What is #MeetOurMembersMonday?
Well it’s Monday, and you know what time it is. Happy #meetourmembersmonday! Her Campus U Iowa started this hashtag to feature our amazing team members who work hard to make this organization what it is. But more importantly it is a way for our viewers to get to know the people behind the content they are making.
This Week’s Feature
This week is a little special because I am the featured member this week. For those who don’t know me, my name is Rachel Mittelstaedt and I am the current Editor In Chief and Campus Correspondent of Her Campus Iowa. This is my second year as EIC and before that, I served as a Senior Editor and a contributing writer for HCUI.
My job is to curate all the amazing articles that you get to read each week. I love being a part of the editorial process and pushing myself to come up with new ways to make our online publication better and better each year. Since I became EIC in August of 2019, I made it my goal to push our editorial team to think outside the box and write pieces that go beyond the typical listicle. Our content has truly thrived since then, and I have my amazing team to thank for that. It isn’t everyday that you get to work with so many rock stars, but I guess I’m just that lucky.
Beyond HC, I have many other passions in my life. I am a Journalism and Mass Communication major with a certificate in Entrepreneurial Management. With this being my last year at the University of Iowa, I really want to pursue a career doing digital marketing for the entertainment industry. I have never been someone who was drawn to the conventional job lifestyle because it’s well…boring. If I were to describe my dream job it would be to be a creative director for a company that allows me to have the freedom to travel…hell maybe I’ll start my own company. It isn’t crazy to shoot for the stars, you just have to be crazy enough to try.
That kind of mindset didn’t just appear out of nowhere. My parents have always been very supportive of my dreams and aspirations, where they allowed me to become whoever I wanted to be. I have learned quite a few tips and tricks from them, and honestly it’s their fault they created a monster. It always seemed to make me laugh when my mom was shocked I developed the same quick wit and “don’t take shit from anyone” attitude that she has. What did she expect? I’m her carbon copy, down to the road rage. But watching her be the confident woman that she is, the least I can do is try to emulate that in my own life. My dad is the biggest goofball I’ve ever met, and it’s because of him that I am not afraid to look stupid and be silly. I still got all of his neurotic tendencies, so I am in no way perfect (sorry dad I love you). But he has shown me that if you’re not belly laughing on the regular, you’re doing it wrong. There is always a time and place to be serious, but giggling about fart jokes is always appropriate.
These are all lessons that I’ve learned over such a long time, and going into my last year of college it is important to also remember to take time and enjoy your own things. So to finish off this little insight into my life here are some last little fun facts about me:
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I love plants- Can’t have too many. Putting this into the universe now– I will not stop until I have my own plant library someday.
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Parks and Rec is my favorite show. I have a mug with Ron Swanson’s face on it, and yes it’s okay to be jealous.
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Dinosaurs are awesome- I have loved dinosaurs since I was little and I love Jurassic Park. My friends and I stopped at a place called Dinosaur World on our way to Nashville a few summers ago and it was the most fun, spontaneous stop I’ve ever been on.
Thanks for reading and hopefully you learned a few things about me. Feel free to follow me on Instagram @mittelstaedtrachel. And tune in next Monday for another peek into our amazing staff and team!