San Diego State welcomed 22-year-old social media beauty guru and YouTuber Bretman “DaBaddest” Rock at the Aztec Student Union Board’s first-ever influencer spotlight event on Thursday, March 4.
Rock talked about what it was like filming his new MTV reality show, the pressures of being an influencer, how to have self-confidence, incorporating his Filipino culture into his content, future projects and more in a live Q&A session via Zoom.
Co-moderator Eleanor Mauhay, Union Nights chair and biology junior, and co-moderator Jano Paredes, music and entertainment chair and marketing and hospitality and tourism management sophomore, led the discussion while over 700 participants tuned in.
Mauhay shared that ASUB and the other board members were in a unique position this year due to the virtual setting, so they had to brainstorm to come up with events and programs students could still enjoy remotely.
“My co-host and I got the idea of an influencer spotlight after looking into what other colleges have done for their programming,” Mauhay said of the planning process. “We wanted to bring a well-known individual who is admired by many here at SDSU.”
“As a huge fan myself and knowing Bretman’s personality, I knew he would be the perfect guest to bring,” Mauhay said.
Mauhay said Rock’s natural humor, energy and overall authenticity carried the night and made it more engaging.
Attendees were able to submit questions through the Zoom chat, however, halfway through the night attendees had the opportunity to have their video camera on and ask Rock a question directly.
One student thanked Rock for increasing the visibility of Filipinos around the world by incorporating his Filipino culture into his content.
Rock responded graciously and said he’ll always be Filipino and, “whatever show I’m filming, whether it’s a reality show or not, I will always be waving the Filipino flag.”
Another highlight of the night was when Rock addressed how it feels to be “DaBaddest” and how he stays so confident.
“I loved this moment because I felt like it embraced vulnerability, humbleness and empowerment,” Communication and Spanish senior Carolina Lopez said. “He said that self-confidence is something that each of us has to build for ourselves. His way of doing so was by calling himself [“DaBaddest”] so often that eventually he believed it which reflected in his whole attitude and lifestyle.”
“I consider myself a great admirer of Bretman’s career and this event allowed me to see how genuine he is in other contexts apart from social media,” Lopez said.
Kinesiology junior Jayson Santos said the night was full of good energy and vibes due to Rock’s overall personality.
“What I admire the most about Bretman Rock is even with all the success he has now he remains so humble and shares that to his fans and listeners,” Santos said. “It is truly seen with his attitude and energy.”
Although this was SDSU’s first influencer event, Rock has made appearances at other colleges. He noted how he’s enjoyed getting the chance to talk to different colleges and meet new people.
In his closing remarks, he reminded students to check-in with friends and set aside time for self-care.
“Please don’t forget to take care of yourself, school is very important, but you are just as important,” Rock said.
“I wish you guys the best of luck and like I said, please be kind to one another and check up on your friends, always.”
