Majoring in communication was not always recent SC&I graduate Kyrah Arthur’s plan. It wasn’t until her junior year at Rutgers, after she took a semester off to figure out what she wanted to do, that Arthur declared herself a communication major at SC&I. Arthur’s original plan was to pursue nursing; it wasn’t that she didn’t consider communication and social media as an interest, but “I just didn’t know it was something I could pursue a degree in,” she said.

Since those days, not only did she find her passion at Rutgers, but Arthur has decided to continue her studies by pursuing a Master of Science and Digital Social Media at the Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Southern California. Arthur was also just awarded a $28,000 digital social media merit scholarship from the university. Arthur jokes, “when I found out I almost passed out.”

Arthur’s ultimate goal, after earning her master’s from USC, is to become an entrepreneur, focusing on digital social media marketing. By using all social media platforms, including an app she plans to create, she wants to be a professional influencer in the beauty industry. In a space that some call overcrowded, Arthur said there is very little diversity, and she wants to give representation to “people who look like me.” What will set her apart from the rest of the beauty and influencer community, she said, is the education she will have gained in social media marketing.

“It is such a rewarding feeling to be going into a program and knowing it is exactly what I want to do,” Arthur said. She says she owes a lot of her success in school and her strong passion to SC&I and its faculty. She specifically credited Director of Undergraduate Studies in Communication Brian Householder for being so “in tune” with his students. Arthur also thanks the “rigorous curriculum” SC&I provides, and for teaching her how to perform so well under pressure.

Arthur says a lot of her professional inspiration comes from other POC YouTubers who are part of the beauty community, including @LipstickNCurls and @NaturalNeiicey. She cites their “high level of content” and how they have their “hands in everything,” which is something she wants to emulate in her career.

When asked if she had any words of advice for those who might want to follow in the same path, Arthur shared two pieces of wisdom. “Take time to get to know yourself,” she said, “and don’t underestimate the potential of making your passion your paycheck.”

For more information about the Communication Department at the Rutgers School of Communication and Information (SC&I) click here.

For Kyrah’s YouTube Channel click here.

For Kyrah’s Instagram click here.