Digital versus Degree: A new age when choosing career path

Growing up and going through grade school it was always pressed upon us to go to college earn a degree and build a stable career just like a lot of the generation before us. But with the birth of social media and it's influence on young adults it has changed how some people earn a living, most students are beginning to question whether college is still the only path forward.

Today’s creator economy is giving people opportunities that didn’t exist even ten years ago. Some content creators build careers without ever planning to enter the field, while others combine education and digital media experience to shape new professional paths.  Recently I was given the opportunity to interview two popular content creators, Danielle Penman and Alyse Schroeder. They both represent very different routes into the same rapidly growing industry.

Danielle Penman, who creates family-focused content online under the name BrothersandMother, said her entry into social media wasn’t something she planned ahead of time.

“Honestly, it wasn’t some big master plan,” Penman said. “I didn’t grow up thinking I’d be a content creator because that career didn’t really exist yet.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Penman began filming short videos with her children while spending more time at home. What started as casual clips quickly gained attention after one of their videos reached several million views.

“We started making funny videos and little snippets of our life together, and then out of nowhere one of our videos blew up,” she said.

At the time, Penman was already in her 30s and working as a stay-at-home parent. Rather than replacing a college path, content creation became an unexpected opportunity she chose to pursue once she recognized its potential.

“I didn’t skip college for social media,” she said. “But once I saw the opportunity and the momentum building, I leaned into it and started treating it like a real business.”

When company’s started reaching out with collaboration offers, she realized her career was about to change.

“At first it was just free products in exchange for promotion,” she said. “Once we started getting cash offers, that was the turning point where it wasn’t just a hobby anymore.”

Danielle Penman’s experience reflects how quickly digital platforms can turn simple everyday moments into exciting career opportunities.

While creators like Danielle discover their careers unexpectedly, others bring both academic and athletic experience into the content creator field.

Fishing and outdoor lifestyle creator Alyse Schroeder, who shares content under the name Catchandalyse followed a path she was already familiar with. Having athletics, a degree and years of outdoor experience before entering into social media.

Alyse Schroeder studied toxicology at Penn State while competing nationally in lumberjack sports. Becoming national champion in boomrunning and logrolling events. Her background shows how her athletic skills and education can support credibility in the content creator communities. instead of replacing college, content creation became an added experience she already had. During our interview Alyse described her path into content creation as something that came naturally for her during outdoor activities.” I didn’t originally see content creation as the goal, It started as a way to share what I was already doing outdoors, and over time it turned into something much bigger.”

Creators working in outdoor recreation mostly rely heavily on trust and being real with their audiences. Schroeder’s background in competing in athletics and university study helped create that foundation before social media became a central part of her career:

“Having a degree gave me structure and discipline that helped when content creation became more serious,” she said.

Danielle and Alyse are two very different success stories of how social media and the digital age impacting students' lives throughout college and after earning a degree. One random content creation unexpectedly built a career through audience growth and brand partnerships. The other developed a digital presence alongside earning a degree and achieving national athletic notoriety Their stories of how students are making career decisions that had yet to exist a decade ago.

For many college students today, the question isn't whether earning a degree or content creation is the best career path. Instead, its using both to achieve goals you never thought were possible.