I’m sitting in the Starbucks on Taylor Street when out from the cold, a friendly face joins me. Timothy Nguyen appears with a smile and an enthusiasm that is contagious. Tim and I have known each other for nearly a year. He, now a well-known photographer around campus, was first introduced to me through UIC News at a social media conference last summer. In that meeting, I pitched a UIC “Best Nap Spots on Campus” story (half serious, half joking) and was paired with him to take photos to accompany my article.
Since then, he has continued to make major moves on the UIC campus including the continuance of his sports, organizations, and scenery shots. You may recognize the picture below, it’s one of several photos that uic.edu has highlighted on the website’s homepage.
In addition, Tim has also taken pictures for our very own Her Campus UIC Team on several occasions.
Tim and I got together, and he told me a little bit about his latest project, Humans of UIC. He secured the Facebook page the summer before his freshman year but wasn’t sure what to do with it. Then, a few months back, he stumbled upon a Humans of UIC blog. “I reached out to them and asked if they wanted to work together, and from that point it just kind of picked up,” says Tim.
The website, based of the exceedingly popular Humans of New York Facebook page, officially starting posting November 22, 2014. At this point the team is comprised of eleven members – all UIC students including photographers, writers, and interviewers. Everyone helps out in his or her own sort of way. With a little bit of self-advertisement, the site took off and is close to 5,000 likes on Facebook. Some posts are light hearted and fun like the one below.
Humans: “”When’s your final?”
“Monday.”
Humans: “Wow, that’s coming up. How are you preparing?”
“Netflix.”
But others highlight the more serious and inspirational topics like so.
Humans: “Any words of advice?”
“I like the school. School is hard. Don’t let school make you sad. You try your best. Remember this. Work hard. Make your family proud. But enjoy. Cotton candy is sweet, so be happy. Be sweet.”
Regardless of the tone of the posts, the goal remains. “The main goal is to connect people together,” Tim tells me. “Since Humans began, I personally have had the opportunity to talk to people I never would have before.” The online community surrounding Humans of UIC is couldn’t be more positive. Students tag themselves or their friends in posts. “It’s a way to connect the student body,” says Tim. “We want to give UIC a voice.” And Humans of UIC is doing just that.
Make sure to like and check out Humans of UIC on Facebook if you haven’t already. And check out the Timothy Nguyen Photography page for more amazing photos!