I got the pleasure of chatting with Zoe Doyle, a sophomore at Elon who you may have seen all over Instagram. She not only has a very successful and aesthetically pleasing Instagram but also founded her own non-profit, YGG! Check her out on Instagram @zndoyle, and on YouTube, Zoe Noel!
Where are you from and what’s your major at Elon?
“I am a sophomore from Montréal, Canada and I’m double majoring in Film and International Studies.”
What are some things you’re passionate about?
“I’m extremely passionate about videography, photography, and travel.”
You have 12K followers on Instagram… when did you decide you wanted to really use Instagram as an inspiring platform for blogging?
“I have been using Instagram to share my photography and videos since middle school. I had one of my YouTube videos go viral four years ago and that’s how I started gaining followers. I then started to take Instagram more seriously and put more time and effort into my content! Instagram has become such an important part of my life and one of my favorite places to share my experiences and express myself creatively.”
When & why did you start making travel YouTube videos?
“I have always loved making videos and known that I wanted to go into videography. Travel is a huge part of my life and I love being able to create something meaningful and share my experiences with others. Over the past few years, I have been learning as much as possible about camera equipment and droning as possible. There aren’t many female travel videographers so I feel like my filmmaking is a very special creative outlet for me.”
Do you have future plans to take your videos/Instagram to the next level?
“I’ve actually decided to start vlogging and making some more traditional YouTube videos. I’ve realized that in order to grow a following, it’s important to share more of yourself. In the next few years I will be focusing a lot of my time and creative work on my non-profit so having a following will help me better get my message out there and reach people who want to help me make a difference.”
Tell me about your non-profit, Team Frank Africa, and why you started it.
“Every summer for the past six years, I have been traveling to different parts of Africa with my family. When we go on these trips we like to spend time in communities, learning from the people and finding small ways we can help. Two years ago, my mom and I decided to start a nonprofit in honor of my dad who passed away on 9/11. We have found so many amazing ways to keep his spirit alive over the years but thought this would be such a positive new adventure for us as a family. In South Africa, when children in rural areas don’t have access to preschool education in their community, they are unlikely to make it through elementary school. Team Frank Africa fundraises and builds one preschool per year in rural areas of the country. Once the construction is in place, the government funds the school and feeds 70 children on a daily basis. I spent a month in South Africa last summer completing our first project and we are headed back in June for our second construction!” *check @teamfrankafrica out on Instagram!*
What are your future plans/goals for your non-profit?
“The current goal is to build one school per year for the next 30 years. I will be studying in South Africa in the fall so I am hoping to work more closely with the schools and communities while I’m living there. I am currently working on a big documentary about the story of Team Frank Africa. I’m hoping that through documentaries and short videos for social media that we will be able to bring in more support and donations to finance our projects for years to come!”
What a driven gal! I can’t wait to see all the big things Zoe accomplishes with both her videography and Team Frank Africa. Hopefully, Zoe’s story inspired you all to take that leap of faith and go after what you’re passionate about.