This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Miami (OH) chapter.
Name: Melissa Maykut
Year: Junior
Major: Journalism and Psychology double major
Involvement: Writer, President-Elect of Her Campus Miami (OH), student worker in Miami’s athletic department, writing consultant at the HOWE Center for Writing Excellence, member of the editorial board for the psychology undergraduate journal, COMPASS
Where did you get your start?
My start was with The Miami Student. I was a sports reporter my freshman year. I covered men’s and women’s cross country, women’s basketball, synchronized skating, and men’s and women’s track and field.
Why were you initially interested in Her Campus?
I wanted to be a member of a team that was still building and improving a Miami student publication. I realized I was growing as a leader based off my experiences as a writing consultant, and I decided Her Campus would be a great way to grow even more as a leader and role model for other collegiate women.
I believe digital-based magazines are going to be a lot more prevalent in our future and aren’t going anywhere. With iphones, computers, and iPads, it’s easier to read your favorite publication anywhere and everywhere, and people can be a lot more interactive when visiting online publications, like taking polls, opening several stories at once in different tabs, offering comments to stories, etc.
How might you like to see Her Campus grow under your direction?
I would like Her Campus to sponsor more events throughout the year so the HC Miami name can be heard all over the university campus. I would also like more stories to be done about Miami’s sports and athletes to try and increase our school spirit. I would also love to see us get a room in ASC when it opens, so we have a constant location for our team to meet for meetings and events, and for potential team members to come and see what Her Campus is all about.
What kind of advice do you have for young women readers at the university?
Get involved. The summer before I came to campus to start my freshman year I had e-mailed The Miami Student’s editor-in-chief to ask how I could get involved with the newspaper because I wanted to get a leg up with my journalism career and stay busy outside the classroom. Companies you are applying with for internships and jobs love to see extracurricular activities; they love to see someone who gets involved in student organizations and is driven and motivated, so just put yourself out there and make a name for yourself in college.
What kind of advice do you have for students interested in getting involved with the organization?
Her Campus is a great way to get your name out there and to get published. As a member of the HC Miami team, you have plenty of opportunities to grow as a leader: you can start your own blog, be an outstanding writer or photographer, and apply for leadership positions. By coming to every meeting, turning in your pitches on time, being part of HC events and volunteering to write content or take pictures, you will be noticed by the leaders of HC Miami leaders. Once you get into this habit of giving 110%, you will apply this drive to internships and jobs, and will get to where you want to go following your college career.
