I am part of several clubs and organizations, including the UMBC Honors College (as a Transfer Representative), Eco-Ambassadors, Hearts for Homeless UMBC, NSBE UMBC, the McNair Scholars Program, and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@asamkpete

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/black_isallgold

Staying updated with social media trends, for me, feels like running a small “trend observatory” in my mind. I do not treat my feed as endless background noise; I treat it as a living lab. When I scroll, I am actively looking for patterns, especially when the same sound, hook, or visual format starts appearing in completely different corners of the internet, like beauty, lifestyle, and campus content. That is usually the first sign that something is crossing niches and has real trend potential rather than being a one-off viral moment. I also save posts into very specific collections such as “hooks that made me stop,” “quiet luxury transitions,” and “lo-fi GRWM audio.” Periodically revisiting these folders allows me to see what keeps repeating and which ideas still feel fresh after a few days. Beyond just spotting what is popular, I pay attention to how trends evolve over time. I watch who slows a trend down into storytelling, who flips it for education, and who adapts it for brand campaigns. That process helps me understand when something is shifting from “just funny” to “actually strategic.” In that way, staying on top of trends becomes a balance of intuition, observation, and treating TikTok and Reels like a constantly updating mood board rather than passive entertainment.