Hi I’m Victoria Brown and I’m the brains behind Carleton’s Her Campus events but you can call me Vicky B!
I’m a fourth-year journalism student and in a year’s time I hope I’ll be chasing cobblestone streets in Europe.
My favourite aspect about studying journalism these last four years is the people I met through the interviews I conducted for assignments. For instance, I met a local coffee roaster whose beans from Ecuador economically benefited a remote community. I met historians working on preserving heritage buildings. I met an Austrian pianist who was performing in Canada for the first time and I met an ASL interpreter who was advocating for more ASL services in Ottawa. Through their stories I got to see the world through their eyes which has given me a greater compassion for everyone I meet, a gift that is unique to people who practice journalism.
However, my experiences outside of my academics are the experiences that have shaped me the most in terms of who I am as a person and what I want to do after university.
One of those roles is Event Director at Her Campus Carleton!
What I’ve learned about event planning over the last few years of experimenting is that no matter how much you plan for the unpredictable, the unpredictable will happen. Whether that be a sound and tech issue, more people show up than RSVP’d, or no one shows up to your event at all. Your mind is scattered all over the place thinking about all the moving parts that bring the event together. From delegating tasks to the volunteers, making sure the speakers know their cue, dealing with problems that arise on the fly, while also internally freaking out on the inside wondering what the audience thinks about the event! It’s alot!
The best thing that you can do for yourself is to know that something unpredictable will happen and when it does all you need to do is stay calm, rely on your team that is there to support you and roll with the punches as they come. A technique that has transferred into my own life as I run into unpredictable hurdles.
The uncertainty of life after university is terrifying and I know there will be challenges while I carve my own path however, I’m excited for every destination.