There is no way to describe to a freshman how much they are going to change during their time as an undergrad. College is a hugely defining time in someone’s life; you discover what you believe in, what you like and (hopefully) what career you want to pursue. Looking back at pictures of myself freshman year, I can barely recognize the girl staring back at me. Although we once again have the same hair cut and God knows I haven’t gotten any taller, freshman Katy was too busy balancing equations in chemistry discussion to realize that writing and fashion were more my forte; I definitely didn’t know at the time that these passions could turn into a viable career.
When I turned in my first STYLE GURU BIO for CollegeFashionista, I was a college junior and I was scared. I didn’t know much about the fashion industry but I was starting to become more confident in my writing and desperately wanted to get published. I remember being afraid that someone would realize I had no business giving fashion advice and call me out on it, so I worked hard and found myself loving what I was learning. Two years later, I’m obsessed with fashion writing and am currently brainstorming a name for the fashion and book blog that I’ll be launching this summer to fill the void that CollegeFashionista will inevitably leave. CollegeFashionista not only gave me a space to practice writing and receive feedback, but also a place to let me discover my love for the fashion industry and all the possibilities it holds.
The biggest piece of advice I’d like to give my 18-year-old self is that it’s okay not to have it all figured out. Even though I have my dream internship working in public relations in Chicago lined up for this summer, I still like to joke with people that I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up yet. I’m sure my career will wind itself down several different paths and hopefully some day I’ll land in the world of fashion. Until then, I’m happy knowing that there are hundreds of 18-year-old future Style Gurus out there who are about to discover their passion, all thanks to CollegeFashionista.
