Many of us remember the prime time of YouTube with video creators like Bethany Mota, Meredith Foster, Alisha Marie and others gracing our iPads. Rosella Cruz, a rising social media influencer and Florida State University (FSU) student, shows that determination is what dreams are made of.
Her Campus (HC): Can you tell Her Campus’ readers a little bit about yourself and your journey with social media?
Rosella Cruz (RC): Hi, my name is Rosella Cruz, I am a sophomore, I am 19 years old, and I am a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha Chapter here at FSU. My social media journey started when I was younger because my grandmother was a photographer, and many other people in my family are very into the arts and are in touch with their creativity. I was used to putting on shows for my family and always had a big personality, and I love entertaining others. When I got my first iPod, I started editing videos and recording myself at all times of the day. Eventually, when I got my first phone, I was able to start posting that content. I was not allowed to have social media until I was in high school, yet I did participate in the making of Musical.lys. I have always had a passion for the arts, which is why I decided to come to FSU and major in digital media production. I decided to expand from Musical.ly into relatable TikToks, and I’m planning on starting to post on YouTube soon consistently!
HC: How has coming to Florida State impacted your life?
RC: The majority of my content has to do with my college life and my life at FSU. I try to make relatable content because the algorithm pushes videos out to people near you first. I try to make videos that are not only relatable and trendy but also that make people laugh with me and not at me. Coming to Florida State, I was able to find out a lot more about myself when it came to studies, what I want to pursue, and how to do so to make myself hopefully successful in the future.
HC: What is one piece of advice you wish you could tell your younger self?
RC: One piece of advice that I would give to my younger self is to start posting sooner, if I would’ve started posting my content sooner, I would’ve been able to have found myself and my confidence a lot sooner as well. So many people have come up to me and told me they love my content and younger me was too afraid. Don’t let others stop you from following your dreams.
HC: When did you discover your passion for creating media?
RC: I wouldn’t say that I discovered my passion for creating media at any age but rather that I was born with the mentality that I was meant to entertain. It’s a rather crazy mentality, and one that is very common, but I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
HC: In your videos you talk about your shift in mentality and how it’s affected your life, could you tell us a little bit about that?
RC: I was somebody that was very insecure growing up, insecure about my looks, insecure about my personality, and definitely too insecure to post on social media anything that I do in my present day. Once I realized that the majority of people couldn’t care less about anything outside themselves, I realized that if they don’t care I should not care. Shifting my mentality allowed me to gain confidence, glow up physically and mentally, and pursue my dreams no matter what they were.
HC: How do you balance creating content and being a college student?
RC: I believe creating content and being a college student for me and my niche go hand-in-hand and are not hard to balance. I make content about my day, and about relatable occurrences in Tallahassee that students at FSU will relate to, so I have no problem picking up my phone for five seconds in the day and filming a video for something I’m passionate about. It also takes me no time at all to think of a video. I can just be on my phone and see a trend and think of a video I could film in a matter of seconds. Posting never feels like a chore, but rather a passion, and school is a lifestyle, and learning is a lifestyle therefore there’s no need to worry about balance.
HC: Who’s Paco, and can you tell readers a little bit more about him?
RC: I would love to tell you about Paco. Paco is my stuffed penguin that I decided to bring to FSU for my sophomore year. Paco is an icon. Paco is a legend, and I love Paco. I saw a fraternity brother at some other college bring around a stuffed monkey everywhere he went, so I went on Amazon and tried to find the cutest animal thus Paco was born. I bring Paco everywhere. I take Paco to Taco Bell. I take Paco to class. I take Paco to Clyde’s and game days. Everywhere. He’s my new best friend.
HC: Do you see yourself doing social media long-term?
RC: Social media, influencing, and digital media overall are some things I do see myself doing long-term especially since my major is digital media production. I love all things that have to do with the entertainment business, and I plan on doing this forever. Hopefully, I continue having the confidence and the support that I do now from friends and random people so that I can keep the mentality and continue pursuing this for the rest of my life and ultimately become successful. Thank you so much for having me I appreciate you.
You can keep up with Rosella’s content by following her on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, and YouTube.
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