Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear TikTok. Happy birthday to you.
The social media app, TikTok, came out in September 2016 almost seven years ago, and it is the fastest-growing social media app in the world as it has over 1 billion active users worldwide.
Among these active users, you can find prominent TikTok stars such as Khabane Lame, Charli D’Amelio and Bella Poarch, some of the most followed people on the app.
But, if you dive deeper into the platform, you can find TikTok stars who aren’t a part of a content house, but rather, they are a part of a better home called Utah Tech University.
The definition of a TikTok star can be different for everyone, but for this case, the definition is those who have a high following, post consistently and/or have interesting content.
Within the realms of Utah Tech, these TikTok users have managed to capture the hearts and screens of viewers around the world, so meet some of our TikTok sensations.
@vichognzza – 1.1M Followers – 41.8M Likes
The Greater Zion Stadium can hold 10,500 people. Now imagine 104 Greater Zion Stadiums completely full of people. That is about how many followers Vicente González, a freshman management major from Santiago, Chile, has.
González created his TikTok account when the pandemic started back in 2020. At the time, he was a high school student in Chile, and due to the amount of free time he had, he decided to post videos for fun.
González said some of his first videos were educational videos talking about the situation of the pandemic in Chile, but as they started to go viral, he started to post about many other things.
“Although I started out posting just for fun, now I’m hoping to motivate my followers to move here and show them this is how campus life is in the United States,” González said.
One of González’s biggest goals for his platform is for his followers to find value in his content.
“I want someone to look at my videos and feel like ‘Oh, I want to pursue the same as what he’s doing,’” González said.
Another goal González has for his account is to bring in more of an income from his content. González has worked with many brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Puma and Columbia Sportswear. Since moving to Utah, he hopes to work with more brands.
“I do like the money, but I also just enjoy what I do,” González said. “It’s really crazy because 1.1 million is a lot of people, but it is cool that people feel inspired by me.”
@carissa_lifts – 208.2K Followers – 8.7M Likes
Carissa Vera, a sophomore marketing major from Murray, started her TikTok journey during the same year as González, 2020.
“I would say my account started off to just document what I was doing in the gym, and then it ended up being to push myself,” Vera said. “I’m someone who when I start something, it’s kind of hard for me to hold myself accountable. When I started getting followers and posting consistently, they kind of had to hold me accountable.”
Since starting her TikTok, Vera has been working with many brands including Legion, The Lifting Society and One Up Lifestyle. She also has future plans to do a PR package with Celsius.
“When these brands first started reaching out to me, I was like, “Whoa, this is so cool,’” Vera said. “It was just really awesome, and I felt like I had supporters and the brands were supporting me. It’s just a good feeling to finally get to that stage.”
Although Vera does not want to call herself an influencer, she understands the platform she carries within TikTok.
“I think it’s a little bit scary and intimidating because I’m worried to say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing, and do something that people don’t agree with,” Vera said. “But, I’ve also realized I like what I’m doing and the morals that I have. I’m just gonna say what I want to say, post what I want to post and do what I want to do.”
Since becoming more familiar with TikTok, Vera said social media has inspired her to get out of her comfort zone and participate in bodybuilding. With her first show coming up Oct. 7, Vera looks to document her journey.
“I’m really excited about that show,” Vera said. “I probably would not be doing shows unless I got inspired by my social media and was posted by all my friends that are in my life.”
@brandt.faurs – 202.2K Followers – 4.4M Likes
Bryce Hall and Josh Richards are no match for Sun News Daily’s very own sports writer, Brandt Faurschou, a sophomore media studies major from West Jordan.
Faurschou said, “At school, a lot of people said I was attractive and that I would make good content, and that I would become popular on it, so I thought ‘Why not create a TikTok account?’”
Although most of his beginning posts consisted of thirst traps, Faurschou had a desire to shift toward a more creative genre of content.
“I tried to transition into a more cinematic mode, so I started making more gym vlogs and trying to make more cinematic videos,” Faurschou said. “I started trying to actually make a name for myself rather than being some hot boy on TikTok.”
Although Faurschou’s account was “just for fun” in the beginning, he saw his TikTok go further than he thought it would. Now with a platform, Faurschou hopes to get back to posting more consistently and bringing more life to his account.
“I just have problems with making content,” Faurschou said. “I always overthink, and I never know what to make. I have the vision in my head, but I just can never actually put it on camera, so I’m trying to learn how to become more camera-friendly and then be able to post more.”
As he continues to navigate his TikTok journey despite the obstacles, Faurschou said, “I’m grateful for my platform because it’s brought me some opportunities that I wouldn’t have had before.”
@utahtechgeosci – 56.2K Followers – 849.7K Likes
There are many TikTok accounts related to the university including Utah Tech University, Utah Tech Student Association and Utah Tech Peer Coaches, but none compare to the Utah Tech Geoscience Center account.
Utah Tech recently got approved to provide students with a new geological sciences program. In order to get their name out to students, this program decided to create a TikTok account.
With Greg Melton, assistant professor of geology, taking over Mineral Mondays, and professor of paleontology Jerry Harris taking over Fossil Fridays, this account contributes educational TikToks to its audience.
“There are people who spend so much time on social media, so I figured, you know what, maybe I can at least put something out there that might be somewhat educational and put a little bit of truth out there,” Melton said.
Melton said a TikTok account can be measured by success in two ways: passion and numbers. As for his account, he said it is both passionate and numerical in success.
“I love what I’m doing, and I think it’s rad,” Melton said. “I love seeing the comments of people saying, ‘Oh, I never knew this,’ or, ‘Oh, it was kind of cool.’ I love seeing people sort of engage with it.”
So, the next time you are strolling or scrolling at Utah Tech, look around. You might just see a TikTok star.
