Summer jobs aren't always the most exciting — unless your summer internship consists of being mentored by Issa Rae, creating your own national advertisement, and getting that same commercial up on a jumbotron in Times Square. This was the reality for Howard University students Avery Harrell, Serenity Owens, Gavin Kelley, and Kayla Collins, who were able to see the fruits of their summer with Shipt, the same-day delivery service, earlier this week.
On August 1, Shipt held an intimate event at the Renaissance Hotel in Times Square to simultaneously kickoff their new discounted student membership program and celebrate the culmination of this unique 12-week summer internship. The student-created ad spot was unveiled at the event, as a special surprise for Harrell, Owens, Kelley, and Collins. The four young creatives rushed to the floor-to-ceiling windows of the venue to get a closer look at the larger-than-life version of their commercial, all wearing huge, astonished smiles.
“I’m so proud to be here," Issa Rae told the students shortly after the surprise. "The fact that you are able to create something great that is now airing in Times Square every 30 seconds with your beautiful work, is unprecedented. Just know that your talent has been recognized, you will be rewarded, and we will be here to mentor you anytime you need it. We are so proud of your efforts.”
The four students were mentored by Rae and Shipt executives like CMO Alia Kemet while conceptualizing, filming, editing, and starring in the commercial that advertises the brand's new student membership tier.
Teen Vogue sat down with Issa Rae at the event to discuss her passion for mentorship and her dedication to uplifting the next generation of creatives of color, learn more about the media mogul's college experience, and tap in to her best advice for students both in and planning for college.
Teen Vogue: What were you like in college?
Issa Rae: I was pretty eager in college. I was very motivated and wide-eyed. I was one of those people that got there freshman year and wanted to do everything. And within a couple of weeks it was like, "Oh, I don't want to do nothing." [Laughs.] And then I found my footing pretty quickly when I was in a play that this girl directed — she put it on herself, a Black girl cast a bunch of Black students, and I was like, "Oh, if she can do it, I can do it." That made me super razor-focused and it felt like I had [found] a purpose in that.
TV: How would your friends have described you?
IR: My friends would describe [college] me as, I think goofy, a little bit thirsty, boy crazy… but reliable.
TV: That last part is important.
IR: Yeah, yeah. That's... I'll take that [last] part!
TV: I know your niece and nephews are still very young, but what advice would you give them, or any young person in your life, for planning for college?
IR: First of all, they're all brilliant. I would encourage them to not lose their curiosity. They're all very great about asking questions, very great about how they see the world, and I would just encourage them to never lose sight of the questions that they have, to seek answers for everything and to continue to dream big. They want to do everything and I feel like they all can.
TV: You made a college essentials list for Shipt. The first 500 students to sign up for the student membership will receive a complimentary kit of these essentials. There's a power bank, affirmational pens, a letter board, Cheez-Its… how similar is this list to the college essentials list you would’ve made while you were in college?
IR: It's not similar enough, because me in college, I felt like I needed everything. I was very limited in what I could choose [for this list], and my college self wanted all the things. I'm very nerdy about supplies.
TV: It's a writer thing, yeah.
IR: Yeah, I would say so. You just need all your tools. [This list is] a bit slimmer. This is more the basics, but for me, I think in college I overbought.
TV: Did you live in the dorms? What was your dorm decorated like?
IR: I lived in the dorms my first two years. My freshman dorm I shared with someone I didn't know, she was great. But my half was very… I had Tyson Beckford pictures all over the wall, and Spider-Man. So it was very... it was unique! She was more religious, she was aspiring to be a doctor and her side was a bit cleaner. So we had a nice contrast. And then the last two years I had my own apartment and it was a party spot.
TV: Period. How many colleges did you apply to, and how did you know you were making the right choice for you with your ultimate pick?
IR: I didn't apply to many colleges. I really wanted to go to NYU, and I thought I wanted to go to Brown, so I didn't apply to many. My parents made me apply to Stanford. I was very resistant to still be in California, I wanted to go away. And then I visited, and that's what made me fall in love with the school and the people.
TV: So it was the campus, for you?
IR: It was the campus, and then I saw a cute boy walk by.
