When Sienna Sacco arrived at UM, she had no idea where social media would take her. She posted content primarily just for fun until a couple of unexpected videos changed her life overnight.
“I started creating content in high school as just a complete joke,” Sacco said. “I didn’t take it seriously.”
That perspective changed when a few of her videos gained thousands of views. As her platform began to shift, so did her ideas for the future.
But, behind her curated content and expanding audience is a busy schedule. Sacco, a nursing and health science major, balances tedious coursework with her online presence.
“It’s definitely super hard,” she said. “You just have to find a schedule and plan everything out.”
Her path in the science industry requires acute focus. Beyond academics and social media, Sacco is also pursuing modeling, adding an additional layer to her demanding schedule.
Her transition into college highlighted a turning point. In an environment like UM, where influencer culture was on the rise, Sacco began to approach content creation more intentionally.
Now, with more than 500,000 followers on TikTok, Sacco expresses her success as “out of the blue.” Growing up to be very shy and quiet, she said putting herself online felt surreal.
“Me doing that was just kind of like, ‘Oh my God,’” she said.
As she reflects on her college journey, Sacco said personal challenges — including a difficult breakup — helped shape her into the person she is now. “That made me who I am today,” she said.
As graduation approaches, Sacco plans to continue her studies and potentially pursue acting.
Despite her success, Sacco remains self-aware of the impact she has on her followers. She recalls meaningful moments when followers have approached her.
“They’ll be like, ‘You’re my inspiration,’” she said. “That just makes me so happy.”
For underclassmen, her advice is straightforward: “Be friendly and go out. Don’t say no to anything. It goes by in the blink of an eye.”
If she could speak to her freshman self, Sacco said she would offer reassurance.
“Everything will work out the way it’s supposed to,” she said.
As her chapter at UM comes to a close, Sacco leaves behind more than just a digital footprint — she leaves an empowering message about growth, balance and embracing the moment.