seconds, why you should stop cracking your spine, and more.


With more than 1.5 million followers collectively, Almadidy’s content clearly resonates with his audience.


“There are 3,000 neurosurgeons in the country, and there is a curtain hiding what we do,” he explained. “I want to open the curtain and show people the reality: explaining complex medical topics for everyone to understand; sharing my expertise with the world by being a translator from the world of complex medicine to the public; and being a conduit to bridge the gap between the two. …The explanations I deliver are about conditions that impact the viewer or their loved ones. They just want to understand it better and have someone explain it properly.”


ERIN IRELAND ’05


now dean of the Honors College. His work explored how metal toxicity in biological systems stems from the innate ability of some metal ions to cycle between multiple oxidation states, leading to cellular damage and potentially death.


Post-Winthrop, Almadidy earned his M.D. from the Medical University of South Carolina and completed his neurosurgery residency at the University of Illinois Chicago, where he also served as a resident doctor and Spine Deformity Fellow. He now works as a neurosurgeon at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois.


He chronicles his professional life, mainly through Day in the Life-style (DITL) content. One of his most recent DITL vlogs tracks his day(s), beginning with an emergency call at 9:30 p.m. about a patient facing paralysis; followed by a brief moment preparing for the operating room at midnight; to the surgery’s completion at 6 a.m. (Yes, the surgery was a success!)…while still on call for the entire next day.


Other content includes hacks for reducing migraine pain, explaining cranial nerves in 60


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Bakery owner, blogger, To Live For Bakery Instagram: @erinireland, 195K+ followers Food surrounds Erin Ireland every day – and that’s just fine with her, because it’s her calling and passion.


She feeds that passion daily as a food blogger, recipe creator and owner of To Live For Bakery, which she opened more than a decade ago, in Vancouver, Canada. Originally named To Die For Fine Foods, she began exploring where ingredients came from and the process of producing those ingredients. That inspired her professional and personal vegan journey. She also donates part of the profits to animal rights organizations and charities each month.


“Growing up and during my university years at Winthrop, the concept of veganism had never been introduced to me,” Ireland explained. “There are many influencers out there who show graphic content, and while I think this is extremely important to share, my content is geared towards warming people up to the idea of plant-based food by showing delicious looking, easy-to-make meals and snacks. My goal is to raise awareness of the importance of plant-based eating (for our environment, the


animals and our own health) and prove that it's so much easier and more delicious than people think.”


Ireland attended Winthrop on a volleyball scholarship, “a major defining moment in my life.” She earned a degree in mass communication and appreciated the real-world applications. As she worked up the ranks at CTV, Canada’s top news station, her interests pivoted to food. Before she knew it, she was giving a TEDx Talk on the bias in food media.


Her content includes photos of food like gooey birthday cake-style croissants and vegan chicken Caesar sammies (followed by a reel of people lining up around the block to try this offering) and reels showcasing her food-related travels, fitness journey and snuggling animals.


While she’s received a thumbs-up from the Vancouver Canucks ice hockey team and a Michelin-starred chef, the most recent shoutout came from award-winning singer/songwriter Billie Eilish, who included To Live For in her list of ‘120 Favorite Vegan Restaurants’ while on her tour – which was “thrilling.”


“It definitely brought in some new customers!” Ireland said. “…Social media is like word of mouth on steroids. It's absolutely changed the game for my business…On day one, we had a


After reading about these social media stars, follow them on social media to get to know them better, see how they spend their days, and learn how they educate and entertain their fan bases.


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