As one of her fellow students digress about handstands and cartwheels, Reagan Yorke sets aside her pesto chicken bowl to chime in: “I can walk on my hands.” Confident and composed, you’d believe her if you were there because, of course, she gives you no reason to think otherwise. This Reagan is very different from the animated, punchy online persona that has garnered her over 3 million followers on TikTok, verification on Instagram, and a social media career that has allowed her to afford her own apartment and Tesla at the age of 21.

Along with her social media career (TikTok proves to be her largest platform), Yorke is also a full-time student at California State University, Long Beach. She is a film major emphasizing in broadcast production, and this is her first term back after taking a gap semester. She left briefly to film a documentary in England about mental health and social media for what LBB Online calls the “UK’s biggest content house,” Wave House. 

“I thought it was a scam. I was like, ‘This can’t be real,’ but I ended up knowing some of the other people that were in it. I was open to it because it seemed like an opportunity and it sounded really fun,” she said. “I had a hawk land on my arm, and it was a really dramatic thing. I just wasn’t expecting to do that.”

The Vice documentary called “Chasing Famous” is set to release in the US in a couple months. Until then, Yorke will be cooling down and focusing on reorganizing her work and school life. Regardless of how busy Yorke gets, she takes pride in making her own schedules and sending her own emails. She does have a management company that helps her with money and brand deals because she tends to undercharge, but she doesn’t feel comfortable with hiring assistants.

“I would feel so bad telling someone what to do. Oh my God. I could never,” she said.

The brand deals and TikToks don’t stop even when things are at their calmest. Luckily, making TikToks isn’t an overly taxing process for Yorke. Her kid-friendly videos range from product ads to trendy food reviews and comedy shorts, but she has one foolproof way to get the views she needs: clickbait.

“The goal definitely is in the views because views equal money. Videos that do well are clickbait videos or just things that make people mad, which sounds so bad. Like if you say a word wrong people will comment about it,” Yorke said. “If you know how to work the algorithm you can make a viral video by messing up a word or having something weird in your background.”

Audiences on TikTok are notorious for being incredibly outspoken with their commentary. And Yorke wants them to be. Not that she gets the worst of it to begin with.

“Since my audience is little kids, I don’t get a lot of hate,” she said. “I feel like I almost play a character. My videos aren’t personal to me, so it’s not like I’m offended if someone’s hating on me. I mean, I’m hating with them. Trust me!”

Her content hasn’t always been what it is today. She began her social media career at 7 years old with her iPad back when TikTok wasn’t TikTok at all, but Musical.ly. At 13, she would make money doing live-streams before brand deals were even a thing, and at 16, Yorke was networking with brands and other influencers. Though she can’t pinpoint the moment she figured social media could be a career, she does remember some standout moments. 

“I was live-streaming from my phone to my 10,000 followers and someone sent me a $10 gift and I was like, ‘Mom, I’m rich!’” Yorke said.

Her social media journey has been slow but steady. Because it’s been in the background of her life for so long, she doesn’t take any of it too seriously and neither does anyone else in her circle. She accredits her humility to her twin brother, who keeps her in check, and her upbringing. The San Diego native lived on a mountain where her neighbors raised goats and the nearest Target was 30 minutes away. 

“A lot of people aren’t thankful enough because they’re so young and they get the overnight fame which I didn’t experience. It’s such an underground thing for me that I would never flex about it,” Yorke said.

While many influencers her age with similar followings have opted to pursue social media full-time, Yorke has chosen to continue with her education. 

“I think I was so close to finishing that it’s not worth dropping out completely. And social media—it’s not something that’s going to be here forever, I don’t think, so for me, it’s more of a side job/hobby,” Yorke said. “It’s not something I want to do for the rest of my life. I love filmmaking and I love the people here and the classes I’m taking. It’s not a chore to do.”

Yorke may have plans slated for the future, but for now, she’s just doing what she can and enjoying herself as she nears graduation. 

“I’m riding the social media wave as long as I can,” Yorke said. “But I can definitely see myself in the entertainment industry. I don’t have a specific path. I’m just seeing what happens, but school is the next chapter to close.”

This story was previously published on digmaglb.com