This week’s Campus Celebrity is HCuOttawa’s very own co President! Zoë has been a part of our organization since January 2013 and has had the opportunity to work as a guest writer, intern on the Events & Marketing team, and the Director of Media Relations/Head of Social Media for two years in a row before being elected as co Campus Correspondents alongside Lynn Chalati this past spring. We sat down with Zoë in between classes to learn more about her!
Her Campus uOttawa: What program are you studying and what’s your favourite part about it?
Zoë Crego: My program is Specialization in Communication and I’d have to say my favourite part of it would be any of the hands-on classes that I get to take. Everyone assumes that university is all essays and lecturing but with my program, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in really cool things like working with real companies to build advertising campaigns and interviewing Public Relations and Communications professionals.
HCuO: Can you tell us a bit more about how you’re involved with Her Campus?
ZC: At uOttawa I act as the co Campus Correspondent (or co President) with Lynn after we were elected in this past spring by our team. Lynn and I split the tasks so she runs our writing team while I work more closely with our Events & Marketing team. We do everything from lead meetings, manage the team, recruit new members, correspond with Her Campus National, create partnerships with other clubs and businesses, correspond with the public or potential sponsors, administrative tasks, and more.
I’m also a Campus Advisor with Her Campus National. This means that I advise other Her Campus chapters. I correspond with them weekly, monitor that they’re hitting all of their requirements, and have the occasional Google Hangout to check in and just chat. Currently I’m advising six chapters – two in Canada and four in the USA!
Her Conference 2015: (L to R) Vivian, Zoë and Jocelyn
HCuO: Her Campus National plans tons of intercollegiette events like College Fashion Week and Her Conference. Have you been to any of these events before? What are they like?
ZC: I’ve been lucky enough to attend Her Conference the last two years in a row. The conference is so much fun and is an amazing experience. I’ve never participated in so much networking in one day! Her Conference is also great in terms of career building – I’ve had the opportunity to listen to (and meet) some of the biggest names in journalism and PR fields, like Michelle Tan (Editor-in-Chief of 17 Magazine).
I haven’t been to College Fashion Week yet, but I’m planning on attending one of the stops this October – keep an eye on my Twitter feed to see how it goes!
HCuO: What would you say the most rewarding part of being a part of HCuOttawa is?
ZC: The most rewarding part is probably being a part of an organization that truly wants to help collegiettes succeed in their future careers. Since joining the team, my interpersonal, time management, and problem solving skills have improved greatly. Volunteering with HCuOttawa feels like interning for a real company because we’re so structured. Every team member has a specific role and we’re counting on each person to follow through with their tasks. You really learn how to be accountable and I think this is something that all future employers will expect from us when we break into the industry.
HCuO: Where do you see yourself in five years?
ZC: In five years I’ll be 27 … wow! I hope that by the time I’m 27, I’ve finally found that dream job that I’ve been working hard for these past few years in school. I also hope that by that time in my life, I’ve accomplished other milestones, like buying my own house, travelling to new places and really just having enriching experiences wherever I am.
HCuO: You’ve been involved a lot on campus outside of HCuOttawa as a Communications Experience Program mentor, International Buddy, intramural hockey player, and a teacher’s assistant. Can you give first year students any advice on the best way to get involved on campus?
ZC: The best piece of advice I can give any student is to go outside your comfort zone, no matter how scary it may seem. First year students are in the best position – they’re new to uOttawa and clubs are always looking for them to get involved! Not only will joining a club or organization on campus help you meet new people and get you out of your dorm for a few hours, it will also look good on your resume. I can’t stress enough to students that having extra-curricular activities on your resume will do wonders for you when you graduate. Of course, marks are important and you should try your best to do well in your courses, but they aren’t the only thing that make you stand out! Anyone can ace “Workshop in Essay Writing” but not everyone can say they were involved in x amount of extra-curricular activities which helped build valuable skills that can be transferred over into the workplace.
HCuO: Thanks for answering all of our questions! We want to give you a This or That? quiz before you go: Coffee or Tea: Tea
Apple or Orange: Apple
Puppies or Kittens: … Puppies, duh!
Pizza or Shawarma: Pizza with garlic dip
Study on or off campus: off campus
F21 or H&M: H&M
Gosling or Reynolds: Reynolds
Olivia Benson or Meredith Grey: Olivia Benson