A Seton Hall student is turning her dream into a reality by becoming involved with the video game community as a professional video gamer.
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Photo via Instagram/@meg_kaylee[/caption]
Meghan, who goes by Meg Kaylee online for privacy reasons, has built an empire in the gaming community through an online streaming service called Twitch.
Kaylee said her online presence began on Instagram and YouTube, where she created gaming content and discovered a community that shared a focus similar to her own. She later expanded and built a home within Twitch, which allows members to watch alongside other gamers as they play from home.
Similar to the concept of YouTube, members can subscribe to their favorite channels and accounts. With enough subscribers, members can get paid for their time on the site. “I started my first stream on Oct. 16 [2015] and I became addicted immediately,” Kaylee said. “I loved the community, I loved the interaction and I loved what I was able to do through the platform.”
The website isn’t just a stage for players to display their talent, she said; it became a forum for members to discuss their interests and debate techniques while joining together in their common interest of gaming. This sense of unity and camaraderie is what Kaylee said drew her and many like her to join the site and develop relationships with anyone who had internet access.
Kaylee said after getting her footing, she became dedicated to her channel and watched as her followers grew by the thousands. Building a career in the video game industry was “always the dream,” she said. “I daydreamed about working in the industry and surrounding myself with people that loved what I loved.”
As her fan base continued to flourish, Kaylee said she decided it was time to focus her energy into streaming full time. “She was so passionate and so happy to be doing what she was doing, she literally glowed and her face lit up so I knew it was something that we had to let her explore,” said Adrienne, Kaylee’s mother. Kaylee had attended Seton Hall for a time before pursuing her work full time.
“I told her that college is not for everyone and finding yourself sometimes in life is a difficult challenge.
She was lucky to find her niche early,” Adrienne said.
The name Meg Kaylee grew in the gaming world, and with her success came opportunities. After working with GameStop for three years, Kaylee was offered a hosting position for GameStopTV (GSTV), a role that placed her on every television screen in their stores nationwide, she said.
Working to expand her role at GSTV, Kaylee recently became a writer for different segments within the program. “In the future, I would love to be able to host and produce a show within the gaming space,” Kaylee said.
Desires like these are no stretch for Kaylee, said her family and friends who describe her as “strong-willed” and “extremely goal oriented.”
“I’ve watched her become a lot more confident in herself which has been not only amazing to see but an inspiration to me as well,” said Charlie, Kaylee’s boyfriend.
Kaylee said she is grateful to the Twitch community for allowing her to combine two of her passions: gaming and charity. With the help of her over 46,000 subscribers, Kaylee said she and her stream team have raised close to $20,000 in toys for the Toys for Tots foundation and over $200,000 for St. Jude.
“Streaming presents an amazing opportunity to put your true, genuine self out there and connect with others,” Kaylee said. “No matter who you are, you’ll find people who vibe with you. Don’t overthink it.
Just go for it and try it out.”
Eilish Montgomery can be reached at eilish.montgomery@student.shu.edu.
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