Meet Lucy Shanker: Our January Leading Woman

Name: Lucy Shanker

Major: Journalism

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois

What are your career goals?

I want to be a music journalist!

What are you involved in at Mizzou?

I am the blog director & digital media assistant for Roots N Blues, Mizzou Alternative Breaks, and tutor at the Writing Center.

Tell us about your time in Chicago this past winter.

This winter break, I worked as an editor for S&P Global at their Chicago branch as an extension of my internship this past summer.

What is one thing you've learned from it?

The biggest thing I learned is that your path is not always linear. I took the job at S&P knowing absolutely nothing about finance but sure of my love for editing. Through my experience there over the past six months, I’ve learned an uncountable amount, all of which will be extraordinarily helpful in the future. You don’t always have to be working your dream job to be making progress in your career; you can learn anywhere.

What’s your favorite thing that you’re involved in and why?

My favorite thing I’m involved in is Roots N Blues. Coming to school in Columbia was a culture shock for me, and I never would’ve believed that CoMo has such an insanely cool and prominent music festival every year. Because of the incredible people that work there, I’ve worked my way up in the company and had the most beneficial experience. It’s the hardest job I’ve ever had, but by far the most rewarding, and I’m super grateful for the relationships I’ve made through it. Plus, I get to work all day with artists, music, and people who share my love of music, too.

What are you passionate about?

I’m passionate about music, social justice, empowering women, and especially the intersection of all three of those.

What’s your favorite thing about theta?

You’d be hard pressed to find a group of girls who support each other the way that Theta girls do. After the weekend of the festival, I had so many people from theta asking me about it, checking in, etc. Just the fact that we all know what’s going on with each other and what each other are involved in I think is really special.

What does Theta mean to you?

Being in Theta has truly defined my time in college, which I honestly didn’t expect. While I’ve gone out and had all these other experiences, I’ve had the confidence to do so because of the foundation that Theta has given me. I know I always have a place to fall back on with women who love and support me.

Do you have a specific favorite Theta memory?

This year during Roots N Blues, a huge group of my friends came and supported me during the weekend. I barely saw them because I was running around all day, but just knowing they were there and seeing them enjoy the festival made me so grateful for the friends Theta has given me.

What do you do in your free time?

I have very little free time! I freelance for a few music magazines, listen to an insane amount of music, workout/run, and read! Right now I’m reading Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng, and it’s dope.