Why bSmart Guide has been one of my favorite parts of freshman year

About two weeks into the semester, I readily jumped into the internship-seeking phase of college. On track to graduate a whole year earlier than what most would expect, I kept a "year ahead" mindset for the entirety of this semester, and plan to next semester as well. What do new sophomores in college do in their educational journeys? Take upper-division classes, buckle down with studying, and look for internships to test the waters of their career prospects.

So there I was, mid-September into my freshman year, trying to find a way to balance the "WOO! I'm in college!" freshman experience with the determined "I want to advance my future now" mindset withing which I had to artificially transplant myself. I wanted to do something with my time that would build my skills, strengthen my resume, and overall serve as something that I enjoy. Then I found bSmart.

On Handshake job search, I stumbled upon a "Marketing + Editorial Internship" with a start-up company called bSmart Guide Media LLC. Since this was the same point in the semester where I was beginning to ween away from marketing and towards writing and journalism, seeing the words "marketing" and "editorial" together immediately sparked my interest.

I decided to do some research. I went to bSmartguide.com and learned that it was a fairly new start-up media company that fostered community and mentorship for women to help them become leaders in their field. I was hooked, and went through the simple application process. Within a few days, I got an email from bSmart founder and CEO, a New York woman named Meagan Hooper. She requested a phone interview (since the position is remote as I am not currently located in NYC) which was completed within a few days. Additionally, I had to fill out samples of my writing, editing, and idea pitching. With my success in all these things combined, I was offered the position and jumped right in.

Admittedly, getting started was difficult. Since it was a remote position and operated more like an independent study than a classroom-style internship, I was the boss of all the things I did. For the first few weeks, I slopped through all my editing and writing assignments and connected with other women on the site. Then, I attended my first weekly video chat.

Every week (or twice a week if I can) I attend a Skype call with Meagan and other interns or campus ambassadors. We talk for about 45 minutes-1 hour each session. Meagan takes us all through updates on the business she is building from the ground-up, fills us in on current happenings site-wide, and us interns share our progress, ideas, comments, and questions in our work. It was in these chats that I realized how special it was that I was getting this opportunity to be a part of a mission in the early days of what I truly believe will be an incredible company.

I am one of the hundred or so women chosen from an applicant pool of over 1,000 women who gets to do her part in creating more female leaders in the world. I get to advance this incredible mission while showcasing my talents for editorial and building new marketing, social media, and leadership skills. I have learned so many new things from this experience, and plan to keep working for bSmart as an intern for as long as Meagan will let me.

The more I do with bSmart, the more I fall in love with it. As far as I know, I'm UK's first user, and definitely UK's first intern and campus ambassador for the site. This gives me a sense of being a pioneer. I am bringing something unique to my campus, and making a difference on and offline while doing so. I've made great friends in New York, Boston, Vermont, Chicago, South Carolina, and Seattle, just to name a few. This experience has been so unique and rewarding, and I would not trade it for anything.

Working for a company that not only gives you work you enjoy and is very flexible to your own needs, wants, and schedules is a true gift. Working for a company that gives you all of that and has a message you truly believe in and seek to advance is something extraordinary.