Rowan Student's TikTok Fame Grows as Campus Influencer

Samatha Phillips' relatable college content attracts brand deals and university partnership.

Jan. 28, 2026 at 8:07pm

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Samatha Phillips, a junior early childhood education major at Rowan University, has gained a significant TikTok following by posting content about her experiences as a commuter and transfer student. Since switching from Penn State, Phillips has continued to share her daily life on campus, attracting brand partnerships and a role as a Student Social Media Influencer for Rowan.

Why it matters

Phillips' rise as a campus influencer highlights the growing importance of student-created content in higher education marketing and the ability for relatable, authentic creators to build a loyal following among their peers.

The details

Phillips began posting day-in-the-life videos on TikTok while at Penn State, and has continued the trend since transferring to Rowan. Her content, which focuses on topics like travel, shopping, and wellness, has led to brand deals with companies like Poppi, Unwell, and Saxby's. Phillips is also a Rowan University Student Social Media Influencer, creating content for the school's own social media accounts.

  • Phillips transferred to Rowan University from Penn State in the fall of 2024.
  • Phillips began posting TikTok videos during her time at Penn State.

The players

Samatha Phillips

A junior early childhood education major at Rowan University who has gained a significant TikTok following by posting relatable content about her experiences as a commuter and transfer student.

Rowan University

The university where Phillips currently attends and serves as a Student Social Media Influencer, creating content for the school's social media accounts.

Penn State University

The university Phillips transferred from to attend Rowan, where she began posting day-in-the-life TikTok videos.

Poppi

A brand that works with Phillips as a college ambassador, allowing her to create content and receive free products.

Unwell

A brand that has a content creator program that Phillips is a part of, enabling her to create content and receive tips and free merchandise.

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What they’re saying

“When I was at Penn State, I just started recording a day in the life, and I had no experience in editing or anything like that. I was just posting for fun. Then I noticed that my videos started getting traction, so I wanted to keep posting.”

— Samatha Phillips, Junior early childhood education major

“I have always loved Poppi. I think that's the one that makes the most sense for me. I will post however many times because I love that brand.”

— Samatha Phillips, Junior early childhood education major

“I hope they feel like they can relate to me and understand me as a person because I never want to go on social media, and my followers don't hear my voice or not really know who I am.”

— Samatha Phillips, Junior early childhood education major

“Sometimes I also do Instagram story takeovers. I was there like last night doing a takeover, which was fun.”

— Samatha Phillips, Junior early childhood education major

“Honestly, how I kinda deal with it is if I'm going to study, I take it like me going to study and make that into content so that I don't have to come up with other content ideas.”

— Samatha Phillips, Junior early childhood education major

What’s next

Phillips plans to continue pursuing both teaching and social media content creation after graduating from Rowan University.

The takeaway

Phillips' success as a campus influencer demonstrates the growing importance of student-created content in higher education marketing and the ability for relatable, authentic creators to build a loyal following among their peers.