Meet Lauren Cella | History Teacher and Content Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lauren Cella and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lauren, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I wanted to make history videos in a “Gen Z” style to help inspire people to learn in a way that is fun and easy to understand. My mission is also to use humor to encourage and uplift teachers and parents who are looking to connect with a brand-new generation of students. So, whether the viewer learns some history, some new slang words (or both), I hope my content can be a bridge that connects people across generations and helps us relate to one another.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My journey to teaching was not a direct one. I started as a journalism major and history minor at San Diego State, where I found my calling and passion for storytelling and new media. However, post-grad, all I kept hearing was that journalism was “dead,” and I struggled to find a career in that field, which left me discouraged. Honestly, I gave up on that dream. Meanwhile, I have many educators in my family, and I knew I loved history. I wanted to make an impact with my life, so I decided to try teaching. Immediately, I fell in love with the career and found a new dream. I will forever be grateful to that first group of students who welcomed me, allowed me to make mistakes, and learned alongside me. Everything was great. Then the pandemic hit.

We were forced online, and teachers like myself found themselves making video content. The next year, my students and I returned to campus, and they told me they enjoyed my videos and suggested I post them on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. I had a very small following online and was convinced that I was too old to go viral or participate in those ‘cringe’ trends. My students told me that many users were not there for the fun dances, but were instead using these apps to educate themselves. My social media had stalled at this point, so I thought, why not me?

I finally reached a place—both literally and mentally—where I did not care about being judged by others, because I was having so much fun making videos and building a community. When I finally went viral and hit 100K followers, I knew my life was about to change. I now have a platform where I get to represent teachers, make others laugh, meet new friends, and teach history. My dream, which I had given up on, came true in an even better way than I imagined.

If you are an expert in something, or have a gift, talent, or something valuable to offer people in any way, go for it! There is a community for everything, and if there isn’t, you can build one!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love Southern California and will always ride for the West Coast. I’ve lived in many cities, but today, my “perfect” SoCal day in Carlsbad would be grabbing breakfast to go at Garden State Bagels before getting huge iced coffees from Better Buzz in the Village (or Fox Point Farms if you have kids). For the uninitiated, lunch would have to involve carne asada fries. Then, I’d take them on a long drive along the coast with the windows down and the music up. Finally, the afternoon would call for pizza and Diet Cokes at The Camp Store, watching the sun go down over the ocean.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to give a shout-out to all of my students (past and present) for encouraging me to get on social media and put myself out there, and for continuing to inspire me every single day. I currently teach 6th and 8th grade. My 6th graders are the reason I smile every single day, and I never want our classes to end. My 8th graders are so intelligent, funny, and brilliant critical thinkers that they make my job easy. I have had the most incredible, kind, and generous students throughout my career, and it is a blessing I am truly thankful for.

Also, big shout-out to Andrea Miller, another middle school teacher and content creator, who has been my best friend since middle school and was the only person in my life who fully supported my dreams before anyone else understood. She helped me get to where I am today.

Finally, shoutout to all of the besties on Instagram who give me the confidence to keep posting and try new things. I really found the best group of people on the internet and now I get take them all with me in my pocket everywhere I go and I love that for us.

Website: https://laurencella.com

Instagram: @laurencella

Youtube: @laurencella

Image Credits
Courtesy of Lauren Cella