As social media stars increasingly merge college life with online fame, the University of Arizona has become a hub for student influencers, creators who turn everyday campus moments into viral content while navigating classes and college life.

From TikTok dancers to lifestyle vloggers, these students are putting Tucson in the national spotlight and reshaping how the college experience is shared online.

The UA has become a school of choice among influencers since Kourtney Kardashian rose to fame after graduating in 2002 with a theater arts degree.
In the years since, Tucson has seen a wave of influencers who achieved social media fame as kids or teens and are now attending college.

Bennett Wilson, better known as Baddie Benito, arrived on campus this fall with hundreds of thousands of TikTok followers in tow. His audience has continued to grow, now exceeding 470,000 followers, making him one of the UA’s most widely recognized students.

Benito gained popularity through videos where he performs viral dances to “WAP,” a song by rapper Cardi B featuring Megan Thee Stallion. Since moving to Tucson, he’s filmed versions of the dance all over campus and around town, including inside Starbucks and Target stores.

Ava Santisteban, a microbiology and applied biotechnology major, said she feels indifferent about influencers on campus but admires those who are comfortable being their true selves in public.

“Someone I worked with (said they) ran into Baddie Benito and he's exactly like he is on TikTok,” Santisteban said. “I just feel like having that type of authenticity, and especially with so many people knowing who you are, it's admirable in a way.”

Santisteban said she hadn’t heard of Benito before he came to the UA. Now, his videos frequently appear on her TikTok feed, thanks to the app’s algorithm connecting them through their shared campus.

Benito’s popularity has also boosted the UA’s visibility online, with many TikTok users commenting, “What school do you go to? I wanna go there.”

Santisteban believes influencers have helped reshape Tucson’s reputation from a “boring small town” to a lively college destination.

“The perspective that a lot of people from the Phoenix area have on Tucson is that it’s pretty boring and there's nothing to do,” she said. “But especially with social media and a lot of student influencers publicizing it, there's a lot more to do here than just hike.”

This year, the UA and nearby bars have drawn several high-profile guests, including musician Yung Gravy; Love Island USA contestants Nicolas Vansteenberghe, Jose “Pepe” Garcia and Hannah Field; and DJ Diesel, better known as former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal.

Caleb Davidson, a pharmaceutical science student and barista at campus hangout Scented Leaf Tea House, said influencers have been a positive presence for Tucson businesses.

Scented Leaf has collaborated with Benito and Carter Bryant, a former UA basketball player drafted by the San Antonio Spurs earlier this year.

“I think for us right now at the U of A, from what I've seen, (influencers) have been a good thing,” Davidson said. “We've got a lot more people sharing and posting things and advertising this. I think that’s gone really well. I haven’t seen any issue with it so far.”

Davidson follows Avery Kroll, a UA business major from Florida who shares her day-to-day college life through vlogs, “get ready with me” videos, and health and beauty content.

"I literally feel like I am being watched sometimes,” Kroll said in a September TikTok video after someone took a picture of her car being towed during sorority recruitment.

Kroll, who has nearly 800,000 followers, has also talked about being harassed on campus, including people shouting profanities at her.

“It’s actually … really scary when it’s guys at night,” Kroll said.

Kroll and Benito did not respond to Tucson Spotlight's interview requests.

Santisteban and Davidson say that while campus influencers are prolific, they haven't played a role in shaping their own college experiences, since social media has long been part of their everyday lives.

“I see a lot of students who just hop out of class for a minute, put their phone on the wall and make a quick TikTok,” Davidson said.

Santisteban said that although she doesn’t attend class with any influencers — at least none she’s aware of — she’s seen some record during lectures.

“I see some where they're like outwardly disrupting the class,” she said. “I'm just thankful that I don't have that experience, because I come here to learn.”

Diana Ramos is a University of Arizona alum and Tucson Spotlight reporter. Contact her at diana@tucsonspotlight.org.  

Tucson Spotlight is a community-based newsroom that provides paid opportunities for students and rising journalists in Southern Arizona. Please consider supporting our work with a tax-deductible donation.