The University is filled with students with intense work ethic and drive, who balance school with an internship or two and still manage to maintain an active social life. Fourth-year Commerce student Akon Awuoka is a prime example of this, as she not only balances each facet of her life at the University, but documents it, too.
Awuok’s content creation began during her COVID-19 high school days, with her posting clips of shows and movies on Tik Tok for others to watch. Her account garnered decent success, and although she abandoned the hobby after the lockdown lifted, she retained most of her following. In 2023, as a second-year student at the University, Awuok returned to posting on her account, producing humorous, meme-like content about her life as a student.
During the Fall 2023 semester finals that year, a viral TikTok caused her account to explode in popularity, gaining over 1,000 followers from just that singular video. Acquiring 2.5 million views and over 600,000 likes, the clip depicts Awuok slamming her computer and stuffing her bag as she finishes her last assignment for a difficult class. After going viral, she was shocked that her account’s popularity had skyrocketed.
“This account was my freedom, creative space and so I really didn't advertise it at all. I didn't follow my friends,” Awuok said. “This account kind of blew up on its own.”
From there, Akon’s account continued to gain traction. While being a large creator was not her original goal, her humorous content, which focused on the predicaments of being a college student — like dorm move-out and 12-hour library sessions — gave her a wide appeal to followers navigating similar phases of life.
“I've noticed that TikTok loves relatable videos, and that's what I've seen success in [posting],” Awuok said. “I always did like relatable academic or funny joke videos that people … laugh [and] share with their friends.”
Since acquiring social media fame, though, Awuok’s content has morphed into more than just videos for laughs. As her fame grew, she began to make content about other aspects of her life, like her interests in finance and her new passion for running.
Awuok said that the decision to feature running on her account was simple. Not only does she love the physical and mental benefits of the sport, but she also said that running itself is a very widely applicable and professionally “safe” experience to document digitally.
“Being aware of digital footprints … [and thinking of] what I would want an employer to see, I started running as a safe haven,” Awuok said. “It is just kind of like gold in that essence. You can't really get canceled for running.”
Today, running around Grounds takes up a substantial portion of her TikTok page, from fitting in 14 miles before a Saturday darty to doing laps around the indoor track at the Aquatic and Fitness Center to escape from the August humidity.
In addition to posting her runs and college-lifestyle vlogs, Awuok likes to feature the various aspects of being in the McIntire School of Commerce. Interestingly, she was actually first enrolled in the University’s School of Nursing but said she felt inspired to switch gears after seeing her older brother go through Commerce.
During her entire journey, she has had her brother there to guide her. Now as a content creator, she hopes to be a similar guide to followers hoping to enter the competitive world of finance. The biggest way that she does this is by sending an FAQ document each year to students’ applying to the same programs she once did.
“I share that journey to kind of be that older brother or mentor that maybe not everybody has,” Awuok said. “I've loved being able to help people and getting messages like, ‘Oh my god. Thank you so much.’”
Awuok attributes much of the financial success she has achieved through her content creation to her coursework at the University. She said that her knowledge acquired through her marketing and finance classes are broadly applicable to curating her social media platform, and that they even frame the way she thinks about her online presence.
“I would say that [my studies] have shaped the way that I view my platform,” Awuok said. “I see [my account] as more of a business that has influence.”
Beyond her runs and McIntire experiences, Awuok’s content expands to her journey in developing her professional career. For the past two summers, Awuok has documented her time in New York City completing finance internships. Although she tries not to include much of what she does in the office, she does have a series of TikToks dedicated to the experience, including a video commemorating the first day of her internship and another of her taking a 1 a.m. business call.
Outside of her content, Awuok furthers her career preparations on Grounds with her involvement with pre-investment banking and career readiness programs, as co-president emeritus of BlackFin Investment Group and a career ambassador for the Career Center. According to Awuok, a particularly impactful achievement was being accepted in the the Girls Who Invest Summer Program, a non-profit organization working to help educate and get more women into the investment field.
As her content helps her followers parse their own academic, fitness and professional journeys, Awuok’s content has also been beneficial for herself. She shared that during her hardest times as a student at the University, content creation became a much-needed respite. While she intends to keep up with her frequent posting, she plans to slow down and savor every moment of her final months at the University.
“I just want to slow down and enjoy the year before it's not there anymore,” Awuok said.
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