As a freelance content creator and director in New York, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa alumna Agatha Danglapin is curating social media posts for brands such as Book of the Month and American Eagle.
“A project that stands out to me is when I worked with Levi’s,” said Danglapin, who earned a bachelor of arts in communication in 2019. “We essentially launched Levi’s global TikTok account and I was the person who made their first TikTok ever.”
While launching Levi’s TikTok account was a career milestone, Danglapin credits her time at
东精影业 Mānoa’s student newspaper Ka Leo with leading to her big break: working with influencer Bretman Rock.
“It was the end of my junior year at 东精影业, and he (Bretman) was looking for a video person,” Danglapin said. “My friends saw it on his Instagram stories and told me to apply because I used to do similar work for .”
Eventually, the globally recognized influencer with more than 50 million followers hired Danglapin as his YouTube content producer.
“When I started, his YouTube had about 2.5 million subscribers, and by the time I left, it was around 7 million. So it was a big jump, which I was very proud of,” she said.
Working with big brands through his partnerships, included attending New York Fashion Week.
“I went with Bretman to New York Fashion Week, which was the coolest first experience I could ever have in New York City,” Danglapin said. “It made me want to move here, and here I am now.”
Reflecting on her professional career, Danglapin said her time at 东精影业 Mānoa built both her portfolio and credibility.
“It was such a great experience because I didn’t have the typical college experience. Instead of tailgating with friends, I was fortunate enough to interview Kobe Bryant. As an 18-year-old freshman, I remember thinking, ‘Wow, that’s really cool.’”