“At the end of the day people won’t remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.” This popular quote from Maya Angelou reigns true for Riel Felice who spreads love and happiness everywhere she goes. Before I met Riel in person, she emailed me telling me how excited she was for me to join Her Campus and to get to know me. This meant a lot for me as a freshman who would be joining my first organization on a college campus where I hardly knew anyone. Her kindness and warmth remained a distinct character trait when we first met and she welcomed me with a great big hug. Her friendliness was so rare to me and those little moments are some I will always remember. Getting to know Riel, I’ve learned that she is a woman of strength, kindness and grace. It was no surprise to me to learn that she is a member of the hardworking Kappa Epsilon chapter of Delta Sigma Theta. Inspiring, beautiful, intelligent and warmhearted are just some of the words fellow Her Campus members use to describe her. Everyone needs a Riel in their life and that’s why I jumped at the opportunity to interview her and allow everyone the chance to get to know her a bit more.
Her Campus (HC): Where are you from and what’s your major?
Riel Felice (RF): I am from Jacksonville, Florida. I am pursuing two Bachelor’s degrees, one in Media/Communications Studies (MCS) and the other in Editing, Writing and Media (EWM). I am also double-minoring in African-American Studies and Women’s Studies.
HC: How did you know your majors were the ones for you?
RF: Since I was a child, I’ve had a strong love for writing. I love reading magazines and while I was in high school, I decided that I would pursue a degree in communications when I went to college. Once I began college and grew more into myself, I discovered my passion for activism as it relates to the Black community and immediately knew that I wanted to professionally write for a Black-owned and Black-focused publication. Soon afterward, I changed my double-major in MCS and EWM to a dual-degree and added African-American Studies and Women’s Studies to my track as minors. I developed a deep passion for editing through my involvement with Her Campus FSU. I decided on Women’s Studies as a minor because my career goal is to edit for Essence, a magazine centered around Black women.
HC: As a senior, what are your plans after college?
RF: My plans after college are to move to New York City and pursue opportunities with publications. I plan to get my foot in the door anywhere and everywhere that I can! I’ll probably adopt another pet once I move, too—Luna could use a sibling!
HC: What inspired your involvement in Her Campus?
RF: Melizza Black, past staff writer and Editor-in-Chief of Her Campus FSU, initially sparked my interest in the publication. She interviewed me for a profile feature back in 2017 and told me all about Her Campus. I wanted to write about the things that matter to me the most as a Black woman at a predominantly white institution and share them with a large audience, and I felt that Her Campus was the perfect space for me to do so.
HC: As one of the Editors-In-Chief of Her Campus what would you say is your mission or the message you want to communicate?
RF: As one of the Editors-in-Chief of Her Campus FSU, my mission is to increase the diversity of the publication and provide a platform for more Black and brown women to share their stories. I want to share the message that all of our words, all of our opinions, all of our viewpoints—they are valid, and they matter.
HC: How do you create an environment at Her Campus that allows for writers and editors to feel safe and like they belong?
RF: In order to create a welcoming environment at Her Campus FSU, I simply extend warmth and kindness to everyone. I find great joy in spreading love to others.
HC: What does writing mean to you?
RF: Writing, to me, is a beautiful form of self-expression. I adore the fact that there is no one true or correct way to write. You can write a poem, a song, a children’s book a short journal entry—all of which are amazing ways to express yourself through writing! You can write and keep your pieces completely private, you can show your writing to some friends and family, you can submit your work to publications and contests—the possibilities are endless.
HC: As a black woman, do you find it challenging to write about topics that are important to you without the fear of being labeled?
RF: Personally, no, not at all. The majority of my articles have related to the Black community, which is what I’m passionate about. I’m already constantly labeled just by living my day-to-day life as a Black woman in a white-washed world—why not be unapologetically me? After the internal identity crises and experiences with racism that I’ve had, I no longer stifle myself.
HC: What would you say is your advice to other Black women who want to pursue a career in communications or writing?
RF: My advice to other Black women seeking careers in Communications or writing is to keep going. Even when you feel like you won’t make it or like your dreams are too big, keep going—I promise you, they aren’t. You deserve the opportunities that you have. You deserve to share your voice. Keep going. Don’t dim your light.
HC: As a Caribbean Black woman what has your experience of going to school at a PWI, (predominantly white institution), been like for you?
RF: I have greatly enjoyed being a Black Caribbean woman at a predominantly white institution because even before I started my freshman year, I found people who shared my culture through the FSU Caribbean Students Association. I went on to serve as Miss FSU Caribbean Students Association from 2017 to 2018 and all of my closest friends at the University are of Caribbean descent as well!
HC: What does your involvement in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority mean to you and how has it shaped you as a person?
RF: My involvement in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated means absolutely everything to me. I love my sorority more than I can even begin to express through words—I’m a writer, so that says a lot! I love my sorority’s strong focus on sisterhood, scholarship, and service, three things that mean a lot to me personally. My sorority has taught me about innumerable valuable things and will continue to each and every day; my transformation and molding are endless. I wake up each morning still in awe that I’ll be a Delta woman for the rest of my life.
HC: You work at Crystal Portal, a shop in Tallahassee. I see that crystals play a big part in your life? What do they represent to you? How did you get introduced to them? Do you practice meditation as well?
RF: Literally, I woke up one day in May of 2018 and felt compelled to go to Crystal Portal. I felt the energy of the space and of the crystals and was instantly in love. Crystals represent so many different things and have so many different uses; each crystal vibrates at a different frequency, so they all have varying properties. For example, Rose Quartz is great for love in all forms—self-love, radiating love to others, accepting love from others, overall emotional healing—and Black Tourmaline is wonderful for grounding and energetic protection. I do practice meditation, as well, and yoga!
HC: I’ve noticed you’re a cat mom. How long have you had Luna? What’s her personality like?
RF: I’ve had my sweet Luna for almost a year and a half now—I adopted her in July of 2018. I was never a cat person… I used to be terrified of cats, but boy, how times have changed! I took a trip to the Tally Cat Café one day and fell head over heels the second I saw my Luna. I just had to take her home! My outlook on cats since adopting Luna has changed completely; she’s the silliest, most affectionate girl and I absolutely adore her. Her personality compliments mine perfectly—she even loves my crystals and does yoga with me! We also go on walks with her pink stroller from time to time.
HC: Life and university can be so stressful. How do you manage to stay so positive and enthusiastic? What are your self-care practices?
RF: I love, love LOVE self-care. Bubble baths, facials, massages mani/pedis—you name it, I’ll make an appointment and be there in half an hour! I meditate and practice yoga to check in with my mind and my body, which is super important. I also follow a ton of Instagram accounts that post cute little doodles about self-care and affirmations to brighten anyone’s day. Like everyone, I fall short on my self-care practices when life gets busy, but I’ve learned that anything can be self-care. Drinking water, feeding yourself, brushing your teeth, washing your face—those are all seemingly basic things, but by doing them, you’re taking care of yourself.
HC: What are some important lessons you learned from your experience at Her Campus?
RF: My involvement with Her Campus FSU has taught me to express myself, wholeheartedly and without shame. I have also learned about networking and professional development through workshops within my chapter and at Her Conference in Brooklyn, NY.
HC: To all the freshmen at FSU, what advice would you give them based on the experiences you’ve had here?
RF: My advice to freshmen is to simply do your best. If you try your absolute hardest, you can’t beat yourself up about a low grade or low performance—you did all that you could do. Find the people whose souls resonate with yours. Spend time discovering who you are and what you love. Be yourself and no one but yourself.
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