When the staff of ESSENCE announced they were looking for college students to serve as ambassadors for their campuses, university student Logan Nelson’s friends immediately thought of her.
ESSENCE, a publication that “tells black women’s stories like no one else can,” says its mission is to empower women with advice and excite its readers with arresting images that celebrate diversity and culture.
“When I heard about the position, I immediately forwarded the email to [Logan] and told her ‘Apply for this! You are ESSENCE!’” Nicole Dei, a senior broadcast journalism major and one of Nelson’s friends, said. “She is proud to be a beautiful black woman, and she exudes this attitude in everything that she does.”
In her spare time, Nelson is working on a series called “The Session with Logan Nelson.”
The series, Nelson said, focuses on women from various backgrounds. It gives them the opportunity to tell their own stories and speak on various projects they are proud of.
“I think, in time, people will see how creative she is,” Jordan Bailey, a Howard University alumni who has known Nelson for about two years, said. “She has a very good understanding of what’s going on at her school, but also in terms of what’s going on in the world.”
The ESSENCE Campus Ambassador, will create original content for the ESSENCE website, Nelson said, including videos, articles and blog posts. In addition, the winner will be able to attend ESSENCE sponsored events.
“Going to a PWI, we really do not get opportunities like this to really allow the females in our Black community to shine,” Nelson said. “I respect HBCUs a great deal, but I think it is so important that ESSENCE sees what the black women on the campus of the University of Maryland have to offer.”
“We have some of the most talented, hardworking and bold women in the DMV. I just want to give our girls the opportunity to shine and get recognized for the initiatives they are taking on and off campus. ESSENCE would be the perfect platform for me to do this through.”
Nelson, a senior, is not a journalism major. She is pursuing a communications degree. However, she has contributed to Stories Beneath the Shell and Her Campus Media.
As a contributing writer to Her Campus Media, Nelson said she focuses on beauty, lifestyle and fashion.
ESSENCE is known for being a lifestyle, fashion and beauty magazine for African American women, Nelson said, but the magazine has definitely branched out to feature more serious issues that have taken place in our community.
“If I got this opportunity, I would really want to publish content on various projects that girls at the University of Maryland have started,” Nelson said. “It would be great to see ESSENCE feature more college students. Whether it is based on fashion, the lifestyle of a black woman attending a PWI, the Black Lives Matter movement, education, sports or creative events on campus targeted towards black women, I would love to cover it all.”
The ambassador program requires its representatives to put in 8 to 10 hours of work a week to create original content for the website.
“A work ethic and creative spirit like Logan’s is also crucial for any career in the media, especially for a leading brand like ESSENCE,” said Alexandra Givan, a senior broadcast journalism major.
“Essence magazine promotes an image of strong, social conscious and empowering black women, and that is exactly what Logan personifies and stands for.”
“I have loved ESSENCE ever since I was a little girl, so this opportunity came at the perfect time,” Nelson said.
Featured Photo Credit: Logan Nelson via Instagram.
Maya Pottiger is a junior journalism major and can be reached at mayabee777@aim.com.