TV: Ah, and you were like, "This is my future."
IR: Yeah. “I want some more… some more of that.”
TV: You’ve spoken in the past about how credit card debt really affected your formative years in college. Besides that experience, was there anything else you would’ve done differently?
IR: So much. I would've gotten a better education. It was essential for meeting people who will be in my life forever, and the network that I built was phenomenal, but I think that I would've taken more courses outside of my comfort zone. I really liked school growing up… and because I knew that I didn't really want to go to grad school, I felt like I took more shortcuts. I do love to learn, so I wish I would've just taken advantage of all the resources available at the school.
TV: What's one of the classes that you wish you would've taken?
IR: I wish I would've pursued more sciences. We were literally in the tech mecca of the world. I feel like I could've — especially since I loved technology at the time — explored more computer sciences. And there's just so many things that I felt like I could have dabbled into since the resources were there.
TV: Do you feel like you're trying to get into that kind of stuff now?
IR: Not really. I'm becoming one of those older people that I feared when I was younger. I'm more resistant. I just love pen to paper, I'm going back to the basics. I hope that I'll still have that quality that I want to impart on my niece and nephews, of just being curious and wanting to learn things, but I'm finding myself more resistant.
TV: Take your own advice.
IR: I know! I will, I will. I will start at this moment.
TV: There you go. What year of college was your favorite, and which was the most challenging?
IR: Senior year, for sure. Senior year was my favorite because I really felt like I was walking into my purpose and that was a confirmation of: "I want to be a writer, director, filmmaker and all those things." But it was also the hardest because I found out that I didn't take enough units to graduate on time, so I took the most units that year while putting on a play and trying to finish everything. I did graduate on time, [just] two units short that I had to make up for an environmental course afterwards. It was the hardest year of my life, trying to fit everything together.
TV: When you graduated from Stanford, did you ever have any inkling deep down that you would be back sooner rather than later in a bigger capacity, like delivering the commencement speech like you did in 2021?
IR: God, not even a little bit. I thought I was out. I thought they would never have use for me. They hit me up to contribute — first of all, it's disrespectful, like right when you graduate, they're like, "Donate money!" And I'm like, “You took it all! What are you talking about? Please.” So I was like, "Well, I'll never be back." But then when Awkward Black Girl came out, they invited me to speak to the students and that felt like such an honor, like, "Oh, my college wants me be back there, paying me to come to the school." They've been super supportive of my career.
TV: Let's talk about Shipt and this incredible partnership and mentorship program. Why did this opportunity speak to you so deeply, what made it a full-bodied yes?
IR: Because it is such a seamless part of my life. What honestly sold me was the mentorship opportunity… it's so special that they are giving opportunities and looking out for the students of color. I remember I applied to so many opportunities when I was in college and they didn't feel like they were built for me — and this was literally built for Black students. It started at [an] HBCU.
And I remember leaving college, part of my regrets was that while I had a network in my industry, it was hard to find jobs outside of [that] because I didn't have a résumé that could speak to my skills. Something like this, students can use for a long time to be like, "Oh yeah, I did a commercial for Shipt and I was able to get the opportunity based off of selling myself." I think that's so special.
TV: The foursome you worked with, what about their vision spoke to you the most?
IR: I think there's just a passion and an eagerness, and to have such a natural skillset… for me, that's what I look for even when I'm hiring people. First and foremost: "How badly do you want to do this? Do you want to do this long term? And do you see a vision for yourself?" And I think all four of them have the confidence, just to even apply for this [program], and have a vision for what they saw for themselves in the future.
TV: What do you think is the most important part of college life that most students take for granted until after they leave?
IR: Honestly, all the amazing people who are there. I definitely stayed in my social bubble, but then leaving, I was like… “I went to school with the founder of f*cking Snapchat.” Facebook offered me a job, and I was like, "No, that's lame." All these things that are in my orbit, I just didn't know at the time. So I think being hypervigilant of the people. The people who are around you are literally going to change the world and [they are] some of the most brilliant people… that [later] you're going to be in the Instagram comments, being like, "Girl, remember I was in class with you!" Make sure that you take advantage [of that network] and obviously treat everybody with kindness.
