing, to branding and relocating, she’s been through it all and still successfully continues to expand her name. 

HCUCF: Netflix guilty pleasures?

JK: My all time Netflix guilty pleasure is Desperate Housewives. It recently got taken off Netflix (still getting over it), but while it was there, I think I watched each season about three times total. I was obsessed, the story line was always addicting no matter how many times I had seen the series. 

HCUCF: What has been the opportunity that you’ve been most proud of?

JK: Over the past three and a half years, I have grown into someone who I can look at in the mirror and be proud of. I think the opportunity that really made me come full circle and learn how to be appreciative of my own time and hard work really was NYFW. This trip wasn’t an easy thing to do, from fundraising, to organizing the trip, creating an itinerary, getting myself into shows and then writing about all of it in an unfamiliar setting was a lot to handle. I must admit, there were several phone calls to my mom and many texts to my friends, but with all of their support and belief in myself and my writing, I came back to Orlando feeling like I really accomplished something that started from nothing.  

HCUCF: Tell us a little bit about Welcome to my Walk-In, what made you start the blog?

JK: Welcome to My Walk In is a fashion blog that focuses on more than just the clothes. I came up with the title after I realized that my closet was something I could always count on–it sounds silly, but think about it, you wake up each day and your clothes are always there to help build up your confidence. Each post that has been published on my blog stems from appreciating who you are. From interviews, to reflections, to posts about my favorite pair of shoes; every time I write one, I always dig deeper into a story rather than just a post promoting a particular brand I love. I started the blog after an awful break up my sophomore year of college. I had a really good friend who set up a photo shoot for me in order to feel happier and more confident after going through a hard time. When I received the photos, I realized that every girl deserves to feel that way, so I decided to write about it, with the help of some of my most valued walk-in pieces. 

HCUCF: What are your goals after graduation?

JK: Ah, the question everyone seems to be asking me right now. Well, I’ll be honest, as of now my goal is to be writing, which is very broad, I know. I’ve become obsessed with telling the stories that people don’t hear. Ideally, I would love to be working within brand recognition with a focus on story telling; whether it is highlighting employees and how they impact the brand, or the exceptional things that brands are doing in order to give back to the community. I know that many seniors feel that they need to have it all figured out right now, but for me, knowing what I love and knowing that I’m good at it is a really calming feeling. 

HCUCF: What’s your advice for students that want to land their dream internship?

JK: My first internship was a PR and marketing internship with a local non-profit organization, the next was with a PR agency, the next two were with a marketing firm and an event that was taking on its first year, and then, NYFW. If I had to give advice to students looking for that dream internship, it would be to start small, work your way through several internships before going for the big one. Being prepared to take on the biggest thing yet is the only way you’ll feel comfortable doing so, and the only way that employers will take you seriously. I would have never flown to NYC by myself, knowing that my name would be on everything I wrote, without having those other internships under my belt first. Dream big, but be smart about getting there.  

HCUCF: Do you have any advice for students that want to be more involved on campus?

JK: Getting involved is so much easier than you think! It may seem intimidating at first, but if there’s one thing I have learned while attending UCF, it’s that if you see an open door, take a walk inside. Check out what people in your courses are doing, what your friends are doing, and even visit your college advisor to see if they have any input on particular organizations that you can join. Having encouragement and support from others will make joining all the more fun and easier.

HCUCF: Who is the person that you admire most?

JK: The person I admire most in my life is my dad. Growing up, I played soccer every day and every weekend. My dad was always with me at every game and tournament, rain or shine. When I turned 18, I moved out of my house and into my first student housing apartment at UCF. I remember thinking how weird it was to not have my dad sitting in the living room yelling at the TV as Cleveland’s sports teams continue to lose. He has always provided such a safe place for me to be, and I appreciate his support and want for me to be happy more than anything. My dad is someone I can truly say has always been there for me, no matter what. 

HCUCF: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

JK: Being so close to my dad growing up, I learned a lot about sports. We would always watch our favorite show together, Friday Night Lights, and we still watch reruns today. There is a quote that the main character (the head football coach) would always say before the team left the locker room, “clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.” I never realized how much weight that tiny string of words held, until my dad told that to me before heading into the last round of regionals my senior year of high school. We lost the game. The two hour bus ride home would have sucked big time if I didn’t have those words replaying over and over again in my head. Even though we lost the game, there was no way that our team lost anything we had gained throughout that season. That bit of advice has always stuck with me, always reminding me to look on the bright side, stay positive and to be appreciative of any outcome, for I still have the world in front of me no matter what. 

• fashion
• NYFW
• UCF
• UCF Campus Celebrity