On the second day of Welcome Weekend my freshman year at Ohio University, all freshman in my school of study were required or, “highly encouraged”, to attend the school-specific involvement fair to learn about the campus orgs that would be most relevant to us. I had no interest in going – my social battery was run dry and I was already overwhelmed with all the information that had been thrown at me about meal plans and residence hall rules and how the heck I was going to find my way to class on Monday. Lucky for me, my roommate, one of the TWO whole people I knew on campus, was going as well.
Thus, along with all of the other awkward, fumbling freshman I trudged over to Schoonover Center to make the best of it. Reluctantly, I went around to a few tables, wrote my email down for a couple of things with no intention of participating after the fact. And as I was going to the final few tables, hoping to get a couple free knick-knacks, one actually stuck out to me. You guessed it, it was Her Campus!
The girls at the table were by far the most welcoming and least intimidating I had talked to so far. They made me feel like they truly wanted me to be involved and be a part of their group, instead of just another email on the sign-up sheet. In the coming days, I eagerly waited for an email from this organization so I could start writing, for real!
I quickly volunteered to write an article when the exec board asked, and spent hours agonizing over whether it was good enough, whether it made any sense, and whether it would actually get published since I was just a rookie freshman.
But that is the great thing about Her Campus! You can write about virtually anything you want, serious or not, and you will be encouraged to do so. Each time I have written something or proposed an idea, I have been welcomed with open arms, given tips to make my writing better, and made to feel appreciated for my contribution to the organization. Even throughout my sophomore year, which I completed fully online, I still felt like I was part of a community of strong, smart women. I was able to create content from my hometown, attend weekly meetings, and I even was chosen for the position of Twitter manager for the current academic year!
Overall, Her Campus is an organization that makes me feel accepted, appreciated, encouraged, and one that I am proud to be a part of.
