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I had the chance to talk to an innovator in the journalism scene who is balancing classes, being a member of a sorority and putting her name out and about for the journalistic world to see. Not to mention, she has already had the opportunity to work for Cosmopolitan. Allison Piwowarski, a senior on the UIUC campus, is living the dream, and she’s only getting started.
HC: Can you tell the readers a little about yourself and your experiences at UIUC?
Allison Piwowarski: I’m currently a senior majoring in creative writing and I started by working at Impulse Magazine on the campus for about a year. From there I moved over to The Spoon when we decided to start a publication for a chapter here at U of I. Outside of that I am also a member of the sorority Delta Delta Delta. This past summer, I interned at Cosmopolitan in New York for three months. But now, I’m here finishing up so I can graduate and go into the real world.
HC: You began by majoring in creative writing, but what exactly made you decide to go more into the journalism field?
AP: I originally didn’t know what I wanted to do. I knew I just wanted to do something along the lines of writing. Writing for magazines is where I decided I wanted to focus my attention on. There aren’t many creative writing majors that go into journalism. I think I may be the only one.
HC: What made you decide that you wanted to work for The Spoon and dedicate your time to that?
AP: The girl who created [The Spoon] at Northwestern was actually looking to expand it. She thought that UIUC would be a great place to start, so she reached out to a few girls on campus that she thought would be leader. I love food, restaurants and all the things that U of I has to offer in the sense of food, drinks, and lifestyle. I was really excited to be asked to become a part of something this big.
HC: How was it working for “Cosmo” and being able to travel to New York?
AP: I’ve been travelling to New York since the seventh grade, and I’ve just always been in love with the city. It’s always been a dream for me to live there. Cosmo is my dream magazine. Going there and working in the Features department was just a dream come true. I worked really closely with all the editors and they had really great connections.
HC: What was the best part about working at Cosmo?
AP: Cosmo has been going under a change recently. It’s gone from the typical sex magazine to a women’s empowerment magazine. The readers of Cosmopolitan learn how to be the best woman they can be in any faction of their life. The new editor-in-chief, as well as a large new staff, have just been making changes to it that I think would be a part of that. It’s just so exciting that I got to experience that and see all of the positive changes and feedback that I’ve been receiving lately.
HC: You’re living the dream for students that want to be in your shoes. What words of advice would you have for them?
AP: As for advice, I’d say to never limit yourself. You might think that you don’t have the experience to apply for a certain job or internship, but just go for it because that type of dedication will show. Join something that you actually want to be a part of. Follow what you really want to do and just stick with it.
HC: Okay, one last question. If you became a member of the Cosmopolitan team, who would you want to see on the cover?
AP: Rebel Wilson for sure! She’s just so funny and confident. I like light-hearted pieces that keep the audience interested yet entertained.  Â