“If you want to create, create.”
The year is 2007.
Umbrella by Rihanna featuring Jay-Z is your favourite song, and you’ve just started watching the newest reality series on E!, “Keeping Up with the Kardashians”. Tiktok, Instagram, and Twitter don’t exist yet, but you watch your favourite videos and memes on a site called YouTube. You sign in on your family’s shared desktop and stumble on a video called “Raindrops” by some guy in Michigan named Tyler Oakley.
Fast forward to 2020.
Tyler Oakley now has over 7 million Youtube subscribers and is known for not only his hilarious video challenges and collaborations with other YouTubers, but he’s also become a prominent activist for LGBTQ2S+ rights and paved the way for many YouTubers in the industry. Tyler’s accomplishments go far beyond YouTube, having been to the White House, hung out with One Direction, and even competed on the Amazing Race.
This semester Tyler Oakley joined us for our virtual Real Talks to talk all things media and careers. After his inspiring interview, we had the chance to sit down with the YouTuber and activist to chat about his career journey, advocacy, mental health, and advice for students.
Take a look at our full interview below:
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For more IGNITE Real Talks, check out our interview with Justin Kan!
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