The stereotype for college students is that you’re going to go to school, fly threw some really easy courses, have some crazy late nights, meet amazing people and then graduate four years later with the daunting search for experience looming over your head. While the majority of this was true, one thing that I managed to tackle at the beginning of my college career was finding a life changing internship… and CollegeFashionista was just that!
When I came into East Carolina University I wasn’t yet a Fashion Merchandising major. I was stuck on Film Editing and Media Production and I thought my mind was made. After a couple mundane courses and the realization that making it in Hollywood was extremely slim, I took my love of fashion and adopted it as my future career. I reached out to any connection I could find, did some intense online searches and finally interviewed with the oh-so-fashionable Amy Levin for a spot as an ECU Style Guru. This one little step in my fashion adventure changed my life and opened many doors with A Blonde Ambition Fashion Blog, Charlotte STYLE Magazine, SUCCARA and every other internship I’ve been able to acquire. Not only did it set in stone the fact that I had switched to the right major, but also it clarified my love of writing, blogging and anything involving trends and street style.
Whether it was my starting STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK posts or the difficult LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE BOYS pieces that took very long hours to find, these weekly write ups gave me a chance to share my knowledge of the industry and show off my peer’s outfit choices. It gave East Carolina University a title that it probably had never received before: fashionable. After writing a post a week for a semester or two, and meeting Amy face-to-face for the first time on a trip to The Big Apple, I was offered the opportunity to work on the CollegeFashionista Tumblr site as a Social Media Intern. I fell in love with Tumblr and blogging and knew I wanted to continue involving myself in this part of the company. Through creating a wonderful, personal relationship with the “head-honcho” and keeping up with my contributions, I then added on the task of updating the CFashionitaUK Twitter handle on top of my assistance with Tumblr. My love of social media grew and I knew that it was this online side of fashion that I really had a knack for. Sooner of later my colleagues and leaders saw how intense my adoration for CollegeFashionista really was and asked me to write about East Carolina University for their partnership with US Today Educate. This chance was amazing and sincerely highlighted why I love working for this company so much. Who doesn’t enjoy plugging in with friends and followers on Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook and other social media networks, every day of the week? CollegeFashionista has an amazing knack for connecting with their readers and this was something I was able to experience first hand!
My May 2013 graduation date seems to have snuck up on me faster than I ever imagined. With all of this experience under my belt and a jam-packed resume being sent out to countless job opportunities, my future is still unknown. It’s an empty draft saved on the backend of Tumblr or a blank Tweet lined up on the underside of Twitter. My past experiences are many and my future plans are so vast I can’t even begin to see the other side. The dreams I have of moving to New York City are further ingrained in my mind with every sip of a Starbucks latte or scroll through The Sartorialist blog. All I know for certain is that CollegeFashionista opened some doors for me that I know I wouldn’t have managed unlock on my own. They gave me a chance to become a part of one of the biggest industries in the world. They took me as one of their own, helped me grow as a writer, as a trendsetter and as a person and truly influenced every part of my fashion career. So it’s to CollegeFashionista that I will toss my cap in the air on May 10th. For all your help and all your love I will always be appreciative!