Jasmine Turner | Staff Writer
Nia Imani Wellman is a second year strategic communications major from Lithonia, Georgia. Nia is known around campus for her YouTube channel “Nia Imani” which consists of fashion, makeup and beauty tips. Nia Wellman defines beauty as, “Whatever makes me feel confident and the best about myself. Somedays I look in the mirror and see fuzzy edges and other days, I beat my face and slay my hair, but in both cases I still think I’m beautiful. I think its essential for people to have their own definition of beauty and not solely rely on the opinions of others.”
Most people question why she decided to make YouTube videos. Her response was “I didn’t really see someone who reminded me of myself and I was determined to change that.” There are so many little girls who watch YouTube videos and can easily start to change themselves to be like the person they see. Even though Nia put herself in this “role model” position, she doesn’t see herself as one. Instead, she views herself as “someone people can relate to and appreciate”. In essence, the overall message of her channel is to affect lives, influence and encourage her viewers. So what exactly is the message of her channel? Nia explains that the message she wants to send through her YouTube channel is to be unapologetically you, continue to strive for excellence and just be successful in all your endeavors.
Lately, YouTube has developed the potential to lead into many career opportunities being that it can be a successful job within itself. Nia’s goal, however, is “to travel and share my journey as well as be in a position to give back.” For those interested in starting a YouTube channel of their own, here is Nia’s advice to you: “Be yourself, be consistent, be patient and always improve the quality of your content.”
YouTubers often get harassed with hateful comments, profanity and even racism. Not only does YouTube impact others but it does have an impact on the blogger too. “I think the biggest way YouTube has affected my life is knowing that my College Vlog series has inspired so many people to not only come to Hampton, but to also continue their education in general.” Nia in fact is still a full time student but how does she balance school and YouTube? She says, “Balancing school is pretty easy to me. School will always be my number one priority and YouTube just happens to be a hobby that I am able to juggle.”
It is important to be all you can be and put 100 percent dedication into it. Nia has gained a reputation around Hampton’s campus for the simple fact that she took a chance and she succeeded, Nia says one word to describe herself would be “Electric” and she is just that. Be sure to subscribe to her YouTube channel “Nia Imani” and follow her on Instagram @niabiafoefia.
The Hampton Script 