Social media-savvy senior celebrates peers’ college decisions
Apple iPhone X on office desk with icons of social media applications on screen.
February 2, 2022
Senior Bryan Akin always has people sliding into his direct messages on Instagram.
And no, despite his tall, athletic, six-foot stature, those DMs are not going to his personal Instagram account; they are being sent to an account that Akin runs to highlight the college decisions of the class of 2022.
A quick search on Instagram will reveal similar accounts from years past, but Akin stepped up to the job for 2022 when he found that other students weren’t.
“I decided to run the page because it was nearing the end of junior year and there wasn’t one yet… I thought I would take the initiative to create it,” Akin said.
And so, with senior Rivers Breeding’s help in creating profile art for the Instagram account, Akin started the online page and introduced it to seniors with his first post on Nov. 10, 2021. Just one day later, the page announced its first 2022 college commitment: Clayton Rice, who will attend Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina next fall.
To be featured on the page, students send Akin a DM with the college they will attend, the major they intend to pursue, and a picture of themselves. Akin then inserts the college’s logo into the senior’s picture, writes a quick caption and posts.
“When I get the notification that one of my peers has sent me a direct message on the account, I feel proud of them and excited to share their accomplishments with other people,” Akin said.
Today, the page has announced over 40 seniors’ college announcements and is nearing 1,000 followers, which include Kinkaid students, faculty and staff, parents and more. With such a following, Akin has received much praise.
“My favorite thing is seeing people tell me thank you for making and sharing the post, along with seeing reposts on Instagram stories,” he said.
