Her Campus UCF

Picture it: Summer 2017, the temperature had reached its peak and I was about to enter my sophomore year of college. I had safely made it out alive from surgery to get my wisdom teeth removed. Yes, all four out of my mouth. I was in pain, while eating applesauce for breakfast and changing bloody gauzes from my mouth every hour. It was a Sunday when I found myself with nothing to do and a blank application for HerCampus. I had promised myself to start and complete the application because I dreamed of an opportunity to write for a magazine at UCF.

Instead of thinking about the amount of pain I was in, I buckled down and began the application. I wanted every answer to be perfect, so that meant typing a long paragraph only for it to be deleted a minute later. My time in front of the computer took majority of the day and once I had finally answered my last question I was hesitant to turn it in.

Would they like my idea to write about the ratification of the E.R.A. in Florida? How would they feel about my answer of wanting to interview Arden Rose if I was going to write a profile?

I was afraid of rejection to my one moment of courage, so far, during college. I had put myself out there, and I was only hoping that I would get an ideal answer back.

It was about a month, maybe less, when I got an acceptance email into HerCampus. I remember smiling like an idiot and texting all my friends. August wouldn’t come fast enough for the rest of the summer.

Fast forward to Summer 2018. I have been writing for HerCampus UCF for a year and I couldn’t be more grateful for the memories, and people, I have known along the way. I have met women who are from completely different majors than me but have the same passion for writing. In my book, that’s fabulous.

There is one question that always gets asked when I talk about HerCampus; what is it exactly?

HerCampus is an online magazine for college women. Along with the headquarters in Boston, there are many colleges (a.k.a. chapters) that are within the HerCampus family. At UCF, we are a pink level chapter which is the highest that a chapter can go. We write about beauty, style, pop culture, and personal experiences that we face.

For me, HerCampus has given me a haven for my writing. In Fall 2017, I wrote an article that I was terrified to write, let alone have it be put out into the Internet. After it was published I questioned if the article was worthy of reading, or if it resonated with someone. A couple of days after the article was published, a writer for HerCampus UCF messaged me and said how much she loved the article. ​ If there is ever a moment in a writer’s life when they feel the proudest about their writing, it’s probably the moment that someone has told them how much they enjoyed reading their work. ​ HerCampus gave me that moment.

Besides the amazing events that HerCampus hosts, being a part of the UCF chapter is one of the many highlights of my college memories. Even though I’m not quite finished with college, I have loved spending an afternoon every week pitching stories with fellow writers and talking about anything that was happening around us. I have enjoyed the small family we have become, one that openly accepts new members into and creating a space where someone can be comfortable to write anything.

So, if you are reading this and a student at UCF, I highly recommend that you apply to write for the UCF chapter of HerCampus. Hopefully when you are filling out the application, you haven’t just come out of surgery getting your wisdom teeth taken out because that can make the process a bit painful.