Did you know that the pay gap between men and women begins right out of college? A recent study conducted by the American Association of University Women Educational Foundation shows that women make about 20 percent less than their male counterparts straight out of college, and that percentage increases over time to about 30 percent after 10 years.

Luckily there are people out there making a difference and doing something about gender inequality, like Amy Sewell and Susan Toffler, co-directors of a recent documentary entitled "What's Your Point, Honey?" The movie puts a new face on political leadership by introducing seven possible contenders from the CosmoGirl Project 2024 internship program, while at the same time revealing inequalities that still exist today.

Now, with inspiration from the movie, Look to the Stars has started a weekly column entitled Honeys We Love, an initiative that profiles men who support gender equality issues. The first Honey to be profiled was Emmy Award-winning musician John Kimbrough. His song “1971” is actually featured in "What's Your Point, Honey?". Visit Look to the Stars to hear a snippet of his song and to learn more about the initiative.

Gender equality is an issue that the CosmoGirl Project 2024 program stands tall for and is working to improve. Have you started any gender equality initiatives recently? Feel free to comment below!

With girl power,
Erica Swallow

View/Post comment

To everything there is a beginning and an end. Sometimes, that’s a difficult fact of life. Today is the final day for most of the CosmoGirl Project 2024 interns. Dawn, the NBA intern (who also happens to be my roommate), and I will be staying for two more weeks to finish our internships. So, I wasn’t really thinking of this week as the last week of the program, but I was mistaking. I usually have a problem with realizing when things have come to an end. That is definitely the case with the Project 2024 program! It zoomed by so quickly that I can’t be believe it’s wrapping up so early.

Last night, the Project 2024 interns had a final dinner with Senior Editor Tara Roberts and Editor-in-Chief Susan Schulz. We shared stories of all sorts about our internships – funny, depressing, empowering. Throughout the internship program, we have all been very busy shaking up our workplaces. So, we don’t usually have the chance to hang out in one big group. It was refreshing to come together and hear about the other girls’ jobs.

At that dinner I realized something about endings – they end when you want them to end. CosmoGirls, this is just the beginning of the Project 2024 program for us. Let’s not think of this as the end of our program; let’s remember this as the parting point for our futures. We will look back on this experience as our springboard into the real world.

In Cosmo Style,
Erica Swallow

View/Post comment

My productivity is at an all-time high! This week, I finished all of my projects at work, went to two Broadway musicals, saw a few movies, and still had some free time to hang out with the CosmoGirls, my NYU friends, and Weikai, my oh-so-dreamy boyfriend.

My internship at Saatchi & Saatchi has been a great ride, and I’m really sad to see it coming to an end. I only have two weeks left until my final presentation. This seems to be the final make-or-break, though. All of the most important data and research will be collected in the following week. For example, I’m running a focus group this week, to test the magazine ads the creative team made for China Care, the non-profit organization I am representing for this project.

My team and I have worked together with China Care to create some appealing ads that we hope will inspire readers to donate to the disabled Chinese orphans at China Care. My presentation will incorporate an in-depth look at the social issue at large, what’s being done to alleviate this problem, how we can reach our target audience, and what message we want to deliver about China Care.

In the race to get my final presentation finished, though, I realized that I can’t stress out over it at all hours of the day; I start to get a little crazy if I do! When I get a little too obsessed with my work, it really helps to hang out with someone who understands me. So, yesterday, Weikai and I found the perfect cure – a 3-D movie! We saw Journey to the Center of the Earth, starring Brendan Fraser. It was a nice action-packed, pick-me-up movie. And we didn’t even have to sweat in the New York heat to enjoy an adventure to the center of the earth! Now that’s entertainment.

Until next time,
Erica Swallow

View/Post comment

Who's up for some jumping jacks and lunges? Me! Me! Me! This week amidst all of the projects at work, I finally had some free-time to exercise. One of the other CosmoGirl interns, Emily, and I made our grand appearance at the Women's Health Magazine Are You Game? event. We were really excited to go, because everything was free, including rock climbing, a mechanical bull, spa treatments, massages, aerobics classes, refreshments, games, a reggae band, and Women's Health merchandise!

