This is a sponsored feature. All opinions are 100% from Her Campus.
Her Campus’s Director of Sales & Business Development is a total boss, but things haven’t *always* been that way. Just like you, she hustled her way through college—interning at major mags while managing a full class load. Now she’s in what she describes as her dream role, and she credits her student loans to her success. Here, Hawk breaks down how using student loans from Citizens Bank forged the way for her dreams.
Jamie Hawk’s College & Major
University of Alabama, Journalism, May 2007
What was your biggest financial concern ahead of your freshman year?
JH: My biggest concern was all of it! I had no idea how to manage money despite my mom trying to teach me before I got to campus. Managing my spending money poorly was my best teacher! My parents paid for 2/3 of my education and the rest was covered by loans.
HC Tip: Apply for your student loans with Citizens Bank. They have multi-year approval1that lets you apply once, then just request the funds you need for every year through graduation.
How did you ultimately come to the conclusion that you needed to apply for a student loan?
JH: My parents were always supportive of my dreams, and I have a younger brother who was going to college right after me. I knew a degree was necessary to get the career in publishing I dreamed of. I was beyond grateful for the out of state tuition my parents were willing to pay for me to go to my dream school. I grew up in Connecticut but my mom is from Alabama and went to school there, so it meant so much to me to follow in her footsteps! Most of my friends took out private student loans to supplement their education funding and we saw our decisions about how to pay for college as a small price to pay for the lives we always wanted to live.
“Most of my friends took out private student loans to supplement their education funding and we saw our decisions about how to pay for college as a small price to pay for the lives we always wanted to live.”
How were your monthly repayments determined?
JH: My payments were based on a super manageable 15-year payment plan.
Tell me about your current role with Her Campus.
JH: I am the Director of Sales and Business Development for Her Campus Media. I am based in Atlanta, GA and get to lead partnerships with brands from Havaianas to Walmart to Diet Coke. My New York sales and marketing experience combined with my love of the Her Campus brand helped me get this dream role. My parents gave me support and financial backing to get me where I wanted to be, and we supplemented my additional needs with loans. It would have been cheaper to go to school in state (and not to intern in New York), but thanks to student loans I had an UNBELIEVABLE college experience and now ultimately have the role of my dreams as a result of all those experiences. I truly believe that every step taken in college and your first few years out of college sets you up for a successful career. Borrowing with Citizens Bank Student Lending makes it possible to put yourself in priceless situations and environments that allow you to grow, network, and evolve more than staying home and playing it safe.
“Money fuels opportunities that allow you to get the dream career you seek. I don’t regret a cent of my loans because they got me where I wanted to be: with a job right out of school in New York City.”
Do you regret borrowing as much as you did in order to attend college?
JH: Money fuels opportunities that allow you to get the dream career you seek. I don’t regret a cent of my loans because they got me where I wanted to be: with a job right out of school in New York City at a national magazine. It added up to the job I wanted. None of it would have been possible without help from my family and my student loans.
Head here to get started with Citizens Bank Student Lending.
1 Multi-year approval funds available for future use are subject to a soft credit inquiry at time of your next request to verify continued eligibility. After we make the initial loan to you, we may refuse to allow you to take out additional loans under the multi-year approval feature, terms and conditions will be outlined in your promissory note. Please Note: International Students are not eligible for multi-year approval.