Kristine Fenstermacher is on the path to reach her dreams! With a $200 grant from the 1,000 Dreams Fund from our Real Superheroes Challenge, the Temple University student is on track to reach her professional goal of working at a woman’s magazine. We chatted with Kristine about what the grant means to her and her advice for fellow young women with big dreams.

Tell us, what’s your dream?

My professional dream is to work as a blogger or for a women’s magazine

Cool! How will you use the funding you’ve received?

I will use the 1,000 Dreams Fund grant to help with my transportation to New York City for an internship this fall.

Sounds exciting! How will this help you get closer to your dream?

In Philadelphia, my hometown, there are minimal opportunities in the field in which I want to work. New York City is essentially the central location for my career dreams. In the past, I have had to turn down internships due to transportation cost.

What advice do you have for other young women?

Don’t let anyone else control your future. At one point in my life, I found myself in a major that would guarantee money. I kept getting reassurance from others that this was the path I should take and that I was doing well for myself. Once I took a moment to step back, though, I saw how unhappy I really was.

Never do something just because others are telling you to or because it seems like the right thing to do. Do what makes you happy and shoot for the stars. It’s not always about being safe. It’s about being happy and following those dreams.

Great advice. What’s next for you?

I want to become a well-rounded person. We are constantly told we need to pick a niche that we are going to pursue for the rest of our lives. Although I think it’s good to specialize in certain areas, I want to know a little bit about everything! Thus, I would love to have a job where I get to do more than one thing. I’m working on becoming knowledgeable in multiple areas of journalism, fashion, beauty, women’s studies and much more!