When I’m not in class or at work I can likely be found binge-watching the latest Netflix show. Needless to say my attempts to read endless news articles and keep up with what is going on in the world didn’t always work out. A history course I took last year reminded me of how important it is to constantly stay informed. Following the news leads to broadening your horizons and forming your own opinions. Sure, I got updates sent to my phone from NBC and made an effort to catch the news on television in the morning. But, it simply wasn’t enough to thoroughly understand and keep up with everything.

I don’t think it was a coincidence that just two weeks later at my new internship I found out about theSkimm. My co-worker said it is a daily newsletter started by two former NBC News producers, Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin, that she was addicted to reading in the morning. I subscribed and was hooked by the next day.

TheSkimm has everything you need to stay in the know and jump into any conversation. It only takes about five minutes to read. But my favorite part about it is the writing. The content is witty, smart and funny. Its style is fresh and blog-like. They mention that day’s birthdays at the bottom. Often I’ll see a certain celebrity mentioned that I admire, or even one of my friends. They have a quote of the day, book recommendations and my personal favorite, the “Thing to Know” section.

It’s my favorite daily ritual. Not to mention I may even be a morning person now. It gives me everything I need to tackle the day and start out on a good note. I realized within the first week that I had to get more involved. I’ve never been positive about what my plans after college will be. I know I want a job that I’m passionate about, one that is smart, creative and maybe a little unconventional. TheSkimm is just that. So I applied to be a Skimm’bassador so I can further represent them and participate in promotional events.

Once I got the job I joined a Facebook group with my fellow Skimm’bassadors. As we introduced ourselves it was obvious that these were some incredible women. Some are working at a start-up in Spain, interning for Oscar De La Renta, packing up and moving to a brand new city, and many more exciting adventures. I quickly realized that these are the kind of ambitious and independent women and men I want to work and collaborate with. We have conference calls, a group newsletter and meetings in our hometowns in order to get together and network. Although the group involves thousands of members across the country, I have never felt more included and in touch with a community. I can truly count on other Skimm’bassadors for any advice whether it’s career-based, housing information or even television show recommendations.

TheSkimm is truly the secret weapon people of my generation have been looking for. Seeing the other Skimm’bassador’s interests and accomplishments have made me work harder to reach my own goals. Being a voice for the newsletter has inspired me to become more involved with political affairs, media outlets on campus and current events. Just keep Skimming!

Alexis Whitley

Alexis Whitley is a recent graduate with a BA degree in journalism: advertising and public relations. She’s a history buff, Netlfix enthusiast and an avid runner. She is from Little Rock, Arkansas but is moving to New York City to pursue public relations in the fall. Alexis loves road trips, coffee and live music.