Tik Tok
When my senior year of high school rolled around, I was absolutely clueless about the college application process, personal statements, scholarships, financial aid- everything. I went in blindly. It also did not help that I was a sophomore the year before, as I had advanced a grade. So I basically winged it. Looking back, there was so much that I wish I had done and known about during that time. Especially with big scholarships such as Questbridge, Coca-Cola Scholars, The Gates Scholarship, etc. No one really told me about them, and that would have helped me tremendously. I also did not know much information about financial aid in general, and the different applications along with that. But, despite the obstacles and cluelessness, I got through it and before I knew it, the college app season was over.
Fast-forward to March: quarantine. During the lockdown, I was trying to find things to pass the time. I decided to download Tik Tok to see what it was all about. After testing the waters of Tik Tok and participating in some trends, I found my place on the platform. I decided to use Tik Tok to document my college application decision journey. So, I posted my first college-related Tik Tok (video below) introducing what colleges I applied to. And that's where it all started.
All of my Tik Toks after that first video were just duets of the video, revealing decisions I received from each of the colleges I applied to. After I had received and revealed all of my college decisions on Tik Tok, I started to make college advice videos. This goes back to all the things I wish I had knowledge of prior to starting my journey to college. I wanted to share this information with others and be the person that I needed during my college process, for them. I used trending sounds and dances to share videos with financial aid tips and how to appeal for more aid, where to find scholarships, what high school students can be doing to prepare for college applications, writing about COVID-19 in personal statements, how to save money in college, the UC application vs. the Common Application, and much more. Here are a few of those Tik Toks:
I may not have gotten “Tik Tok famous” for my videos, but that was not the goal. The goal was and is for my videos to serve as helpful resources for college. And that's what they did. I expanded my reach and started posting my Tik Toks on my Instagram story, and through Instagram, I received a number of messages from people who appreciated my videos, and also those asking for my input on their personal situations and essays. Following this response, I began offering free 1-on-1 college advice sessions and mentoring to high school students on their college journey.
What started off as a quarantine pastime, became something I genuinely love to do. Student leadership is a huge part of my identity, and I have always contributed to helping my peers in one way or another. These days, that comes in the form of giving college advice and mentoring. In doing this, I am growing as a person, and staying true to my intellectual identity and purpose in life to help people however I can.
As I course through life, giving back to the community that raised me, dismantling stereotypes, and ensuring that all students obtain equal opportunity to thrive are my biggest callings yet. Having witnessed injustices in today’s education system, the injustices that come with being a black female from a low-income family which is a stereotype that screams “incapable”, and the disparities that exist in my hometown and those alike. Nevertheless, having dedicated much of my time in high school fighting for educational rights for Oakland students has paved the way for this epiphany and allowed for me to apply this to my life in college. I relish breaking the stereotype that comes with being a minority of being incapable because I am capable, and so is every student who thinks they aren’t. I make sure to remind students of this, and I am here to give them as much guidance and hope that they may need to succeed.