Emily had a plan before we arrive; she wanted to get a massage and climb the rock wall. So, she did! Meanwhile, I decided to take the "Beach Body Bootcamp" aerobics course, offered by Crunch Fitness Center. It was the type of energy I was looking for; plus, we received a Bootcamp DVD for participating, so we could keep up the routine at home. My entire body was aching afterwards, but I felt quite accomplished for breaking out of my exercise-free hibernation! And I'm sure that my abs will be toned for summer in no time with a workout like that.

I encourage everyone out there to strive for a healthy lifestyle with lots of exercise, wholesome foods, and fun with friends! At the end of the event, Emily and I were exhausted, but it was great to have a friend there to experience the excitement and fun. We listened to the sweet sounds of the reggae band before heading out. The entire day was a perfect mix of pumping energy and soothing relaxation. It was a nice end to such a hectic week. And it really paid off, because the next day we both hung out on Brighton Beach with Rachel, another Project 2024 intern. I definitely felt a little more confident about my newly-sculpted (and oh so achy) beach body!

So, Ladies, get out there and warm up your yoga mats! It's time to get your game on!

Best of luck!
Erica Swallow

View/Post comment

We are all passionate about something - whether that's a hobby, topic, person, or object. I'm passionate about a lot of things, but one of my most recent interests is Chinese culture. I am currently learning Mandarin Chinese; I have taken Chinese for two years. I even studied abroad at NYU in Shanghai. During my studies, I traveled all around China, to rural villages, rustic mountains, and bustling cities. I've seen the best and worst of China, and still I'm intrigued.

I was really excited when my supervisor asked me to research skincare trends in China for the monthly skincare trends newsletter. I researched information on the most popular brands in China, new products, innovative ingredients, and even ancient skincare beliefs. In the process of researching, I found multiple resources on Chinese skincare and beauty blogs and was excited to utilize my language skills. Being able to utilize a skill that I consider a passion really enhanced my interest in the work.

My advice for anyone seeking to make the most of their internship experience: incorporate your passions into your work. You may already be in love with your internship (like I am), but you'll be amazed at how much more stimulating your work will be when you add in your own personal touches.

Happy endeavors!
Erica Swallow

View/Post comment

It’s kind of a cliché, but I truly believe that the best thing about life is the people we meet. Being chosen as the Saatchi & Saatchi intern, I was immediately excited to be working at my dream job. I was super excited for all of the perks – free housing, a meal plan, some extra spending dollars, transportation, being published in a national magazine, and many other surprises, like a cool gift bag, meeting Nancy Pelosi, and a soon-to-come dinner with CosmoGirl editors!

But little did I know that the most valuable experience I have had thus far would be meeting new people as a result of this internship. I have come to realize that the best part of being chosen for this internship is the opportunity to network with amazing people at work, through Project 2024, and in New York.

The CosmoGirl interns group is very diverse; as a result, I have learned a lot from all of the girls about respect and the refreshing beauty of diversity. Likewise, the other Saatchi & Saatchi interns and employees are very insightful. We see each other around the office quite often, despite the fact that we all work for different accounts. Everyone brings their own personality and set of traits to the table. For this reason, I really enjoy getting to know people. I’ve also found that talking to others gives me more resources to learn from. When I discover someone’s specialty, I always come to them with questions about that subject. For example, I discovered that an employee working on the Lucky Charms account is a vegetarian – like me! So, I’ve asked him for some food advice in the cafeteria a few times already. Once these connections are made, life gets a little easier.

It is comforting to know that we all have something to contribute. So, remember to always be on the lookout for a new friend. They may have just the right advice for you, and you may have the same for them. From that a new friendship is formed.

Best wishes!
Erica Swallow

View/Post comment